Club Archive

May 2024 - Club initially founded by Caleb Barville and Bruce Cudkowicz while sitting in the Environmental Studies Building at WWU thinking about how they could leave a positive footprint on the environmental community in Bellingham during their time in college. They asked Dr. James Helfield, a faculty member in the Environmental Science Department and teacher of restoration ecology to advise the club.

October 23, 2024 - First Club Meeting takes place. The club leaders received a $150 donation from a kind community member to afford pizza for meeting attendees. Over 40 students and three faculty members showed up at the meeting, including Dr. Greg Green, Dr. John McLaughlin, and Dr. James Helfield. Initial interest in the club was high, and a plan was set in place to create regular meetings to bring these like-minded individuals together to create community.

November 22, 2024 - First Official Work Party Organized and Led by Our Club. This work party occurred at our club's "Avalanche Memorial" site, located at the south entrance to the Jersey Street Trail in Sehome Hill Arboretum. We removed 4 cubic yards invasive English ivy and English holly. 13 students attended this kick-off work party

December 2024 - Club forms partnership with the City of Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program to lead community restoration events weekly in Sehome Hill Arboretum, under the guidance of city staff.

December 2024 - Club forms partnership with WWU Facilities and Development (Grounds Crew) to assist in green waste removal and providing of extra tools needed during work parties

January 2025 - Club receives $$ sponsorship from Hardware Sales, a local business - to make a large purchase of shovels, saws, loppers, clippers, and hori hori tools.

May 6, 2025 - Club hosts Generations of Feminist Ecologies in Restoration and Stewardship with partners including Native American Student Union, Lummi Nation, Nooksack Tribe, Children of the Setting Sun Productions, WECU, Fairhaven College, College of the Environment, Honors College, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department, and others. This event highlighted three indigenous elders and three young tribal leaders in panel discussions moderated by Alexandra Peck (Anthropology, UBC). Over 275 in person attendees and over 100 online attendees for this event. 

Event of the Year 2025 - AS Club Awards

May 31, 2025 - Club hosts it's first Annual Arboretum Day Community Celebration. This event highlighted stewardship and community around Sehome Hill Arboretum. It included a restoration work party, arts and crafts, and guided interpretive hikes led by WWU faculty and students teaching about the forest ecology, geology, ethnobotany, and birds of the Arboretum. It ended with a 30 minute sharing circle where community members shared poems and stories of their experiences in and around Sehome Hill. Over 100 attendees showed up despite torrential downpour.

School Year 2024-2025

Leader of the Year Award given to club co-founder Caleb Barville

Club of the Year Award given to club

April 1-4, 2026 - Five club members attend Washington Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC). Using funding provided by the Environmental Science Department of College of the Environment, plus a private donor, members of the club had the opportunity to go to University of Washington to represent WWU and ERC at this conference of 250+ attendees. Club members met leaders of restoration groups at other colleges such as UW, CWU, OSU, and UofO. They also had the opportunity to meet and talk to Amy Cordalis Bowers, a restoration legend.

April 18, 2026 - 30 club members attend club-led field trip to Kukutali Preserve on Swinomish land to learn about clam garden's from the site caretaker, Joe Williams. 

April 24, 2026 - 50th Club-led Work Party takes place. This work party occurred at our club's "Mini Arboretum" site, located on the southeast side of Western's main campus, south of the new Kaiser Borsari building and north of Fairhaven. We removed 5 cubic yards invasive English ivy. 50 students attended this Earth Week work party.

May 2026 - Club forms partnership with The Uprooter to purchase a few weed wrenches for club work parties - which will assist in removal of plants such as English holly and Scotch broom.

May 30, 2026 - Second Annual Arboretum Day Community Event. Stepping up their game from the previous year's experience, a collaboration was created between City of Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program and ERC to co-lead a restoration work party in Sehome Hill Arboretum next to the new WWU House of Healing to kick off Arboretum Day. A grant was awarded by the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund to afford free meals for 150 event attendees. Partnership with a wide swath of community organizations was made to connect event attendees with organizations making meaningful impact in Whatcom County.