Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors (SHABOG)

A major portion of the meeting focused on budget-driven discussions about potentially reducing meeting frequency from monthly to quarterly, as both the city and university face staffing constraints and budget pressures. The proposal reflects broader fiscal challenges facing local government, with talk of general fund layoffs and position freezes. The board also addressed ongoing issues with the House of Healing construction site, specifically the need to develop a planting plan for the storm water detention vault area, though they decided to postpone any plantings until fall due to timing constraints. Other business included feedback on a new student-created arboretum website, with board members identifying numerous technical issues and concerns about maintaining duplicate information. The Ecological Restoration Club presented ambitious plans to revive "Arboretum Day" as a public celebration featuring interpretive hikes, restoration work parties, and musical performances scheduled for May 31st.

**Research Approval:** Unanimously approved Chris Templeton's bird research project involving nest boxes and mist netting for chickadee studies. Vote count not specified, but described as unanimous with no opposition or abstentions. **Website Review:** Provided detailed feedback to student David Bretsen on the new arboretum website, including requests to add city permitting information for events and clarify the site's focus on student work. **Storm Vault Landscaping:** Agreed to postpone planting around the House of Healing storm water vault until fall 2025, allowing time for proper planning and plant acquisition. **Meeting Schedule Discussion:** Began formal review of potentially changing from monthly to quarterly meetings, with bylaw changes required for any reduction below eight meetings per year. **Land Acknowledgement:** Chair will re-contact tribal representative Laurel before implementing revised land acknowledgement language.

"There's a different nuance to our relationship and what we do there because of the purpose of the arboretum is a teaching arboretum." **Nicole (City Staff), on budget pressures:** "Steve's time is precious, Kate's time is precious, and we're looking at all of our functions right now to try and do less with less. That's been our directive, and we are looking at general fund probably layoffs and planning for those." **Caleb Barville, on restoration progress:** "We had over 60 unique individual volunteers. We removed 35 cubic yards of invasive plant material, mainly being holly, ivy, cherry laurel, as well as some archangel." **Chris Templeton, on research approach:** "I'm sort of a bit of a softie that way that I don't like to cut down branches or anything like that. In fact, I usually take branches and I pull them back and I tie them up to get them out of the way of the mist net." **Kendra, on website concerns:** "It just feels like a website for student work related to the arboretum would be great. But all the other duplicating things are very problematic to me. It just means the board is gonna have to review every single little tab." **Steve Janiszewski, on meeting alternatives:** "The other group that Kate and I support is the Lake Padden Golfer Committee and we meet quarterly, which seems to work out pretty well for that group."

# Sehome Hill Arboretum Board Weighs Future, Approves Research Projects, and Tackles Budget Constraints ## Meeting Overview The Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors convened on March 20, 2025, for their monthly meeting in the hybrid format that has become their standard since the pandemic. Board Chair John presided over a session that blended routine governance with significant discussions about the board's future structure and operations. Present were board members from both Western Washington University and the City of Bellingham, including Steve Janiszewski from Parks and Recreation, Nicole from the city, Kendra representing various campus interests, and several others participating both in-person and via Zoom. What made this meeting particularly notable was the convergence of budget pressures facing both the city and university, leading to a frank discussion about whether the monthly meeting schedule could be reduced to save administrative resources. The meeting also featured two research project presentations — one approved, one deferred — and ongoing coordination challenges around the House of Healing construction project. The tone throughout was collaborative but tinged with the practical realities of doing more with less, a theme that emerged repeatedly as both institutions face budget constraints and potential layoffs. ## Student Research Updates and Arboretum Day Revival Caleb Barville from the Ecological Restoration Club delivered an enthusiastic update on the club's winter work parties, presenting impressive statistics that underscored student engagement with the arboretum. "We had over 60 unique individual volunteers," Caleb reported, sharing a detailed slide presentation. "We removed 35 cubic yards of invasive plant material, mainly being holly, ivy, cherry, laurel, as well as some archangel, buttercup and stuff." The club's accomplishments were substantial: 30 trees planted, 175 shrubs installed, and the completion of work at the Jersey Street trail site. Most recently, they had created a native pollinator garden at the Miller Hall trailhead with 97 additional shrubs, including crab apples, salal, and rhododendrons. But Caleb's presentation took on urgency when he addressed the deteriorating condition of the Miller Hall trailhead itself. "The trailhead itself is muck. It's disgusting," he said bluntly. "I believe the last time that gravel was laid down was in 2012 or 2014. It needs help." He described how visitors were trampling native vegetation to avoid the mud pit, creating additional environmental damage. Board members immediately engaged with the problem. Chair John wondered if the situation paralleled recent discoveries at Jersey Street trail, where what appeared to be irreparable muck actually concealed a hard-packed trail surface underneath. "It makes me wonder if that muck is also a layer of decomposing leaves, and over multiple years and muck. And then underneath that muck there is a hard surface trail similar to what we found on the Jersey Street trail," he suggested. Steve Janiszewski from Parks offered immediate action: "I'm going to send an email right now so that's an easy fix for us to look there." He noted that the area was already on their radar due to ongoing concerns about the arboretum's natural expansion toward university property and hydraulic pressure issues in that zone. Caleb then shifted to his most ambitious proposal: reviving Arboretum Day, a celebration that had been discontinued after running from 2007 to 2010. "Our club wants to bring back arboretum day to the arb," he announced. His vision was comprehensive: interpretive hikes guided by professors focusing on bird identification, plant identification, and geological features, combined with hands-on work parties for invasive species removal and riparian restoration at the outback farm. "We're also thinking a work party for yellow archangel site and holly and ivy removal along some other part of the South Ridge or south side of the Arboretum. But another thought is riparian restoration in the outback," Caleb explained. He had already reached out to the High Mountain String Band for musical entertainment and wanted to invite David Ingebretsen Sr., who had originally organized Arboretum Day, to share memories of the earlier celebrations. The proposal was set for May 31st, and board members responded positively to the revival idea. Chair John noted potential coordination issues with the ongoing House of Healing construction but suggested these could be managed through communication with the construction team. "I think if we communicate with Chris Mead in the group that's leading that, knowing that we've got this event, especially since it looks very afternoon based, even if there was... we could be working Saturday, so just making sure it's in their mindset." However, Caleb's final request proved more complex. With over 150 cherry laurel and holly stumps accumulating from their removal work, he advocated for herbicide treatment rather than manual removal. "I'd like the board to consider investing, or if we have the ability to use a couple of easy jack lances, or some other applicable herbicides on all of these stumps, because it would require hundreds of volunteer service hours to remove them otherwise. And in the next few years all these cut stumps are going to grow back with multiple leaders." This sparked a detailed discussion about pesticide application requirements, licensing, and policies. Steve Janiszewski explained the city's process: "It does require pesticide applicator license to apply herbicides... We also do a public notification process where we have our licensed applicators sometimes put up signs, you know, if it's along a trail. Just so the public's aware." The herbicide discussion was tabled for the April meeting to allow for proper research and planning, but the board clearly recognized the practical necessity of the approach for effective invasive species management. ## Chickadee Communication Research Gets Green Light The meeting's most straightforward approval came when Chris Templeton, a new biology faculty member at Western, presented his proposal for avian communication research in the arboretum. Joining via Zoom, Templeton brought 25 years of bird research experience and a clear vision for student-accessible field work. "My research focuses on trying to understand sort of the ecology of information through this avian lens," Templeton explained, sharing slides that illustrated his multi-faceted approach. His work examines how birds communicate about predators, with chickadees serving as a particularly revealing subject. "D is for danger," he noted, describing how the number of 'dee' calls in chickadee vocalizations correlates with threat levels. "When they see two different owls like this, like the little tiny pygmy owl versus the big great horned owl, they're actually sharing a lot of information about which predator is around." Templeton's research extends beyond communication to cognitive behavior and the impacts of anthropogenic factors like road noise on bird learning and problem-solving abilities. With two master's students and 12-13 undergraduates in his lab, he needed an accessible field site that would provide "equitable research opportunities where students wouldn't need cars or to travel to faraway places." His proposed activities included recording birds with specialized equipment, using speakers to test responses to different sounds, observing individual behavior patterns, and presenting novel foraging challenges. The more intensive aspects involved installing approximately 15 cedar nest boxes designed specifically for chickadees and wrens, and using mist nets for capturing and banding individual birds. Board members asked practical questions about compatibility with human recreation and dog activity. Templeton expressed confidence that chickadees were adaptable to human presence and that his research methods could be designed to minimize interference with public use. "These particular birds are not too bothered by people," he said. "I have them in my backyard, and they seem perfectly happy to have people sort of walk by." The mist netting component required more explanation, as this involves temporarily setting up fine nets to capture birds for banding. Templeton emphasized that this would not involve permanent installations: "This wouldn't be like a constant effort mist netting station where we would go through and we'd sort of establish a fixed net lane that would sort of require clearing out all the vegetation and always having that there." Chair John asked about research duration, and Templeton expressed hope for a multi-year longitudinal study tracking the same individuals over time. The board requested annual reporting back to share findings with the public, which Templeton welcomed as an opportunity for students to practice public communication skills. The approval process was swift. When Chair John called for a motion, the response was immediate: "Motion to approve." A second followed quickly, and with no opposition, Templeton received unanimous approval to proceed with his research. The timing proved fortuitous, as Templeton mentioned recent interesting observations: "Just this week I have a mountain chickadee singing at my house. And I went out and checked it out. And it's clearly a black cap chickadee that's singing a mountain chickadee song." This suggested the kind of unexpected behavioral phenomena that make field research compelling. ## Budget Pressures Force Difficult Conversations The meeting's most consequential discussion emerged when Nicole and Steve Janiszewski raised questions about the board's meeting frequency and administrative burden. Speaking for the city's perspective, Nicole laid out the stark financial realities facing both institutions: "We're looking at all of our functions right now to try and do less with less. That's been our directive. And we are looking at General Fund probably layoffs and planning for those." The proposal centered on reducing meeting frequency from monthly to quarterly, potentially shifting more administrative responsibility to Western, or restructuring the board's operations entirely. Nicole noted that while the arboretum was "well-loved and important part of our park system, we don't really have other monthly meetings that have to do with just one park." The conversation revealed the board's evolution since the pandemic. Originally meeting on campus with minimal city administrative support, the board had moved to hybrid meetings requiring significant coordination from city staff Kate and others. "Historically, we've been on campus. We've done our own," Nicole noted, acknowledging that having city support "has been super amazing fabulous" but also represented an added expense during budget constraints. Board members explored various alternatives. Chair John suggested field meetings in the arboretum itself, which could reduce administrative overhead while providing valuable on-site perspective. "On the rare occasion when we as a board do get out to the arboretum and meet on site, it's always really valuable," he observed. Steve Janiszewski offered a model from another board he supports: "The other group that Kate and I support is the Lake Padden Golf Committee, and we meet quarterly, which seems to work out pretty well for that group." These quarterly meetings typically lasted about an hour, similar to current arboretum board sessions. However, the discussion revealed the challenge of maintaining oversight and responsiveness with less frequent meetings. Chair John expressed concern: "I don't think we can do what we do with less meetings. Like already it feels like we [need regular contact to] stay on top of sort of ongoing things." The bylaws presented another constraint, as they require the board to meet at least eight times per year. Any reduction in meeting frequency would require formal bylaw amendments. A compromise approach emerged: quarterly formal meetings focused on maintenance and administrative issues, with additional field meetings organized by Western for student-focused activities and site visits. Nicole suggested dedicating specific time slots to maintenance updates: "Perhaps one way to go would be Steve slots right in the beginning, 15 minutes, right? Something like that." The discussion remained unresolved but established a framework for continued consideration. Nicole emphasized this was part of comprehensive budget review: "I'm lifting up every rock" to find potential savings. The group agreed to revisit the question in April with more detailed proposals and input from Tracy, another key city administrator who was absent from this meeting. ## House of Healing Construction Updates and Stormwater Management The ongoing House of Healing construction project continued to generate coordination challenges, with board members receiving updates on both progress and complications. Steve Janiszewski shared technical drawings from project manager Chris Mead regarding the stormwater detention vault system that requires landscaping decisions. "Chris Mead did send us a drawing of the stormwater vault, and what he's looking for is feedback on a planting plan," Steve explained. The current site was simply mulched with no vegetation, and the construction team was seeking guidance on appropriate plantings for both aesthetic and functional purposes. The technical constraints proved significant. The stormwater system requires access for large maintenance vehicles - "vactor trucks" about the size of fire trucks - which limits plant height to 24 inches in certain areas. Additionally, the site's location between existing sidewalks and the vault infrastructure created spacing challenges for any substantial plantings. Board members discussed timing and responsibility questions. While the construction team had completed their mulching obligation, any actual plantings would fall to the city and university to coordinate and fund. With spring planting season already advanced and no irrigation system in place, the group concluded that fall planting made more sense. "We're getting into the spring now, so if we wait too long, the chances of the plants surviving without at least someone watering them" would be poor, Steve noted. Both the city and university have mobile watering systems, but coordinating summer irrigation for new plantings would require significant ongoing commitment. Kendra raised broader questions about site planning: "Is the mulch layer sufficiently deep to control weeds, weed growth over the summer, that simply targeting a fall planting period would be an option?" This approach would provide time for proper planning while avoiding the challenges of late-season spring installation. The discussion also touched on possibly relocating some of the Garry oak trees that had been moved earlier in the construction process, though space constraints made this uncertain. Steve suggested a collaborative approach with the city's stewardship group: "If you want some assistance from our stewardship group, I'm sure Ryan Roby or others would be willing to meet with university staff and work together on a planting plan." Responsibility for ongoing maintenance of the stormwater system remained somewhat unclear, with Steve noting conflicting information about whether city Public Works or Parks would handle vault maintenance while surface landscaping would clearly fall to Parks. ## Website Development and Communication Challenges The board continued its review of a student-developed website showcasing arboretum research and information, though technical difficulties forced postponement of the full presentation until April. Chair John had reviewed the site extensively and provided detailed feedback to student developer David Ingebretsen Jr. The primary concern involved content duplication and accuracy. As one board member noted with evident worry: "I feel it's quite problematic to have this be a duplicate to the actual arboretum site, and that it will need to be updated. And we are unclear about who is going to keep it updated." The fear was creating public confusion with outdated or incorrect information, particularly regarding rules and regulations. Specific issues identified included inconsistent headers across pages, broken links that didn't lead to appropriate city resources, and an outdated map. Most significantly, the rules and regulations section simplified the actual arboretum guidelines in ways that could mislead visitors. For example, the website stated "keep dogs on leash" without explaining the designated off-leash trails that are popular with local dog owners. Board member Kendra had compiled extensive notes on needed corrections: "I have like a dozen sort of small comments that I'd be happy to send to David separately if the board sort of is on the same page about those." Her review identified navigation problems, missing links, and content that needed alignment with official city information. The discussion revealed tension between supporting student work and ensuring public accuracy. While board members appreciated the students' effort and recognized the value of showcasing arboretum research, they were concerned about becoming ongoing content managers for a duplicate information source. Chair John advocated for refinement rather than abandonment: "This is really a website for student, student-driven work" that should be clearly identified as such rather than attempting to serve as a comprehensive arboretum resource. The goal for April is to have students present a revised version that addresses accuracy concerns while maintaining its core purpose of highlighting student research and engagement. ## Consent Agenda & Routine Business The meeting efficiently handled routine administrative matters. Minutes from the previous meeting required only minor corrections to board member name spellings before unanimous approval. The land acknowledgment discussion was brief, with Chair John reporting that he had sent a revised version to Lummi Nation representative Laurel in January but had received no response. "I believe we approved it as a revised land acknowledgement," John noted, asking for board approval to begin using the new version while continuing to seek feedback from Laurel. However, board members expressed hesitation about implementing changes without Indigenous input, leading to agreement to contact Laurel once more before the April meeting. Chair John also announced plans to distribute the 2024 annual report for board review within the week, aiming for approval at the April meeting. He acknowledged that somehow no 2023 annual report had been completed, possibly lost in a laptop crash, but emphasized the importance of documenting 2024's activities. ## Closing & What's Ahead As the meeting concluded, board members took a moment to observe progress on the House of Healing construction, visible from their meeting room windows. The building's scale and proximity to existing trails generated brief discussion about final placement and access routes. The April agenda was already filling with significant items: final website review and approval, continued discussion about meeting frequency and structure, updates on Arboretum Day planning, herbicide policy considerations for invasive species management, and ongoing coordination of the stormwater vault landscaping project. The meeting adjourned with a sense of transition - budget pressures requiring difficult conversations about the board's future operations, new research projects bringing fresh energy and student engagement, and construction projects creating both opportunities and coordination challenges. While the path forward remained uncertain on several fronts, the collaborative spirit evident throughout the discussion suggested the board would navigate these changes while maintaining its commitment to the arboretum's dual mission of conservation and education. The overarching theme was adaptation in the face of constraint - finding ways to preserve what matters most about the board's work while acknowledging the practical realities of reduced resources and competing priorities. Whether through modified meeting schedules, enhanced student involvement, or innovative partnership approaches, the board appeared committed to evolving rather than simply enduring the challenges ahead.