Whatcom County Parks Projects

WMTP PlanTing Project

Reforestation in Popular Whatcom County Parks

Thousands of New Trees for Popular Whatcom County Parks in Ferndale, Lynden, and Nugent’s Corner

We’re excited about our new partnership with Whatcom County Parks. Besides English ivy-removal work in those parks to save existing trees, we will plant thousands of new trees — in a phased approach over the next few years.

Enhancements to Whatcom County parks like this will provide clean air, water/flood resilience, expanded habitat, shade for hot summer days, carbon capture, and many other benefits.

Our Whatcom County Parks projects include:

Nugent’s Corner River Access Park

Using a multi-year phased approach, WMTP will reforest approximately 5 acres in an invasive-ridden large grass field at this popular county park. (See aerial map image above.) We’ll also establish a short trail to an overlook of the Nooksack River with a terrific view of Mt. Baker.

Phase 1 work has already begun! A WMTP-contracted Washington Conservation Corps crew has been digging out the extensive Himalayan blackberries. Our first two tree planting volunteer work party will be in early December 2023. Want to come? Sign up on our Work Parties page!

Jensen Family Forest Park

This partially wooded Whatcom County park near Lynden holds several acres of invasive-ridden open fields that will be reforested by WMTP, using a multi-year phased approach. (See aerial map above.) A WMTP-contracted Washington Conservation Corps crew will be digging out the extensive Himalayan blackberries soon. Our first tree planting work party here will occur in early Spring 2024. Stay tuned!

Hovander Homestead Park

After a park master plan is completed during 2024, WMTP will work with Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Department to reforest approximately 12 acres of Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale in a phased approach over several years. This area along Nielsen Road (see aerial map image above) was formerly a cow pasture from well over a decade ago. Now left alone and ungrazed for so long, it is unfortunately riddled with dense reed canary grass and Himalayan blackberry. Those will be very challenging to successfully remove mechanically. (Unlike many other local entities, we never use herbicides.) Eventually over 3,000 trees may be planted with new trails and interpretive station(s) built, too.

In ALL of Our Planting Projects

Each tree seedling is mulched, plus caged/tubed for protection from animal nibbles. We’ll regularly water them during hot summer spells, and remove nearby grasses as needed. All of our planted trees are monitored by WMTP for five years, especially after windstorms, severe rains, or extreme heat periods.

Any seedling mortality we’ll replace. Normally mortality can be 20-30% even in the best of circumstances. So far it has been only ~5% in our projects — a good indicator of our planting methodology as well as the care and love our volunteers have given to our planting projects in Bellingham Parks!

Volunteer Opportunities

• Want to be one of our “eyes” who occasionally checks our trees at one of our Whatcom County parks projects, such as where you may walk regularly anyways? Please let us know!

• Want to volunteer in a WMTP work party? Meet other tree-lovers, enjoy fresh air, have fun, and contribute to a cool project and important cause. Please join our work party contact list!

Related Links/Resources

Nugent’s Corner River Access Park — Whatcom County Parks webpage

Jensen Family Forest Park — Whatcom County Parks webpage

Hovander Homestead Park — Whatcom County Parks webpage

Work Party Photos