Exploring with the Governor! Wild Whatcom wins grant to launch EdVentures

We have been buzzing like bees! Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently visited Bellingham to present Wild Whatcom with a $20,000 grant award from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office for the new No Child Left Inside program. Over $940,000 in grants were awarded for programs in 15 counties statewide to help get kids outdoors to connect with nature and their communities. With only 19 out of 122 applications selected for funding, we are honored to be among the recipients of this competitive grant. A shout out to our friends at North Cascades Institute, the only other Whatcom County organization to be selected!  

“These grants create opportunities for kids who don’t get to visit parks and other natural places. When children connect with nature, it improves their health and their grades. It also can help them appreciate their communities and instills in them the importance of our state’s natural resources. Investing in these programs helps all Washingtonians.”
Governor Inslee

EdVentures, a partnership between Wild Whatcom and the Bellingham School District with support from the Whatcom Community Foundation, will begin this fall with a series of four sequential field outings during the 2016-17 school year for second graders, from the district’s six Title 1 elementary schools (with plans to expand to all schools as soon as possible, dependent on additional funding). Students will explore nature first-hand, enhanced by pre and post learning sessions at their schools.

“Thousands more children will get outside because of No Child Left Inside, educating them about the splendors of our incredible natural resources and beginning a lifelong love of the outdoors and outdoor recreation."
Sen. Kevin Ranker (D-Orcas Island)

In addition to Governor Inslee, Dr. Greg Baker (Bellingham Schools Superintendent), Senator Kevin Ranker (D-Orcas Island), and Don Hoch, Director of Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission helped deliver the exciting news. After the presentation, Governor Inslee and special guests joined the kids and field staff from our Neighborhood Nature class at Northern Heights Elementary in the woods to learn and explore. That doesn't happen every day!

Our hearts are full of gratitude for our Governor, Superintendent Greg Baker, and the legislators who understand the importance of fostering connections to the outdoors and are committed to providing access to nature for all children. This short video produced by the Governor’s office provides a great snapshot of the celebration. Additional media coverage was provided by the Bellingham Herald.

 

 

 

Wild Whatcom Receives State Grant; Governor Inslee to Present Award in Bellingham

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Non-Profit Receives State Grant; Governor Inslee to Present Award in Bellingham

BELLINGHAM, WA, April 23, 2016 - Wild Whatcom, a local outdoor education non-profit organization, has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office to provide a linked series of outdoor learning opportunities to more than 200 area second graders. Washington Governor Jay Inslee will visit Bellingham on Monday, April 25 to launch the new No Child Left Inside grant program and make the award announcement. "It's an honor to receive this grant and to hear the news from the governor himself,” said Executive Director, Emily Highleyman. “We are thrilled that Gov. Inslee recognizes the vital need for kids to spend time in nature."

EdVentures, a partnership between Wild Whatcom and the Bellingham School District with support from the Whatcom Community Foundation, is scheduled to begin this fall and will include a series of four sequential field outings during the 2016-17 school year for second graders from the district’s six Title 1 elementary schools. Students will explore nature first-hand, enhanced by pre and post learning sessions at their schools.

Governor Inslee’s trip to Bellingham will include a visit to Northern Heights Elementary where he will explore and learn about nature with a group of kids participating in Wild Whatcom's after-school program, Neighborhood Nature.

Photo Opportunity

Monday, April 25, 2016

4:00PM

Northern Heights Elementary (school entrance)

4000 Magrath Road, Bellingham

For more information about the No Child Left Inside grant visit: www.rco.wa.gov/grants/ncli.shtml

About Wild Whatcom

Wild Whatcom is a non-profit, outdoor education organization located in Bellingham, Washington. Established in 2004, Wild Whatcom fosters lifelong connections to nature and community through outdoor exploration and service. The organization serves over 800 kids and adults in a variety of year-round nature programs. In 2013, Wild Whatcom was named one of the top five summer camp experiences for children by Outside Magazine. For more information, visit www.wildwhatcom.org. Connect with us: Facebook/wildwhatcom and Twitter/wildwhatcom.

Media Contact:

Laurel Peak, Program Manager

(203) 470-2710, laurel@wildwhatcom.org

Wild Whatcom

(360) 389-3414, info@wildwhatcom.org

 

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Wahoo! Wild Whatcom has a New Website

Hello!

Thank you for visiting our new website! Inside days for many of us at Wild Whatcom over the past months have been busy, busy with LOTS going on including work on this new website. We are looking for reviews and feedback and would be so appreciative if you could take a moment to poke around and let us know what you think - both an overall first impression of the whole site as well as specific feedback. We are looking for fixes (bugs) first, and features (wishlist) second.

Specifically, here is feedback we are looking for:

  • Overall review from a content standpoint. Do you understand who Wild Whatcom is and what we do? Reading level - too high, too low, just right? Are we missing any important details/info?
  • Any typos, incorrect grammar, punctuation, etc.
  • Any broken or missing links.
  • Wish list of other features to consider.

Please note that some areas of the site are still under construction and that, as with any website, it is a work-in-progress with on-going maintenance and updates part of the daily mix. Please note:

  • The homepage is still being polished
  • Some of the Summer Adventure offerings are still TBA.
  • Winter Outings are just winding up, but we will house previous year offerings on the site so families can view what we typically offer any time of the year. Winter 2016 offerings will be back up soon.   
  • The Events and Press pages are still under construction as we figure out the most efficient way to use these options in addition to the Blog.

Please send your comments (in email body or as an attachment) to: info@wildwhatcom.org.

When sending your comments, please also let us know the following:

  • Device used to review the site (mobile, tablet, laptop or a mix if you used more than one)
  • Browser(s) - both name and version. You can check that here: http://www.whatsmybrowser.org/.

Here is a link to the new site (not live): https://wild-whatcom.squarespace.com

For reference, here is a link to the current site: http://wildwhatcom.org/

Thanks in advance for your time and support!

With gratitude,

All of us at Wild Whatcom