Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors

The Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors addressed several significant operational and partnership items in their April meeting, with technology access, fire prevention innovation, and administrative sustainability taking center stage. The board reviewed a Western Washington University website project four years in development, designed to showcase student and faculty research in the arboretum while maintaining clear distinction from the official city arboretum website. The evening's most forward-looking discussion centered on a wildfire detection sensor project proposed by the Whatcom Million Trees Project in partnership with Western's electrical engineering capstone program. The innovative project would develop low-cost fire detection sensors for deployment in the arboretum, creating both a research opportunity for students and a practical fire prevention tool that could be replicated throughout Whatcom County. Administrative challenges dominated the board's internal discussions, with both the city and university facing staff shortages that threaten the board's ability to maintain monthly meetings. The loss of Kate, their previous administrative coordinator who moved to the mayor's office, has left a gap in meeting support that highlights broader resource constraints affecting both institutions. The meeting also addressed cultural sensitivity and partnership issues, including a request from Lummi tribal member Timothy Ballou Sr. for permission to harvest traditional ironwood (ocean spray) near the Longhouse site for ceremonial salmon cooking implements. This request demonstrated the ongoing integration of indigenous practices into arboretum management and the board's commitment to honoring their land acknowledgement with concrete actions.

**Website Publication Approval** - Tabled pending revisions - Board identified specific changes needed before approval: header language clarification, rules page updates, mobile phone compatibility improvements - David Engebretson Jr. committed to 2-week timeline for revisions with board feedback within one week - Final approval scheduled for May meeting **Wildfire Sensor Project Endorsement** - Approved unanimously - Provisional endorsement granted to Whatcom Million Trees Project for developing fire detection sensors in collaboration with Western engineering students - Project aims to create $60-65 sensors versus $6,500 commercial alternatives - Grant application deadline: next Friday with 3-week application window **Ironwood Harvesting Request** - Approved - Unanimous approval for Timothy Ballou Sr. to harvest ocean spray for traditional fish cooking implements at Longhouse opening ceremony - Recognition that this constitutes vegetation disturbance but aligns with ceremonial and cultural practices - Board established precedent for case-by-case evaluation of traditional harvesting requests **Board Reappointment** - Chair endorsed for reappointment - Board members expressed unanimous support for John's continuation as chair - No formal vote required as reappointment is at President's discretion - Process will proceed through Western's presidential appointment system

**David Engebretson Jr., on accessibility design:** "I'm blind and I work in web technologies, and I am extremely passionate about Sehome Hill. I've spent about 50 years exploring the Sehome Hill." **Travis Tennessen, on website concerns:** "I think the splash page still needs to emphasize that this is not the official Sehome Hill Arboretum website. I think that it still needs to be revamped, even though the language, the words are there, visually it still will appear to many people as the official website." **Susan (Million Trees Project), on wildfire risk:** "The wildfire risk has changed even in the last few years. It used to be from July until November, and it's now in Whatcom County considered May through November. So we have a longer wildfire period." **Tracy Rogstad, on administrative challenges:** "I haven't had an admin in 10 months since I started. Our office really is just kind of on a fill in basis right now we're hoping we get up to full speed here within a few months, but that's a concern." **Joan, on John's leadership:** "I think you should stay on as a chair, John, I think you do a really good job. I love your sort of approach to things very diplomatic and kind." **Travis Tennessen, on governance structure:** "I don't think this. The strength of this board really is cooperative management between Western and the city and splitting that off in some way, like having just Western representatives deal with academic stuff and not the city representatives, isn't. It would weaken, I think, that real cooperative co-management strength that we have."

## Meeting Overview The Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors convened on April 17, 2025, for their monthly meeting, bringing together board members both in person and via Zoom to address a mix of routine business and significant collaborative projects. The meeting took place amid ongoing challenges with administrative support—the board had recently lost Kate, their administrative assistant, who moved to the mayor's office, leaving Karen to fill in temporarily while supporting multiple other committees with limited time. The evening's most substantial discussions centered on two major presentations: David Engebretson Jr.'s request for approval to publish a new Western Washington University website about the arboretum, and Michael and Susan from the Whatcom Million Trees Project pitching an innovative fire detection sensor project. Both proposals required careful consideration of the board's role in balancing academic freedom, public access, and resource management. The meeting also highlighted the board's ongoing efforts to find sustainable solutions for administrative support and meeting logistics while maintaining their collaborative relationship between Western Washington University and the City of Bellingham. ## Land Acknowledgment and Agenda Changes Board Chair John opened the meeting with the land acknowledgment, recognizing that "Sehome Hill is traditional ancestral and unceded territory of the Lekwamish Lummi people and the Nooksack people who have lived along the Salish Sea and throughout the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades watershed from time immemorial." The acknowledgment emphasized shared responsibilities to care for the arboretum and gratitude for learning from indigenous wisdom. Several agenda modifications were announced. A student presentation by Alex was postponed to May, and a discussion on vegetation protection, foraging, and treaty rights led by Travis was also moved to the next meeting. The addition of an agenda item on administrative support for the board reflected ongoing concerns about the sustainability of current meeting arrangements. Board members noted positive developments happening around the arboretum, including a work party from Western's Ecological Restoration Club pulling ivy along Arboretum Way. As one member observed while biking to the meeting: "I passed by a work party of lead and the Ecological Restoration Club, pulling out lots of ivy along arboretum way... I was just ecstatic since I biked past that patch of ivy every single day every working day for the last, however, many years, and I've always wish I could get things together to pull it out, and it's finally happening." ## Western's Arboretum Website Presentation David Engebretson Jr., Western's web communication technologies and accessibility coordinator, presented the university's proposed website about Sehome Hill Arboretum experiences by faculty, staff, and students. Engebretson, who is blind and brings five decades of personal experience exploring Sehome Hill, has been leading this four-year collaborative project involving technical writers, computer science students, and accessibility experts. The website, built with full accessibility as a core principle, showcases student and faculty work in the arboretum while maintaining clear distinction from the official city arboretum website. Engebretson demonstrated the site's semantic structure, designed for screen reader navigation, explaining: "I navigate the website by semantics... which means like headings and all of the native HTML tags that we use in web design." However, board members raised significant concerns about public confusion. Travis Tennessen articulated the primary worry: "It's still not emphasizing that this is not the... that this is a web page about student and faculty and staff work, and not the official. See Home Arboretum website. I think that it still needs to be revamped, even though the language, the words are there the visually it still will appear to many people as the official website." Additional issues identified included rules page inconsistencies, mobile phone presentation problems, and the need for a clear maintenance plan. Board members appreciated the community section showcasing student work but felt several technical and content refinements were necessary before publication. The board ultimately decided to postpone approval, requesting that Engebretson make identified changes within two weeks, allowing board members one week to review the updated site before the May meeting. Travis summarized the board's position: "I'd like to see all these changes that we've been discussing. It's quite a large list of changes. I'd like to see them made. And I'd like to see the website before we have a meeting to be able to all look at it and say, this looks good. It's not going to confuse the public, it works, it's attractive visually, and then we make it live." ## Wildfire Detection Sensor Project Michael and Susan from the Whatcom Million Trees Project presented an ambitious proposal to develop open-source wildfire detection sensors in collaboration with Western's electrical engineering capstone program. The project would address increasing wildfire risks in Whatcom County, where the fire season has extended from the traditional July-November window to May-November due to climate change. Susan explained the concept: "The idea that we have pitched to them... is to create a wildfire sensor that would be able to detect through heat and smoke a wildfire very early and send an alert to the fire department." The sensors would be developed as a senior capstone project, with students iterating designs based on real-world testing in the arboretum. The arboretum's proximity to campus makes it ideal for the iterative development process students would need. As Susan noted: "One of the reasons this project, we think, has a great chance of succeeding is because it's going to require a lot of iteration, and the students will be able to see go out and actually see on the ground how the sensors are performing to make modifications to them." The project aims to dramatically reduce costs compared to existing commercial sensors. While current systems cost around $6,500 per unit (requiring 4-5 units for the arboretum), the student-developed sensors could potentially be produced for $60-65 each, making widespread deployment feasible throughout Whatcom County. Board members responded enthusiastically to the concept. Nick Leader praised both the technical innovation and student engagement potential: "It seems to fit with the mission really well, and and just the proximity to campus... in terms of developing it and updating it and getting like, you know, any any sort of any sort of work that needs to be done. It's so close that it would be easy to do in a short amount of time." The board unanimously approved a motion to "provisionally endorse the concept of... developing a fire detection sensor in collaboration with the Western engineering capstone program," understanding that detailed implementation discussions would follow if grant funding is secured. ## Administrative Support and Meeting Framework Challenges The loss of administrative assistant Kate to a promotion in the mayor's office sparked extensive discussion about sustainable support structures for the board. Karen, currently covering Kate's responsibilities while supporting multiple other committees, highlighted the strain on city staff resources. Wayne from Western suggested returning meetings to campus, where the university could potentially provide administrative support: "Western could support the Admin support for the board... being able to upload the agendas like Western should have be posting it somewhere on their site. And then, as an open public meeting, we have to post it." This would include setting up Zoom links, managing hybrid meetings, and providing recordings. However, Tracy from the city expressed concerns about current capacity: "I haven't had an admin in 10 months since I started. Our our office really is just kind of on a fill in basis right now... we don't have any admin right now that we could commit." She suggested that quarterly rather than monthly meetings might be more manageable given budget constraints and staffing limitations. The discussion revealed tensions between maintaining the board's collaborative effectiveness and accommodating resource constraints at both institutions. Some members worried that less frequent meetings would compromise the cooperative management that has been the board's strength. John articulated this concern: "I don't think this. The strength of this board really is cooperative management between Western and the city and splitting that off in some way, like having just Western representatives deal with academic stuff and not the city representatives, isn't. It would weaken, I think, that real cooperative co-management strength that we have." Various alternatives emerged, including subcommittees for specific academic issues, rotating administrative responsibilities among board members, or transitioning to the future House of Healing Longhouse facility. However, the complexity of open meeting requirements—including public notice, Zoom access, and recording distribution—meant that even subcommittee approaches would require significant coordination. The board decided to table the issue until their September meeting, giving both institutions time to assess staffing situations and explore options. Wayne confirmed that Physical Plant meeting space improvements would be completed by then, potentially facilitating a return to campus-based meetings. ## Board Chair Reappointment and Leadership Continuity Chair John Kendra addressed his board reappointment, as his term officially expired that day. He expressed willingness to continue serving but wanted explicit board support before submitting his reapplication to the university president: "I would not want to do so if I didn't have the support of the Board to to move forward with that." Board members unanimously expressed strong support for Kendra's continued leadership. One member stated: "I think you should stay on as a chair, John, I think you do a really good job. I love your sort of approach to things very diplomatic and kind." Travis Tennessen simply added: "Stay on the board, John." Kendra acknowledged feeling overwhelmed at times—"it often feels... by the week before we're due to meet, like, I'm just trying to stay on my breath for it"—but board members offered increased support. They specifically suggested rotating minute-taking responsibilities and providing more assistance with meeting preparation tasks. The discussion highlighted how much coordination goes into effective board operation, from agenda preparation to meeting facilitation to follow-up documentation. Board members committed to taking more active roles in these supporting functions to prevent burnout and ensure continuity of effective leadership. ## Traditional Use Request and Arboretum Policies In a brief but significant agenda item, the board approved a request from Timothy Ballou Sr., a Lummi tribal member and longhouse planning committee representative, to harvest ironwood (ocean spray) for traditional fish sticks used in salmon preparation. The harvest would support the upcoming salmon barbecue planned for the longhouse opening ceremony. Kendra explained the request: "Tim uses this for making fish sticks used to cook salmon the traditional way over the fire. The ironwood is not always easy to find, and he noticed some healthy trees which would make ideal fish sticks. He would be using these for the upcoming salmon barbecue we planned for the opening of the longhouse." The request raised important questions about arboretum vegetation policies, as written rules prohibit vegetation disturbance. However, board members recognized this as sustainable traditional harvesting that promotes plant health rather than destructive removal. The harvesting involves taking stems that encourage straight regrowth while leaving root systems intact. Joan provided botanical context: "Ocean spray can be cut to the ground to re-sprout when it overgrows a location... based on their practices. It's done in a way that isn't damaging." The board unanimously approved the request, understanding it as both culturally important and ecologically sustainable. This discussion highlighted broader questions about how arboretum policies should accommodate traditional uses, longhouse-related activities, and various forms of beneficial vegetation management that technically constitute "disturbance" but serve conservation or cultural purposes. ## Student Projects and Community Engagement Several ongoing student initiatives received brief updates. The Ecological Restoration Club continues planning for Arboretum Day on May 31st, centered at the outback farm but featuring arboretum tours and thematic focus. The club has also secured funding for a small student research grant program focused on invasive plant management, with grants of approximately $250-300. Travis Tennessen suggested expanding student engagement through visual journalism collaborations: "I feel, like we could partner with a visual journalism class sooner than later to get student work... visually documented in a really wonderful way in the Arboretum. Maybe Joe Gossen, who teaches video journalism... could do that with us sometime, maybe, with this project." The board also addressed practical management needs, including Oscar's request for herbicide treatment of a large archangel site. Manual removal efforts by students had cleared only a small fraction of the approximately 5,000 square foot infestation, making chemical treatment necessary for effective control. ## Financial and Administrative Updates The annual report draft was circulated but tabled until May due to insufficient review time. Board members appreciated having more time to carefully examine the document, reflecting the careful attention they give to formal communications. Budget constraints emerged as a recurring theme throughout the meeting, affecting both administrative support capabilities and project planning. City and university staff both referenced significant budgetary pressures and reduced staffing levels, making resource allocation increasingly challenging. Despite these constraints, the board demonstrated continued commitment to supporting student research, maintaining collaborative partnerships, and addressing both immediate needs (like invasive species management) and long-term opportunities (like wildfire detection technology development). ## Looking Ahead and Closing Reflections The meeting concluded with recognition of the ongoing balancing act the board manages between academic freedom, public access, resource limitations, and collaborative governance. The May meeting agenda already promises to be substantial, with website approval, administrative support decisions, storm retention area planting discussions, and the annual report all requiring attention. The evening highlighted both the challenges and the vitality of the board's work. Technical presentations showcased innovative student engagement opportunities, traditional use requests honored cultural connections to the land, and practical management issues demonstrated ongoing stewardship responsibilities. Throughout these diverse topics, the board maintained its commitment to thoughtful deliberation and collaborative decision-making. As members prepared to adjourn, there was a sense of cautious optimism about navigating current challenges while maintaining the board's effectiveness as a bridge between academic and municipal priorities. The spirit of cooperation that has characterized the board's work continues despite resource pressures and logistical complications. The meeting represented a microcosm of modern environmental governance—balancing technological innovation with traditional knowledge, academic research with public access, budget realities with collaborative ideals, all in service of protecting and enhancing a treasured community resource that serves multiple constituencies across institutional boundaries.