Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that our latest result for E. Coli levels around Bellingham are in. All the bacteria levels are pretty low, but there is still bacteria in the water so it's important to wash your hands and rinse off really well after being in the water (if anyone is crazy enough to get in it with this weather!) The season for high bacteria, summer, is almost (hopefully) here so it's super important to keep up good management practices, like picking up after your pets! Stay tuned for next month's results and alerts for dangerous levels. See full results here: http://www.surfrider.org/blue-water-task-force/chapter/5
Kellie
P.S. There will be an informational session about the Gateway Pacific Coal Terminal tomorrow night at the The Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central Avenue 7-9pm. Come learn about the proposed project and how it will affect the environment and out health in Whatcom County.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Thanks to everyone who made it out for Friday's movie premier of Bag it! Great movie with a lot of interesting, and a little bit scary, information on plastics in the environment and in your body! The month of April has been proclaimed Single-Use Plastics Reduction month in the city of Bellingham!! So try really hard to remember your reusable bags, cups and water bottles. The fight to ban plastic bags in Bellingham is not over yet and we really need your help. Write to the members of Bellingham's City Counsel to let them know you support the measure to ban the bags. Thanks for the support you have already given us.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Good Work!
1) Go to this website to sign the Petition against the Cherry Point Terminal. The terminal will be shipping tons of coal to China with disastrous effects on the environment. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/protectcherrypoint/
2) Check out this article in the Western Front about Surfrider's efforts to ban the bag in Bellingham: http://westernfrontonline.net/top-stories/13206-bellingham-aims-to-ban-the-bag
Also, just a reminder tomorrow night is Snowrider's Let it Snow Party at Boundary Bay at 10 pm. Come out and here the Barefoot Brothers play and support a great cause. No cover!!
2) Check out this article in the Western Front about Surfrider's efforts to ban the bag in Bellingham: http://westernfrontonline.net/top-stories/13206-bellingham-aims-to-ban-the-bag
Also, just a reminder tomorrow night is Snowrider's Let it Snow Party at Boundary Bay at 10 pm. Come out and here the Barefoot Brothers play and support a great cause. No cover!!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
February Results
Hi Everyone,
Results are in and everything is looking pretty good! Except for the Coliform levels at the Nooksack River Delta everything was low. High Coliform results don't necessarily indicate a problem because Coliform is used as in indicator bacteria. Indicator bacteria are certain species of bacteria that are used to detect contaminated water. Their presence usually indicates the presence of other bacteria; indicator bacteria are not themselves dangerous to the health but are used to indicate the presence of more harmful bacteria. See full results here: http://surfrider.org/whatwedo3c.asp and select Northwest Straits Chapter.
Also, be sure to check out the Let it Snow Party on March 10th at Boundary Bay Brewery at 10 PM. One of Bellingham's awesome local bands, Barefoot Brothers, will be playing! No cover at the door with a lot of great items being raffled off. I hope to see everyone there to support the Snowrider Project of the Surfrider Foundation.
Results are in and everything is looking pretty good! Except for the Coliform levels at the Nooksack River Delta everything was low. High Coliform results don't necessarily indicate a problem because Coliform is used as in indicator bacteria. Indicator bacteria are certain species of bacteria that are used to detect contaminated water. Their presence usually indicates the presence of other bacteria; indicator bacteria are not themselves dangerous to the health but are used to indicate the presence of more harmful bacteria. See full results here: http://surfrider.org/whatwedo3c.asp and select Northwest Straits Chapter.
Also, be sure to check out the Let it Snow Party on March 10th at Boundary Bay Brewery at 10 PM. One of Bellingham's awesome local bands, Barefoot Brothers, will be playing! No cover at the door with a lot of great items being raffled off. I hope to see everyone there to support the Snowrider Project of the Surfrider Foundation.
Monday, February 28, 2011
February Testing
Hi guys,
Went water testing this morning! A huge thanks to Tony Gibson who went out ridiculously early with me and froze his hands sampling in the icy water (seriously, there were big chunks of snow and ice floating in the water!!!) Stay tuned- results will be in tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM.
Also, Surfrider NWS will be having its monthly meeting tonight at Woods Coffee at Boulevard, 7:00 PM. We'll be discussing our current and future campaigns and events. Everyone is welcome and we can always use more volunteers. Hope to see everyone tonight!
Went water testing this morning! A huge thanks to Tony Gibson who went out ridiculously early with me and froze his hands sampling in the icy water (seriously, there were big chunks of snow and ice floating in the water!!!) Stay tuned- results will be in tomorrow morning at 5:00 AM.
Also, Surfrider NWS will be having its monthly meeting tonight at Woods Coffee at Boulevard, 7:00 PM. We'll be discussing our current and future campaigns and events. Everyone is welcome and we can always use more volunteers. Hope to see everyone tonight!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Spanish Garbage Hotel
Check out this great MSN video: Spanish Garbage Hotel
We definitely need a change if there is enough garbage on our beaches to build an entire hotel! Remember to follow the Pick Up 3 rule: every time you go to the beach pick up all of your trash plus three more pieces. http://www.pickup3.org/
We definitely need a change if there is enough garbage on our beaches to build an entire hotel! Remember to follow the Pick Up 3 rule: every time you go to the beach pick up all of your trash plus three more pieces. http://www.pickup3.org/
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Come Help Out!
Here's a great way for everyone to help out a critical ecosystem in Bellingham: on Saturday February 12th, at 1:30 pm we will be removing invasive species at the Padden Creek Lagoon. Restoring this habitat protects native flora and fauna from invasive species that can be detrimental to the health of a natural ecosystem. It's an easy way to help the earth, feel good about yourself and your city, and get outdoors! For more information check out the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=122687161134729
Hope to see you all there!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=122687161134729
Hope to see you all there!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Phosphorus in Fertilizers
Hi Everyone,
Here's something super easy you can do help clean up waters around the Puget Sound. Go to this website and send a letter to your representative supporting HB 1489 | SB 5194 http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5168/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5428 (its really quick, you don't even have to write the letter, just fill in your address!). This measure helps manage phosphorus (P) in fertilizers. Too much P in a watershed due to runoff from fertilizers can cause harmful algal blooms in lakes and rivers. If an algal bloom is serious enough it can kill the fish and aquatic animals that live in the waters and some algal bloom are even toxic to humans! This is a small, but very important step we can all take to help the waters around Washington and I encourage you to spread the word and get as many people on board as possible!
Also, check out my friends, NWS chapter of the Surfrider Foundation on facebook for more ways to help the waters around Bellingham. http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1464184617
Here's something super easy you can do help clean up waters around the Puget Sound. Go to this website and send a letter to your representative supporting HB 1489 | SB 5194 http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5168/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5428 (its really quick, you don't even have to write the letter, just fill in your address!). This measure helps manage phosphorus (P) in fertilizers. Too much P in a watershed due to runoff from fertilizers can cause harmful algal blooms in lakes and rivers. If an algal bloom is serious enough it can kill the fish and aquatic animals that live in the waters and some algal bloom are even toxic to humans! This is a small, but very important step we can all take to help the waters around Washington and I encourage you to spread the word and get as many people on board as possible!
Also, check out my friends, NWS chapter of the Surfrider Foundation on facebook for more ways to help the waters around Bellingham. http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1464184617
Friday, January 28, 2011
January Results
Hey Guys,
So on Wednesday, some lovely volunteers and I got up really early in the morning to go do our sampling for January. Good news, all the bacteria levels were low! Its really easy to test for the bacteria, what we do is: go out at high tide and wade into the freezing water up to our knees (a big thanks to WWU for the much appreciated waders you donated) and collect some water. Then we take our samples back to the lab and measure, pour, add, and mix some stuff to the water. After that we put our samples into the incubator for 18-22 hours and return the next day for our results. A pretty simple process for such important results! If this sounds like something you would like to do, send an email to nws@surfrider.org.
You can see the exact results of our January testing if you check out this website: http://www.surfrider.org/whatwedo3c.asp and select the Northwest Straights Chapter.
So on Wednesday, some lovely volunteers and I got up really early in the morning to go do our sampling for January. Good news, all the bacteria levels were low! Its really easy to test for the bacteria, what we do is: go out at high tide and wade into the freezing water up to our knees (a big thanks to WWU for the much appreciated waders you donated) and collect some water. Then we take our samples back to the lab and measure, pour, add, and mix some stuff to the water. After that we put our samples into the incubator for 18-22 hours and return the next day for our results. A pretty simple process for such important results! If this sounds like something you would like to do, send an email to nws@surfrider.org.
You can see the exact results of our January testing if you check out this website: http://www.surfrider.org/whatwedo3c.asp and select the Northwest Straights Chapter.
Monday, January 24, 2011
First Post!!!
Hi Everyone,
I'm Kellie and I work with the Northwest Straights Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation ( www.surfrider.org/nws ) to keep the waters around Bellingham clean. Once a month some volunteers and I test the water at Larabee State Park, Mudd Bay, Little Squalicum Beach, the Mouth of Padden Creek, and the Nooksack River Delta for Fecal Coliforms and E. Coli. These bacteria live in the guts of all warm-blooded animals and can get into the waters through animal waste and even leaky septic systems. Yuck! Our test allow us to track the bacteria levels through out the year and inform the public when the levels are high. The goal of this blog is to inform Bellingham residents about the quality of their water and offer ways for people to help clean up and keep their waters healthy!
Happy Reading,
Kellie
I'm Kellie and I work with the Northwest Straights Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation ( www.surfrider.org/nws ) to keep the waters around Bellingham clean. Once a month some volunteers and I test the water at Larabee State Park, Mudd Bay, Little Squalicum Beach, the Mouth of Padden Creek, and the Nooksack River Delta for Fecal Coliforms and E. Coli. These bacteria live in the guts of all warm-blooded animals and can get into the waters through animal waste and even leaky septic systems. Yuck! Our test allow us to track the bacteria levels through out the year and inform the public when the levels are high. The goal of this blog is to inform Bellingham residents about the quality of their water and offer ways for people to help clean up and keep their waters healthy!
Happy Reading,
Kellie
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