Read books, plants trees with Summer Reading Program

NOOKSACK VALLEY Summer reading has returned to the Whatcom County Library System, and it isn’t just for children.

According to WCLS Community Relations Manager Mary Vermillion, this year’s theme is partnered with Whatcom Educational Credit Union (WECU), Whatcom County Library Foundation and Whatcom Million Trees Project to encourage readers to achieve a shared goal of planting 200 trees in Whatcom County.

Although WCLS announced this year’s program in May, Summer Reading kick-off parties are June 26 through July 1.

For anyone interested in learning more or participating, summer reading cards are available at the branches or can be downloaded at wcls.org/summer-reading.

The cards are available in English, Punjabi, Russian and Spanish and provide activities for all ages to complete. Each activity equals one leaf.

For every 25 leaves earned, a tree will be planted, up to a total of 200 trees.

“I hope community members will join us this summer as we reach together for the trees and one another,” said Sarah Lavender, youth services librarian at the Ferndale Library and leader of the WCLS summer reading program.

“Summer reading is all about the joy of reading. The true reward is that adults and young people will discover, or be reminded, that reading and stories are powerful. They help us grow as individuals and connect as a community.”

WCLS serves Whatcom County residents outside the city limits of Bellingham through online resources, wcls.org, and its 10 branches: Blaine, Deming, Everson, Ferndale, Island (Lummi Island), North Fork (Kendall), Point Roberts, South Whatcom (Sudden Valley) and Sumas.

WCLS also has a bookmobile that serves Glenhaven, Birch Bay, Wickersham and Lake Samish, and a library express at Northwest Drive.

Although WCLS announced this year’s program in May, Summer Reading kick-off parties are June 26 through July 1. For more, visit https://www. wcls.org/summerreading.

(Bill Helm/Lynden Tribune)