Traversing Whatcom Creek with the Vespula Veterans

The Vespula Veterans arrived at Maritime Heritage Park ready for a day of exploration and navigation on Whatcom Creek. After the group mobilized we walked a few blocks to the brackish water at the mouth of Whatcom Creek. Overlooking the Georgia Pacific site we peered out through the shipping channel and onto Bellingham Bay. Mentors felt it important that the Explorers knew the history of Whatcom Creek and the birth of Bellingham as we know it today. Mentors explained that Whatcom Creek was once home to a forest so dense you could hardly walk through it and rivers of salmon so thick you could almost walk across their backs. The creeks name Whatcom was derived from the Lummi word Whatcoom, meaning “The Sound of Noisy Waters”. The Lummi people were the caretakers of this watershed for thousands of years, harvesting and helping to maintain balance in the landscape. Lummi groups built semi-permanent fishing camps on the edge of the mudflats and estuarine ecosystem; now where we see GP and the shipping lane.

The Whatcom Creek landscape saw major changes with the arrival of Henry Roeder and his partner J.E. Peabody. They came in search of timber and hydropower and through some questionable business deals acquired the land. Roeder and Peabody built a mill site; harnessing the power of the creek to cut the old growth timber that was extracted from the watershed. The following one hundred and fifty years of settlement and exploitation of the creek and the outlying landscape brought: over harvest throughout the watershed, mining waste, damming of the creek and blockading of salmon runs, industrial pollution and accidents, runoff from the homes and streets, dumping of garbage and sewage, channelization of the creek, sawdust fills on top of the beach, and dredging and toxic waste in the estuarine ecosystem and Bellingham Bay. After the Mentors shared the story it was apparent the history was pretty heavy for the Explorers to take to heart.

The Mentors are starting to notice more and more that the Vespula Veterans are beginning their transition from a place of childhood to a place of arriving adolescence. In this new life stage they will start to look introspectively and become more self-aware. Not only will they call themselves into question they will start to question the integrity and structure of our society. It is very important that the Explorers have the opportunities to do this and that they understand that through this process they can find their gifts and their ability to change themselves and our society.  

Starting our traverse we walked on the interurban trail through the hatchery and the roaring falls under the Pickett Bridge. Following the creek the group came across a lot of refuse and homeless camps. As a group we discussed the impact and reality of living on the streets and how it is important to reach out to all community members of a society. Being homeless is not always as it seems and everyone has an individual story and deserves respect and care. Right before the creek passes through the Cornwall Street tunnel we came upon a bridge that looked as though it had burnt. Looking at the closed sign hanging on the fence the Explorers thought they had come to the end of the trail. The group circled up and we decided how we were going to navigate the city blocks until we could again meet up with the interurban trail.  After some alleyway wandering we came upon the creek again as it flowed out from the tunnel that allows it to run underneath James Street. Looking down at the creek it was plain to see that this stretch has been abused and neglected; we could see bicycles and rusty metal household items littering the bottom of the creek.  Some of the Vespula Veterans were shocked at the wasteful and thoughtless actions of their community. Mentors explained to the group that their frustration and discontent was directly linked to their personal connection to this land. The Explorers genuinely understand that they are interdependent with this creek and that their health is directly tied to the health of this watershed. It is so wonderful to see strong ecological ethic developing in these boys. Leaving the bridge we crossed over James Street to find a Gardner Snake was lying dead on the pavement. The group felt a strong need to help this snake finish out its life cycle by returning it to the Earth. The group took the time to slow down and explore the traverse and a result they started to realize the consequences of our fast paced society.

As we crossed the bridge on Meador Street the creek was hardly recognizable. It was extremely channelized and overgrown with blackberries. Mentors stressed the need to rehabilitate this section of creek in order to let it meander and change course and to plant a tree canopy that would provide its banks shade. A cool, shady river with lots of bends and eddies is vital to the Salmon’s life cycle. At this point of the trek the Explorers seemed fed up with our collective treatment of the creek and ready to give up on it. We crossed under I-5 and onto a section of interurban trail that looked far more recognizable. Looking east we could see remnants of the old channelized creek that had undergone an amazing transformation. Through service and community large stretches of Whatcom Creek from this point all the way up to Lake Whatcom have been rehabilitated. This is where the Vespula Veterans found their gifts. They have the power to help in this great turning, they have the power to nurse the landscape back to a point of health where it has the capacity to renew itself and provide for our whole community.

Snaking off on a side trail the group found a beautiful gravel bar to stop at and eat lunch. We climbed and balanced on the logs, skipped stones, picked up trash and searched for the missing pieces of our bow drill kits. While looking underneath a log one Explorer spotted a few salmon! What a joy it was to see the creek in action.

The group left our lunch spot and played games of Hide all the way up the climb from Woburn Street to Whatcom Falls Park. As we crested the stairs off Woburn Street we took a moment to recognize the fire that radically altered the landscape and the lives of many. The Explorers Grasped the Nettle, we hiked with focus and they pushed themselves physically as we tried to make it to Bloedel Donovan on time. Right before we headed out of the park we held a closing meeting sitting in a giant pile of Big Leaf Maple leaves. The Explorers gave thanks for: the opportunity to walk the creek, our ability to realize and change, for physical challenge, Salmon and fresh drinking water and to have a community who cares. Our day on Whatcom Creek emphasized that We are all Connected and that we are acquiring the gifts to become powerful forces in serving our communities. Mentors would like to give a big thanks to Drew Butler for being so deeply involved in this mentoring culture and to Kyle for all his EMA service this season.

Don’t forget to check out pics of the day in our photo gallery.