Re Sources

Educating for the Environment: Young people and educators are essential for building a climate-resilient future. In 2024, our Youth for the Environment & People (YEP!) program connected 31 high school students with over 825 hours of local climate action, from energy audits to forest protection projects. Surveys showed a 34% increase in student confidence in their ability to create change. We also partnered with ClimeTime and local nonprofits to provide 78 teachers with professional development on integrating climate change into their classrooms and created a lending library of classroom "action kits." In addition, we conducted 11 school waste assessments, each resulting in tailored action plans to help schools reduce waste and conserve resources.

Environmental Advocacy and Science: From forests to shorelines, our advocacy and science programs address the root causes of pollution and climate change. In 2024, we helped protect 627 acres of mature forests in Whatcom County through Climate Commitment Act funds, and convened monthly strategy sessions with 30+ Forest Watch coalition members. Our community science program trained 18 volunteers, who collected more than 4,000 water quality measurements across 150 stormwater sites in Bellingham, helping form a new collaborative with local agencies to tackle pollutants. With the support of 145 volunteers, we removed nearly 1,200 pounds of trash from local beaches during 9 cleanups. We also expanded our stormwater monitoring model regionally through the Salish Sea Stormwater Monitoring Project, linking Bellingham's efforts to seven other Puget Sound cities.