RE Sources

10/09/2026

Monday, October 12th is Indigenous Peoples Day. Here are a few great events for listening, learning, honoring and celebrating locally.

In Whatcom and Skagit counties, events offer a chance to connect with Indigenous cultures

10/06/2026

Today is the last day to submit a comment on the Roadless Rule! Check out our latest blog for tips on creating an effective written comment — a pillar of democracy and the heart of civic engagement — that you can use to advocate for protecting the Roadless Rule. Comment link (via roadless.org) is in the blog!

Right now, the federal government is proposing to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, a conservation measure that has kept road-building, logging, and mining out of some of our wildest national […]

10/01/2026

Rain or shine, we’re producing more power than ever here at The RE Store. Thanks to Puget Sound Energy and Ecotech Solar, our warehouse roof is now home to 98 brand-new solar panels, joining the 40 panels that have been soaking up Bellingham’s sunshine for years. That’s 138 panels in all, with an annual energy savings of about $11,000. 

This new array was installed by our friends at Ecotech Solar, and roughly half the cost of the project is covered by Puget Sound Energy’s Solar Grant program. The program is funded by PSE customers who choose to join the utility’s voluntary Green Power program, so to everyone who opts in: thank you! The other half is covered by a federal clean energy incentive for nonprofits. Together, these two sources mean the new panels come at very little net cost to our organization.

Every dollar we don’t spend on electricity is a dollar that goes toward our mission. Lower energy bills mean more support for keeping good materials out of the landfill, expanding our workforce development opportunities, and for the environmental education and advocacy work of RE Sources across Whatcom and Skagit counties.

09/30/2026

Public comments are the heart of civic engagement and essential to protecting the many at-risk, special places we know and love right now. Writing something from the heart and including facts will help make your voice be even more impactful. You can put this into practice with a comment on the Roadless Rule! Visit Roadless.org and submit your comment by October 6th at 9 p.m. PST.

Have you already submitted a comment? You’re in luck! You can edit your message through the submission portal, or submit additional comments — there’s no limit on submissions for this particular comment process.

09/30/2026

In 2026, 253 volunteers joined us for eight waterway cleanups, from Locust Beach to Cherry Point. Together, we removed 2,175 pounds of trash and recyclables from our shorelines. Thank you to everyone who showed up.

But cleanups only catch (some of) what we can see. The most effective way to keep plastic out of the Salish Sea is to stop producing so much of it in the first place.

That's why we helped pass a strong policy to cut single-use plastics city-wide back in 2021, and bring that same energy to Olympia every legislative session, pushing for statewide policies that reduce plastic pollution.

Join our Legislative Action Team to learn about state-wide policy issues and contribute your voice to the 2027 legislative session! (Link in the blog).

Every beach cleanup turns up something unexpected. This season, one of our volunteers found a message in a bottle. It was sealed, weathered, and clearly written with great care. Let’s […]

09/17/2026

We are excited to announce the Share & Repair Fair on Sunday, October 18th, a gathering designed to help you save money, reduce waste, build DIY skills, and learn alongside your neighbors. Combining a fix-it-fair, clothing swap and skill share, this event is presented by The RE Store | Salvaged building materials & furniture and Whatcom County Library System and will feature local organizations, upcyclers and trades people who are passionate about reducing waste and teaching others. Bring something that’s broken, things you don’t use, or a question to ask!

Services and repairs you’ll find: Knife sharpening, leather conditioning, jewelry repair, toy repair, bicycle repair, DIY resources from WCLS, instrument repair, textile mending, Ask an Expert: Home repair and building pros available to answer questions, upcycling craft activities for kiddos, and much more!

Things to bring to share or swap: Clothes (Must be dropped off at designated locations before the event), hand tools, art supplies, pantry staples & garden surplus, garden seeds

🗓️ Sunday, October 18th
🕐 12 - 4 p.m.
🏫 Pioneer Pavilion, 2007 Cherry Street, Ferndale, WA

♻️ Check out The RE Store’s web page for even more info!

09/17/2026

‼️ During RE Sources’ monthly monitoring at Lake Padden on Tuesday, 9/15 we observed large algae blooms near the Lake Padden Boat Launch and on the northwest end of the lake near the tennis courts. The bloom looks like spilled green paint on the water’s surface.

🔬 RE Sources collected an algae sample on behalf of Whatcom County Health, which has been sent to King County Lab and is being tested for cyanotoxins like microcystin, or anatoxin-a. Test results are expected by Friday, 9/18 or Monday, 9/21 and will be published at www.nwtoxicalgae.org.

⚠️ The main danger to people and pets comes from eating or swallowing the algae. We advise not to touch, eat, or swallow any algae and avoid areas where algae blooms or algae mats are present.

09/15/2026

In early August, nearly thirty community leaders gathered to discuss what the future holds for the Nooksack watershed as we move forward in the adjudication process. We are grateful to be a part of this conversation and appreciated hearing the perspectives this group brought. We're in this together.

a www.soulcraftallstars.com original for www.waterwars.info

09/10/2026

‼️ Blue, green and brown clumps of algae have been observed at Toad Lake during RE Sources’ past two monitoring rounds on 8/11 and 9/8. These clumps were more prolific during the recent September outing.

🧪 Whatcom County Health has also been collecting samples of the algae clumps at Toad every week since 8/11, with microcystin levels only increasing since the first testing. Currently, microcystin levels are above human health standards.

⚠️ The main danger to people and pets comes from eating or swallowing the algae. We advise not to touch, eat, or swallow any algae and avoid areas where algae blooms or algae mats are present. Whatcom County Health plans to continue sampling weekly until levels decrease.

🔬 What is different about this bloom is that it is from a benthic mat, so it does not look like the typical spilled green paint on top of the water. Benthic blooms form underwater on rocks, sand, or plants, eventually breaking free and floating to the surface or washing up on shore. This makes them difficult to spot early on.

⛓️‍💥 Click the link in our bio for Whatcom County’s health advisory.

09/02/2026

On August 16th, Bellingham City Council awarded a $40.9 million contract to Walsh Construction Company II, LLC “for the installation of upgraded air pollution control equipment at the Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant.” While this is a major disappointment, RE Sources is committed to working toward a faster transition to cleaner and healthier technologies.

So, what's next? Read our latest blog for the full update.

While this decision is a major disappointment, RE Sources is committed to working toward a more sustainable wastewater future