🐹 Gnarly Ash Bug 🐞🐞

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Monday update from The Hamster Wheel.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Or, hit reply to send me photos via email. 📧

Last week we looked at the European elm bark beetles found at Elizabeth Park. This week there is another tree pest on the radar. State and federal agriculture officials have confirmed Washington’s first emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) near Vancouver Washington.

The metallic green beetle is only about half an inch long, but it has killed more than 100 million ash trees since it was first detected in the U.S. two decades ago. A state analysis estimates that without management, a community could lose 90 to 100 percent of its ash trees within 10 to 12 years of an infestation.

All true ash species are vulnerable, including Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), our state’s only native ash. Based on what I’ve found online it seems the northernmost range for Oregon ash may end south of Whatcom County but I didn’t find any definitive range description. If you’re a native tree person, I’d love to know if this is the case. 🙏

The way this one was discovered is cool example of citizen science. On August 3, two people spotted the beetle on their windshield, looked it up, realized it was invasive, and collected the specimen. They sent a report with several photos to the Washington Invasive Species Council, then turned the actual beetle over to a Washington State Parks employee. From there it went to the state Department of Agriculture and then to the USDA, which confirmed the identification on August 19.

The discovery prompted the Washington State Department of Agriculture to make the following strongly worded statement: “There has never been a successful effort to eradicate EAB. Land managers and homeowners should immediately cease planting new ash trees.”

The concern now is slowing its spread, and making plans for ash trees already growing along streets, in parks, and on private property. Emerald ash borers are metallic green and often leave a distinctive D-shaped exit hole in the bark, so this is another tiny insect worth looking out for.

Cyclist Alert: Galbraith Mountain is closed to public access today and tomorrow, August 24 and 25, while Galbraith Tree Farm sprays herbicide along access roads. The mountain is private timberland, with public recreation allowed through a City of Bellingham easement. Plan on giving the trails a couple of days off. 🚵‍♀

This is the last week to catch the first official show in Make.Shift’s volunteer-run underground gallery. (Un)Ordinary features collage work by Valentine Kirby and is tucked into the basement gallery, where the show will remain up through the end of August.

There’s another exhibition upstairs while you’re there. Make It So is a Star Trek-themed group show running through the end of the month as well. Make.Shift is open Thursday through Saturday from 1 to 6 pm.

The Bellingham Plunge Club continues to grow, with somewhere between 20 and 40 people showing up most weeks for a 7:00 am Wednesday morning jump off Taylor Dock into the cool waters of Bellingham Bay. 🌊

The club has started mixing in weekly themes like beach vacation and high school prom, along with occasional weekend pop-ups for people who cannot make the Wednesday jump. Be sure to follow the club’s Instagram and mark Wednesday on your calendar. This is your week to take the plunge!

LOCAL READS

Noisy Waters Mural Festival announces 2026 winners
By Jason Upton · My Bellingham Now
The Noisy Waters Mural Festival selected three artists to create large-scale murals at Samish Station, Bellingham Dental Group, and along the Ohio Street bike path in 2027. Jason details the winners and their festival pieces, including Catie Michel’s grand-prize mural of a wolf surrounded by native plants and wildlife. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Proposed Roberts Bank oil terminal could bring more supertankers to Point Roberts waters
By Kari Mar · All Point Bulletin
A proposed Alberta-to-Roberts Bank oil pipeline and export terminal could bring more crude tankers through waters near Point Roberts, Blaine and the San Juan Islands as early as 2032. Kari reports that the plans include 15 storage tanks and two large tanker berths, while U.S. officials are pressing for spill-prevention planning. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Bellingham City Council, 1 pm with reg. at 7 pm, City Hall

Tuesday
Everson City Council, 7 pm, City Hall
Whatcom County Food Systems Committee, 4:30 pm, 110 Unity Street zoom
Ferndale School Board, 6 pm, 5780 Hendrickson Ave., or online
Bham Historic Preservation Commission, 6:00 pm, City Hall

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Wednesday
Clayton Beach: Help the Northwest Straits Foundation tackle invasive vegetation such as Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, and scotch broom to create space for future native vegetation. Register

Fri, Sat, Sun
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Saturday
Canyon Lake Community Forest: Spend the day with Whatcom Land Trust caring for trails in this stunning old-growth forest, tackling tasks such as moving rocks and dirt, clearing brush, and using hand tools including saws, rogue hoes, and shovels. Register

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham (comedy) | Mon 8:30 pm

"Shakes-Bar" Bellingham
@ The Blue Room
Much Ado About Nothing (theatre/comedy) | Thurs

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Jonathan van Halem (comedy) | Fri

Larrabee Lager Company
Laughs at Larrabee (comedy) | Fri 8 pm

New Prospect Theatre
Pippin (theatre) | Fri-Sun

The Upfront Theatre
ANATOMICA: A Comedy About Meat, Bones, & The Skin You’re In | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Country Line Dancing - Corner Taphouse in Fairhaven - Mon 6:30 pm
Contact Improv - Aikido Peace Education Center - Mon, class 5:30, jam 7 pm
Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 8 pm
Taster Tuesdays (hip hop) - Lost Giants Cider Co - Tues 6 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:00 pm
Beginner Ballet - Karate Church - Sat 10 am
Beginner Contemporary - Karate Church - Sat 11:30 am
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sun 10:30 am

River performs as La Dolce Vita at The Admiralty Lounge tomorrow, August 25, from 7 to 9 pm, bringing steel guitar and banjo to a set rooted in years of traveling and making music with friends. The name comes from River’s wooden sailboat, a decade-long restoration project that has carried him around the San Juan Islands and south to Port Townsend.

The Pazific brings its West Coast Latin soul sound to Beats on the Bay tomorrow, August 25, from 6 to 7:30 pm on the Schooner Zodiac. Led by Seattle duo Alex and Jefferson Rose, the eight-piece band mixes Latin rhythms with pop, soul, jazz, blues, dub, salsa, and a psychedelic edge. It’s part concert, part on-the-water gathering. Learn more

Babies in Arms, Kulshan Sunnyland – A casual Whatcom Family Village meetup from 4:30 to 6:30 pm for parents and babies, with $1 off drinks when ordering with a baby in your arms or mentioning Whatcom Family Village or Babes in Arms.

Dance with The Bellingham Embodiment Collective, The Majestic Ballroom – A conscious dance session from 6:30 to 8 pm led by rotating facilitators, with no set steps and movement practices including Open Floor, Azul, and 5 Rhythms.

Monday Music & Trivia →

Understanding Grief: Finding Hope, Courage, and Grace, Whatcom Hospice @ Four Points by Sheraton – Dr. Alan Wolfelt leads a free community program from 6:30 to 8:30 pm exploring the experience of loss, six essential needs after a death, and the difference between reconciling and resolving grief. Register to attend

Tuesday Tunes: Brie Mueller, Barkley Village Green – Live pop, rock, blues, and soul from 6 to 8 pm, with food trucks on site and the evening benefiting Generations Early Learning & Family Center.

Karaoke Night, Schweinhaus Biergarten – Karaoke hosted by Paige runs from 8:30 to 11 pm, with all skill levels welcome to sign up and sing.

Trivia on the Patio, Kulshan Brewing Sunnyland Taproom – Summer trivia runs from 7 to 9 pm with team competition, cash prizes, and patio seating.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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