Every event we put on asks something of the people who hold it. This spring a cohort of eight environmental education students from Western Washington University elected to focus their “Spring Block” capstone project on supporting the design and execution of the May 2nd Common Waters: Delta event, with a primary focus on youth programming. In late April these students and their instructor, Connor Harron, set up camp alongside the Nooksack to spend a few days consulting the land, the river, and a small community of mentors and guides, as they finalized this programming they would facilitate the following week. What none of us could have planned was what the land and the river gave back. Student Amelia Lee was there; this is her account.

On February 26th, a small circle of farmers, tribal members, ecologists, and neighbors gathered upstairs at Bantam for an informal dinner—no agenda beyond listening. We asked what conversations people were hungry for. And then we mostly got out of the way.

On February 10th, Aaron Straight, Tammy Woodrich, Rich Appel, and Chris Elder opened the 2026 Eat Local First Trade Meeting — NW Washington's largest food and farm gathering — with a conversation about the Nooksack watershed.

On a sunny October afternoon, more than sixty people—farmers, fishers, storytellers, scientists, tribal leaders, children, and neighbors—gathered along the South Fork Nooksack River to walk the land, listen to the river, and share a meal sourced from the watershed itself. The group visited restoration sites where "old growth blackberry" is giving way to young forest gardens, stood in silence on a gravel bar as salmon meandered upstream and eagles traced the river's bends, and ended the evening at The Commons at Unity & Flora with portraits unveiled, stories shared, and powerful reminders that "the river is alive; she is gentle and she needs us to protect her." These encounters—where people from all walks of life come together in honesty and curiosity—reminded everyone that connection is the foundation of all true progress, and that the river holds that connection for all of us.

Lummi fishers, Nooksack storytellers, Punjabi farmers, and local leaders gathered for a day of shared stories, river walks, and farm feasts along the Nooksack—captured by a film crew who blended seamlessly into the magic. From berry fields to river sandbars, participants left titles behind to listen deeply to each other and the land, forging connection and understanding. By sunset, a sense of stewardship and hope filled the circle, as heartfelt apologies and blessings were exchanged over a meal sourced from the watershed itself.

On Friday, March 21, 2025, a diverse group of tribal members, local farmers, civic leaders, and community organizers convened for a groundbreaking gathering hosted at the South Hill home of Elie and Lisa Samuel. The event marked the launch of the Water Wars (how to avoid) project, a collaborative initiative designed to foster dialogue and cooperation in addressing water stewardship challenges in the Nooksack River watershed.