🐹 Master Melittologist 🐝🐝

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

I caught up my inbox this weekend. Wahoo 🎉!! If you emailed and have not heard back from me, please follow up. I may have missed a few here or there. Social media messages will be next. I see you all in there and I promise I’m coming. 😁 

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Weather Forecast

Monday: 74°F 🌡️ 56°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 SSW 3 to 7 mph

Tuesday: 79°F 🌡️ 58°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 2% | 💨 WSW 1 to 5 mph

Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Department of Agriculture Seeks Bee Hunters

I fell down another rabbit hole this weekend, but this time the topic is so fascinating and fun I had to write about it. It’s a program managed by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) called the Washington Bee Atlas, an effort to to identify and map existing native bee species in every county in the state. 🐝 

By volunteering, you receive extensive training to become a Master Melittologist, kind of like a Master Gardener but for bee collection and identification. You’re provided with supplies to collect specimens, and encouraged to join group outing or collect independently. Your specimens are submitted to Karen Wright, a pollinator taxonomist at WSDA, for official identification.

In 2024, 67 volunteers collected over 17,000 specimens 🤯 from more than 600 host plants, discovering 15 bees that had never been collected in Washington before, and one that had not been recorded in the state since 1917.

“We’re already learning fascinating things about our native bees, and we’re only getting started,” Karen Wright said. “But we still need more help. Washington is a large state and there are some counties where we don’t have a single volunteer. We’d love to have more people trained and out there looking for and recording our native bees.”

Ready to get involved? Anyone over 18 years old is invited to become a Washington Bee Atlas volunteer. Learn how to get started on the WSDA website.

In other news…

💩 Whatcom County Health and Community Services (WCHCS) warned the public on Friday to avoid swimming or wading at Larrabee State Park and Wildcat Cove after testing showed that bacterial pollution exceeds federal water quality standards.

The testing showed “high levels of Enterococcus bacteria in the marine waters at Wildcat Cove. These bacteria are a sign of fecal pollution and may indicate the presence of pathogens such as Norovirus and harmful strains of E. coli.” Children, and those with compromised immune status are at highest risk. But Norovirus is no fun for anyone! 🤒 

🚜 The Whatcom County Council meets tomorrow, July 29th for a Special Committee at 9:00 am, to discuss the Healthy Children’s Fund implementation Plan, and again at 10:30 am as the Health Board for an update from the Health Director, Health Officer, and to discuss the the Joint Public Health Advisory Board/Health Board Structure Working Group. The agendas are available online. This public meeting is held in the Council Chambers at the County Courthouse or can be watched via Zoom. Special Council Meeting. Joint Health Board/Public Health Advisory Board Meeting.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham | Mon 9:00 pm

Mount Baker Theatre
Missoula Children's Theatre: Princess and the Pea | Fri 5:30 pm, Sat 11:30 am

New Prospect Theatre
Mary’s Wedding | Thurs-Sun 7:30 pm

Bellingham TheatreWorks
The Grown-ups | Thurs, Fri 6:30 pm

iDiOM Theater
A Tourist's Guide to the End of Magic | Fri, Sat 7:30 pm

Boulevard Park Stage - BAAY
As You Like It | Sun 1pm

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances.

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Beginning Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 7 pm
Int. Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 7:15 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Summer Heat - Presence Studio - Thurs 6:30 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:30 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Feature an Event. Reach out.

FEATURED

Sam Lewis isn’t just a musician. He’s a weaver of tales, capturing the essence of human experience in every note and lyric. Chris Stapleton calls him “a modern Townes Van Zandt,” with good reason. Lewis’s voice, often likened to molasses dripping from a Southern porch, carries a soulful weight that transcends genre. At the New Prospect Theatre tomorrow night, July 29th, at 8 pm.

Tonight, July 28th, head to Övn Wood Fired Pizza for an all-you-can-eat pizza night—just $21.95 per person, with rotating slices served tableside and options for gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan diets. Feast on pie from 4 pm to 8 pm. 

The Eirik Haugbro Trio is a dynamic Denver-based ensemble pushing the boundaries of the modern jazz piano trio. Led by bassist Eirik Haugbro, with Sonya Walker on piano and Gabe Gravagno on drums, the group blends deep tradition with adventurous experimentation. Catch them at the Blue Room tonight at 7 pm.

MONDAY

Macramé a Plant Hanger, Northwest Yarns & Mercantile - Have you been meaning to learn how to macramé? Do you have a plant that needs a home? Macramé Monday will help you solve those issues! Join Northwest Yarns & Mercantile for a tried and true class and learn to make your very own macramé plant hanger. Registration.

Wild Hearts, FireHouse Arts & Events Center - Kathy Bastow and Cathy Taylor met at a local open mic here in Bellingham. They began collaborating and formed the duo - Wild Hearts. They play an eclectic mix of covers and originals, including folk, country, bluegrass, and rock, adding our unique arrangements and harmonies. This free event starts at 3:30 pm. Cash donations are appreciated.

Monday Music & Trivia →

TUESDAY

Country Swing Dance, the Elk Lodge - Learn how to country swing dance! There's no experience or partner required, just come ready and open to learn. Flat-bottomed shoes or leather sole boots are recommended, but not at all necessary. $10 Beginner lesson 7 - 8 pm. $5 Social Dance 8 - 11 pm.

Tuesday Tunes, Barkley Village Green - Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Dance up an appetite then get food from one of the several food trucks that will be attending. This week The Walrus will play starting at 6 pm.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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Hakuna matata

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