Re Sources

RE SOURCES MOBILIZES PEOPLE OF NORTHWEST WASHINGTON TO BUILD JUST AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES AND TO PROTECT THE LAND, WATER, AND CLIMATE ON WHICH WE ALL DEPEND.

THE RE STORE PROGRAM MAKES IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE. BY SALVAGING, REPURPOSING, AND SELLING USED BUILDING MATERIALS, THE RE STORE DIVERTS MILLIONS OF POUNDS OF WASTE FROM LANDFILLS AND ENLIVENS A CULTURE OF REUSE ALL WHILE MAKE PROJECTS AFFORDABLE AND GREEN. THE PROGRAM EMPLOYS APPROXIMATELY 20 PEOPLE, PROVIDES JOB SKILLS TRAINING, REDUCES OUR COMMUNITY'S CARBON FOOTPRINT, AND KEEPS CONSTRUCTION SPENDING LOCAL. NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE RE STORE IN 2021 INCLUDED: >WELCOMING 10 INTERNS AND TRAINEES, HOSTING 26 VOLUNTEERS, AND PROVIDING 11 TRIAL WORK EXPERIENCES FOR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH THE COMMUNITY JOBS TRAINING PROGRAM. TOGETHER, THEY RACKED UP OVER 1,900 HOURS OF TRAINING AND WORK EXPERIENCE. >OFFSETTING 313 METRIC TONS OF CARBON THROUGH ITS PROGRAMS. >BUILDING 441 PIECES OF HAND-CRAFTED FURNITURE AND HOME FURNISHINGS FROM RECLAIMED AND USED BUILDING MATERIALS THROUGH THE REVISION DIVISION. >SALVAGING 422,393 POUNDS OF MATERIAL FOR REUSE SO IT DIDN'T GO TO LANDFILLS, THANKS TO THE SALVAGE CREW'S CAREFUL DECONSTRUCTION WORK. THE STORE'S MANUFACTURING WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM ALSO DIVERTED 57,413 POUNDS OF MANUFACTURING BYPRODUCT FROM LANDFILLS. >JOINING THE PAINTCARE PAINT REUSE AND RECYCLING PROGRAM AND BECOMING THEIR NEWEST PAINT DROP OFF CENTER. THIS PROGRAM ACCEPTS UNWANTED PAINT AT DROP OFF CENTERS (LIKE US!) AROUND THE COUNTRY AND MAKES THE PAINT AVAILABLE FOR REUSE AND REMANUFACTURING BY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE METROPAINT. >LAUNCHING THE REVISION DIVISION DESIGN BUILD TRAINING INSTITUTE, WHICH TEACHES UPCYCLED DESIGN AND CARPENTRY TO UNDERSERVED INDIVIDUALS AND STUDENTS. TO DATE, THE NEW PROGRAM HAS TRAINED FOUR PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE BUILT OVER 30 PIECES.

OUR CLIMATE, ENERGY, LAND, AND WATER ADVOCACY PROGRAMS MONITOR AND PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES. THE NORTH SOUND BAYKEEPER USES SCIENCE AND ACTION TO REDUCE POLLUTION AND TOXINS IN THE SALISH SEA AND ITS UPLANDS. WE ADVOCATE FOR COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS, AN ACTIVE AND INFORMED PUBLIC, AND PROTECTIVE POLICIES AROUND WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY. WE WORK TO PROMOTE THE USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND REDUCE RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS. NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE ADVOCACY PROGRAMS IN 2021 INCLUDED: >ADVOCATING FOR STATE FUNDING FOR A VITAL WATER RIGHTS STUDY IN THE NOOKSACK RIVER WATERSHED, WHERE WATER RIGHTS AND USE HAVE BEEN UNDETERMINED FOR DECADES. KNOWING EXACTLY WHO HAS RIGHTS TO HOW MUCH WATER IS A VITAL BASELINE FOR MAKING CHOICES ABOUT THIS SHARED RESOURCE AND PROTECTING SALMON, AGRICULTURAL NEEDS AND TREATY-PROTECTED FISHING RIGHTS. >MOBILIZING ALMOST 400 SUPPORTERS TO HELP PASS THE WHATCOM CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, A CRUCIAL TOOL FOR MAKING PROGRESS ON LOCAL PROJECTS THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTS ON (OR BE IMPACTED BY) CLIMATE CHANGE. MANY COUNTIES DON'T HAVE CAPS, OR HAVE VERY OUTDATED ONES, SO THIS HELPS ESTABLISH WHATCOM AS A REGIONAL CLIMATE LEADER. >SUCCEEDING IN URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY TO SET BETTER STANDARDS FOR 58 OF WASHINGTON'S WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS THAT DISCHARGE INTO THE SALISH SEA. THE NEW PERMIT STANDARDS WENT INTO EFFECT JANUARY 1ST. >SUPPORTING THE BELLINGHAM CITY COUNCIL IN PASSING A STRONG POLICY TO CUT SINGLE-USE PLASTICS CITY-WIDE-EVEN STRONGER THAN STATE PLASTIC RULES. BAGS AND POLYSTYRENES ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON ITEMS WE FIND AT BEACH CLEANUPS. >HELPING PASS SEVERAL VITAL BILLS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE SUCH AS: FUNDING FOR A VITAL WATER RIGHTS STUDY (AN ADJUDICATION) IN THE NOOKSACK RIVER; SETTING A CLEAN FUEL STANDARD; BETTER INCORPORATING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN DECISION MAKING WITH THE HEAL ACT (HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL); AND MORE. >PUBLISHING OUR SERIES EXPOSING THE PROBLEMS WITH GAS AND THE BENEFITS OF USING ELECTRIC APPLIANCES INSTEAD. >LAUNCHING OUR CLIMATE-RESILIENT NORTHWEST WASHINGTON INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTED BY A MULTIMEDIA STORY MAP. ON THE HEELS OF A SUMMER PUNCTUATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE-FUELED HEAT WAVES, AND JUST AHEAD OF DEVASTATING FALL FLOODING ACROSS OUR REGION, THIS INTERACTIVE GUIDE TELLS THE STORY OF HOW WE CAN MAKE BOLD INVESTMENTS IN NATURAL SOLUTIONS, WHICH HELP OUR COMMUNITIES WITHSTAND AND BOUNCE BACK FROM THE CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS THAT ARE INCREASINGLY IMPACTING NORTHWEST WASHINGTON. >LAUNCHING A NEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AS PART OF NORTH SOUND STEWARDS CALLED BEACH STEWARDS. WE TRAIN PEOPLE TO TALK WITH BEACH VISITORS ON BUSY SUMMER DAYS ABOUT TIDAL LIFE AND OFFERS TIPS ON TAKING CARE OF THE HIGH-TRAFFIC, FRAGILE PLACES ON WHICH OUR WILDLIFE AND OUR TOURISM ECONOMY RELY.

SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS PROVIDES TEACHERS WITH FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES AND SUPPORTIVE CURRICULUM TO GET STUDENTS OUTSIDE AND THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT THEIR IMPACT. OUR PROGRAMS PROVIDE IN-CLASS SUPPORT, INTERACTIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE LEARNING, YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING, WA STATE SCIENCE AND LEARNING STANDARDS, EMPOWERMENT OF STUDENTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON WASTE REDUCTION, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND WATER CONSERVATION WITHIN THEIR OWN CAMPUSES. NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS PROGRAM IN 2021 INCLUDED: >STARTING THE GREEN TEAM NETWORK BY OUR EDUCATION SPECIALISTS, HELPING STUDENTS IDENTIFY THE AREAS WHERE THEIR SCHOOLS CAN REDUCE THEIR ADVERSE IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT BY PROVIDING THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS NEEDED TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT STUDENT-CHOSEN, STUDENT-LED SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS. >HELPING LEAD WHATCOM COUNTY'S BIGGEST-EVER YEAR FOR CLIMATE EDUCATION THROUGH THE STATE'S CLIMETIME PROGRAM. WE EQUIPPED 86 TEACHERS WITH TOOLS TO INCORPORATE CLIMATE IMPACTS AFFECTING WASHINGTON COMMUNITIES INTO THEIR LESSONS AND CLASSROOMS. >ENGAGING 42 TEACHERS IN ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS, DESIGNED TO HELP THEM TEACH ABOUT FOOD WASTE AND POLLUTION, AND BRING ACTION PROJECTS INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS. >DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS OF STUDENTS IN OUR YOUTH FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND PEOPLE (YEP!) BY ORGANIZING AND PROMOTING TWO TREE-PLANTING VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES IN WHATCOM AND SKAGIT COUNTIES. YEP! EXPANDED TO 9TH-12TH GRADERS IN SKAGIT COUNTY FOR THE FIRST TIME, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE. >TEACHING 615 FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS ABOUT STORMWATER AND STORM DRAINS FROM THE CITY OF BELLINGHAM AND HELPING THEM TAKE ON ACTION PROJECTS INCLUDING CARING FOR A STORM DRAIN IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD OR SCHOOL GROUNDS, LITTER CLEANUPS, AND ART PROJECTS EDUCATING OTHERS ON WATER CONSERVATION AND STORMWATER POLLUTION.