We promote sustainable communities and protect the health of northwestern Washington’s people and ecosystems through application of science, education, advocacy and action.

Orcas, clean energy, and more in WA's legislature: How you can speak up

http://www.re-sources.org/2019-legislative-session
The health of the environment and Washington residents depend heavily on lawmakers’ choices this year — from a dwindling southern resident orca population to devastating wildfires exacerbated by a changing climate. The Washington State Legislature convenes for a four-month session on January 14th for lawmaking and budgeting, and elected officials need to hear from you before, during, and after the session in order to take bold action.

As of March 15th, all of the Environmental Priorities for 2019's legislative session are going strong! Learn more about important bills here.

How can you help? Once you sign up here, we will alert you of opportunities to use your voice to pass key environmental measures: How to write your legislators, chances to meet with them in Olympia, and everything in between. In collaboration with the Environmental Priorities Coalition, we are advocating for and tracking several issues of significance to the people and ecosystems of the North Puget Sound. Learn more, and see the status of key environmental priorities bills we're watching here, updated weekly.


World Water Day Beach Cleanup

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScI_v2zT5m0ZyQHHxtDbrS_3WDnBHSaLZBknL5MU038bKjOJg/viewform
Friday, March 22nd
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Squalicum Beach Park, off Seaview Ave, Bellingham (map)

In celebration of World Water Day, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities and the Port of Bellingham, along with Northwest Straits Surfrider chapter, are hosting a trash and marine debris cleanup south of Squalicum Beach in Bellingham!

Volunteers can park at the Squalicum Beach Park Parking on Seaview Ave. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged.  This year, World Water Day’s theme is “Leaving No One Behind,” in recognition of the fact that many people are excluded from access to clean water, especially marginalized groups worldwide – women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, and more. To learn more about World Water Day, visit worldwaterday.org.


Contact Eleanor Hines, North Sound Baykeeper at eleanorh@re-sources.org, or Kurt Baumgarten, Port Environmental Planner at kurtb@portofbellingham.com, with any questions.


Towards a toxic-free waterfront: Touring a Bellingham Bay cleanup site

How is Bellingham restoring its once-industrialized waterfront to benefit the whole community? RE Sources partnered with Port of Bellingham and Bornstein Seafoods to tackle this question, giving over 50 people a tour of one of 12 contaminated cleanup sites on Bellingham Bay.

Everyone who came had a chance to talk with agency staff responsible for the site’s future, in an effort to encourage two-way dialogue and create transparency during the Bellingham Bay cleanup process. Read more and see a video of the tour (featuring a particularly outgoing harbor seal).


Calling all K-12 science teachers!

https://docs.google.com/a/re-sources.org/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=cmUtc291cmNlcy5vcmd8bWFpbi0yfGd4OjE5MTJjNmUyYzNjZGVmZTg
You're invited to apply for a hands-on training series sponsored by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Join us to dive deep into the Next Generation Science Standards, providing the confidence to perform hands-on science beyond the walls of your classroom. Two tracks will be available during a 4-part series for K-5th grade and 6th-12th grade. Stipend, clock-hours and mileage reimbursement available to all participants who complete the series.

More information here, and a short sign-up form here. Please email Priscilla Brotherton, Sustainable Schools Program Manager, with any questions at priscillab@re-sources.org.




Bellingham’s waterfront: New public spaces, new hope for orcas

http://www.re-sources.org/blog/cleanwater/bellinghamswaterfrontnewpublicspacesnewhopefororcas
Did you know there are many ways our little length of shoreline in Bellingham Bay can play a key role in restoring our orca population, even though orcas are rarely seen here? To start a conversation about it, Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures and our North Sound Baykeeper, Eleanor, took eight interested paddlers out on a kayak tour of Bellingham’s waterfront to celebrate Orca Month. They launched tandem kayaks from Zuanich Park for a close-up look at seven spots along the waterfront — including some sites the public hasn’t had access to for decades.  Read the North Sound Baykeeper's story here on our Clean Water Blog.

Balancing Water Supply Demands

http://www.re-sources.org/watersupply
Whatcom County depends on a reliable water supply for farms, wild salmon, healthy communities, and the outdoor lifestyle that makes this a special place to live. But plentiful water is not forever guaranteed, so we must work together to ensure enough water certainty for all, now and into the future. There’s plenty of water in the Pacific Northwest during much of the year. But only 10% of our annual rainfall occurs during the summer, when water is in greatest demand by agriculture, homes, and spawning salmon. Whatcom County is at a critical juncture in how we manage our water supply. Your input is needed to help balance the needs of all water users — including salmon. Read more. 

It takes a team effort to keep Whatcom County’s water clean

In Whatcom County, we have learned the hard way that we can’t take our good fortune for granted. From the efforts to restore Bellingham’s waterfront, you know that the cost of cleanup far exceeds the cost of prevention. You also know that declining water quality in Lake Whatcom, the drinking water source for 100,000 residents, gets more and more expensive to treat – a cost ultimately borne by you and me. 

To keep Whatcom County special, we need to be vigilant. We need to be careful. And we need to take action when pollution does taint our precious waters. That is RE Sources’ job, and we’ve done it for 35 years – upholding standards of respect, integrity, and always keeping an eye toward the future we are creating for our grandchildren. They deserve a future in which a prosperous community and clean water continue to coexist. Read more.

Voted best nonprofit in Bellingham

http://www.cascadiaweekly.com/pdfs/issues/201544.pdf
RE Sources was named the best nonprofit in 2015 by Cascadia Weekly readers in the "Best of Bellingham." The paper said "Some organizations are born great, others achieve greatness in the way they approach their mission. RE Sources is a little of both."  Read more in the Cascadia Weekly's Best of Bellingham, page 14.

We think the reason for our greatness is YOU! Thank you so much for making our victories possible.


Waterkeeper Alliance member

http://www.re-sources.org/programs/cleanwater/baykeeper
Our North Sound Baykeeper is a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international nonprofit that strengthens and grows a global network of grassroots leaders protecting everyone’s right to clean water. The Waterkeeper Alliance is made up of over 300 organizations and affiliates protecting rivers, lakes and coastal waterways on 6 continents, with a goal of swimmable, drinkable, fishable water everywhere. Learn more.

If you see pollution, report it! Call the Pollution Hotline:  (360) 220-0556.  
Please take photos and be prepared to discuss location and details about the pollution.


Special thanks to our business sponsors and partners who help make our work possible: 


http://www.rdsdisposal.com/
Special thanks to our cornerstone sponsor, Recycling & Disposal Services Inc (RDS), local, privately owned transfer station in Ferndale with progressive waste management practices.




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As a 501(c)(3) organization, RE Sources does not directly or indirectly influence any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.
RE Sources for Sustainable Communities tax ID number is 91-1243957.