The 14th Annual Run with the Chums returns to Whatcom County this Saturday, September 12, and organizers want participants to know there is plenty to explore beyond the race course itself. Eight local conservation organizations and agencies will set up interactive booths at the event, giving runners and spectators alike a chance to connect with the groups working year-round to protect Whatcom County's waterways and salmon habitat.
Check-in opens at 8:30 a.m. at the BP Highlands area. The Smolt Sprint, a shorter dash designed for racers under 10 years old, begins at 9:30 a.m. The main 5K fun run starts at 10 a.m. Registration is free and the event is open to people of all speeds, from competitive runners to families walking with strollers.
Who Is Setting Up Booths
This year's booth lineup reflects the breadth of conservation work happening across Whatcom County. The Whatcom Conservation District, which organizes the run, will be joined by BBWARM (the Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management program), the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), the Whatcom County Library System, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve, the Whatcom Land Trust, and the Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum.
Visitors can stop by the booths before or after the race. Each organization brings hands-on activities and information about how their work connects to the larger mission of keeping Whatcom County's rivers and marine environments healthy for salmon and the communities that depend on them.
Why Salmon and Clean Water Are at the Center
The Run with the Chums has always been about more than fitness. The event takes its name from chum salmon, one of the species that returns to Whatcom County waterways each fall to spawn. Salmon are considered a keystone species in Pacific Northwest ecosystems, meaning their health ripples outward through the food web, supporting everything from bald eagles to old-growth forests.
Clean water is the foundation of salmon survival. Higher oxygen levels in clean water allow eggs and juvenile fish to develop properly. Pollutants such as agricultural runoff, chemicals, and animal waste can cause salmon to die before they ever reach the ocean, cutting off the entire life cycle. Organizations like NSEA and BBWARM work directly on habitat restoration, stream monitoring, and pollution reduction across the Nooksack River watershed and Birch Bay, which connects to the Salish Sea.
The Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve, located along the northern Whatcom County shoreline between Birch Bay and Blaine, is one of only a handful of designated marine reserves in Washington state. It protects critical spawning habitat for Pacific herring, which in turn supports Chinook salmon, the primary prey of the Southern Resident orca population. Staff from the reserve will be at the event to explain why marine habitat protection matters even miles from the nearest salmon stream.
About the Whatcom Conservation District
The Whatcom Conservation District has been supporting landowners, farmers, and community members across Whatcom County for decades with technical assistance on soil health, water quality, and natural resource conservation. The district operates as a local government agency and works alongside federal and state partners to implement conservation programs on private lands. Run with the Chums is one of its signature public outreach events, designed to make the connection between everyday choices and the health of local waterways tangible and fun for all ages.
The Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum, another booth participant, brings an educational lens to the event. The curriculum has been developed to help students understand the interconnected ecosystems of the Salish Sea region, linking land use, freshwater, and marine environments in a way that is grounded in the geography and species of northwest Washington.
What to Expect on Race Day
The BP Highlands area sits in northern Whatcom County, convenient for residents coming from Blaine, Birch Bay, Ferndale, and Bellingham. The course is described as family-friendly and suitable for all paces, reflecting the event's emphasis on community participation over competition.
If you have not yet registered, spots are still available. Registration is free and can be completed at whatcomcd.org/run-with-the-chums or through the short registration link posted by the Whatcom Conservation District. Organizers encourage participants to arrive early to explore the booths before the run begins, as the morning schedule moves quickly once the Smolt Sprint gets underway at 9:30.
For families looking to make a morning of it, the combination of the free 5K, conservation education booths, and the mild September weather in Whatcom County makes this one of the more accessible outdoor community events of the fall season. Last year's run drew hundreds of participants from across the county, and the addition of more booth participants this year signals continued growth in community interest around salmon conservation.
For the full list of participating organizations and event details, visit the Whatcom Conservation District's Run with the Chums page. You can also find updates on the district's Facebook page in the days leading up to Saturday's event. Those interested in the broader work of salmon habitat restoration in Whatcom County can explore resources from NSEA and BBWARM, both of which accept volunteers during restoration projects throughout the fall and winter months.
