A Bellingham nonprofit that was previously known for a school-based mental health program is reinventing itself as a regional trails advocacy organization, with ambitions to complete two major trail corridors that have been sitting in county planning documents for decades without a dedicated group to push them forward.
From Parkscriptions to Trails Coalition
Recreation Northwest, which operated the Parkscriptions mental health program for students in the Bellingham School District since 2022, has rebranded as the Recreation Northwest Trails Coalition. The organization's new focus is advocacy, community organizing, and fundraising for trail development across Whatcom County, with particular emphasis on two long-planned regional routes: the Bay to Baker Trail and the Salish Coast Trail.
The Parkscriptions program, which taught teens in Bellingham schools how to use nature for coping, mindfulness, and team building, ended last December when funding ran out. The program ran for three years on a No Child Left Inside Grant that covered its first two years before expiring. Subsequent grant applications did not succeed, according to coalition CEO Todd Elsworth, in part because the "nature as a mental health benefit" framing is still new enough that major foundations have not yet built dedicated funding streams for it.
"We tried for other grants that were in line with our programming, but our 'nature as a mental health benefit' is still new to acceptance and the funding from foundations isn't there yet to support that type of programming," Elsworth said. Rather than fold, the organization chose to pivot to an adjacent mission where both community need and funding infrastructure are more established.
The Two Trails at the Center of the New Mission
The Bay to Baker Trail is a long-planned route that would eventually connect Bellingham Bay to the Mount Baker area, linking the coast to the Cascades through a corridor that runs through the heart of Whatcom County. Sections of the trail exist in pieces, including a developed segment from Maple Falls to Maple Creek Park and the Squalicum Creek Trail segment in Bellingham. The gaps between these sections are what the coalition is focusing on filling.
The Salish Coast Trail is a proposed coastal and near-coastal route that would run from Bellingham north to the Canadian border, connecting communities including Birch Bay, Blaine, and potentially beyond. The coalition is adopting the "Coast Millennium Trail plans" as the foundation for this corridor, and a draft map is available on the organization's website at recnwtrails.org.
Both trails exist primarily in planning documents and in disconnected segments. What has been missing, Elsworth said, is an organized advocacy group with a clear mandate to work with municipalities, Whatcom County government, Washington State Parks, and other landowners to close the gaps and create a coherent, off-road route that separates pedestrians and cyclists from vehicle traffic.
What the Coalition Is Actually Doing
In its first phase, the coalition is focused on signage and route identification: confirming where the current best route is and making it legible to users. "We're confident that we have an existing current route identified," Elsworth said. Making that route visible and safe is the near-term work before larger infrastructure investment can follow.
The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, which has completed trail sections within city limits through its regular capital and maintenance programs, sees the coalition as a valued partner for the work that extends beyond city boundaries. Parks Director Nicole Oliver described the coalition as a "valued nonprofit partner" and said the department would continue supporting jurisdictional coordination with the Port of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and other agencies to extend trail connections outward from the city.
Funding comes from a combination of state and national grants that Elsworth and coalition Chief Operations Officer Elizabeth Nelson are actively writing, plus a new membership model the organization launched alongside its rebranding. Individual memberships are $35 per year, household memberships are $60, nonprofits pay $100, and businesses pay $250. The coalition has already secured funding from an American Trails grant and is pursuing additional sources. Elsworth noted that trail advocacy organizations have a more established track record with funders than mental health programming, making the new direction more financially viable long-term.
The board of directors has been updated to reflect the new focus, with members bringing trails and recreation expertise replacing those whose primary background was in the Parkscriptions program. For Whatcom County residents who use trails regularly, having a dedicated advocacy organization is a meaningful development. Regional trail connections that link communities, provide safe walking and cycling commute options, and reduce car dependence have long been identified in county planning documents as priorities. Getting from plan to pavement requires exactly the kind of sustained, organized pressure a dedicated coalition can provide. More information and membership details are at recnwtrails.org, and the City of Bellingham's Parks and Recreation department maintains information on completed trail segments within city limits.
