Monthly Newsletter: October 2026

Happy October!

We hope that you all have been having a fun and warm start to fall! As fall joins us in full swing, we’re excited to share some fa-boo-lous updates and upcoming events with all of you! We can’t wait to for you to see what is coming up and a happy Halloween!

Partner with us for inclusive story times!

We’re looking for community partners, educators, and youth organizations to host our CoSEE interns for interactive, hands-on story time sessions. As part of their internship, our Inclusive Environmental Education interns design and adapt children’s books to make science, art, and nature more engaging for all learning styles and we’re looking for opportunities for them to test out what they’ve built, get real feedback, and share their work with the broader community. Fill out the story time interest form to learn more!

What our interns bring:

• Environmental & STEAM-based adapted children’s books to be more accessible to students
• Interactive storytelling with hands-on activities and sensory materials for tactile engagement
• Communication-friendly tools, including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports for students

Amazon Wishlist

We’ve launched an Amazon Wish List featuring tools, supplies, and materials that directly support our restoration work, educational programs, and adaptive children’s library. If you’d like to contribute, your support helps sustain hands-on learning and stewardship at the park.

Please ship to: 17927 113th Ave NE, Box 358522, Bothell WA 98011

Catch Up with Our Recent Blogs

We have a blog! Check out CoSEE’s recent blogs and more on our News tab. Don’t forget to check it out!

Letter from the Director

Welcome back to the 2026–27 academic year! As we begin a new academic year, I’m excited to share CoSEE’s new Impact Report, which captures a remarkable period of growth across our undergraduate research, experiential learning, community partnerships, restoration, and environmental education programs.

Read the director’s letter

Finn Hill middle schoolers tackle invasive blackberry at Saint Edward State Park

Students from Finn Hill Middle School joined CoSEE at Saint Edward State Park to remove invasive blackberry, learn ecosystem stewardship, and help create space for native plants to thrive.

read the blackberry blog

Recap & October Highlights

Bird Bonanza – UW Bothell Welcome Week 2026

We had such a great turnout for the Bird Bonanza event! This event consisted of multiple bird watching walks, tablers, and even a bird photo contest. Thank you to everyone who showed up and who also participated in the photo contest. A big thank you to our partners UW Bothell Outdoor Wellness and Office of Sustainability for collaborating on this event.

Three-Day Restoration Project with Finn Hill Middle School

Thank you to the lovely group of middle schoolers from Finn Hill Middle School Environmental Adventure School that worked on two huge restoration sites at Saint Edward State Park! In three days, they worked on removing all invasive Himalayan blackberry as well as some English Ivy from these sites, while also learning about the ins and outs of invasives and restoration work.

ABC Mushroom Event

We had so much fun with the Alyssa Burnett Center! We walked around the Orchard Loop at Saint Edward State Park and looked for mushrooms of all sorts. We found a variety of mushroom species in all different spots of nature; from decaying logs to the leafy ground cover, to tree trunks. This outing was full of discovery and exploration!

Term 1 Intern Onboarding Meeting

We welcomed our new Term 1 intern cohort to the EERC to go over all things CoSEE! It was amazing to get to see everyone in person and be able to learn more about each other. This is sure to be a great cohort of interns filled with a diverse range of interests and pathways. Thank you to everyone who came, and we look forward to working with all of you this term!

Spooky Stewardship

Thank you to all who came out to our jointly collaborated spooky restoration event! We had around 15 people show up in their costumes of fright to help remove key invasive species at North Creek Forest. What an incredible day with lots of tricks and treats from pulling out invasive species.

Mushroom Mania

Thank you to everyone who showed out for this event. It was a great time filled with a fascinating amount of knowledge on mushrooms. There were conversations about the symbiotic relationship that fungi hold with many different life forms and also how the mycelial network works. On this walk, there was a plethora of different mushrooms sightings that showcased how much variety there is between mushrooms based on how they feel and smell and where they grow.

Internship Opportunities

CoSEE Winter & Spring Term Interns

Our applications for Term 2 interns are open! These interns will be with us from January through June supporting a wide range of projects throughout the community. If you are interested in applying, please do so before the deadline on January 4th. If you’re ready to apply, check out our internship website for more information.

Upcoming Events in November (& Beyond!)

Saint Edward State Park Restoration Work Party: November

📅 Date & Time: November 6, 2026 | 10:00am – 1:00pm
📍 Location: Environmental Education Resource Center (14445 Juanita Drive Northeast, Kenmore, WA 98028)

Do you want to give back to Saint Edward State Park? Are you looking for meaningful ways to support local natural spaces? Come join us!

Join us for a day of stewardship and discovery at Saint Edward State Park! The park is home to rich flora, fauna, and history and with increased visitation, it needs our collective care more than ever. All ages 8 + welcome; no experience needed. Work happens rain or shine, please dress for the weather. We will be working on removing English Holly and Cherry Laurel. The weather will most likely be cold so please dress accordingly.

Where to meet: EERC Classroom. Volunteers can use free parking passes for the duration of their service.

What to bring (required):

• Rain Jacket
• Closed toe shoes
• Water
• Hand pruners or loppers (we have some but could always use more)
• Gardening Gloves (we will provide extra if you do not have your own) – always good to layer as it gets colder!
• RSVP to help work on invasive removal at Saint Edward State Park!

Tracking Basics: Learning By Looking

📅 Date & Time: November 7, 2026 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
📍 Location: Environmental Education Resource Center (14445 Juanita Drive Northeast, Kenmore, WA 98028)

Uncover who lives here by investigating the signs they leave long after they are gone.

Have you ever pondered a print in the mud? Have you heard the howls in response to the fire trucks? Have you noticed some “trimming” in your garden you don’t remember doing? You’re noticing the signs of the many species of wildlife that live alongside us!

Take a dive into the world of tracking with “Tracking Basics: Learning by Looking!” Uncover who lives here by investigating the signs they leave long after they are gone. We will learn how to identify who left prints, experiment with real models of our wildlife, make your own plaster print casts and go on a walk to use our new tracking skills!

We will meet at the EERC to learn and experiment, then go on a flat 1-2 mile walk through Saint Edward State Park mud pits for prints. Bring shoes and clothes that can handle a little mud and rain! This is a family-friendly event recommended for ages 12 and up. Co- hosted by Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance and CoSEE.

RSVP for this free event to learn more about tracking and prints.

Other Community Events

• Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance have a series of events starting this November and have an upcoming Community Meeting to discuss updates for the Finn Hill neighborhood on November 10th. Learn more about the Community meeting and a host of other events that FHNA is putting on this November.
• The Heartwood Nature School has ongoing events throughout November and early December including Community Storytime at Saint Edward State Park every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month until December 6th. Learn more about what these storytime events entail here. They also still have openings in their Forest Year programs, check out their website for more information and resources.
• Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park have multiple events this upcoming November starting on November 4th with a Lakeside Lectures: Kokanee where you can learn more about the salmon endemic to Lake Sammamish. As well as their monthly restoration event that focuses on learning about park restoration efforts. Check out more information about the Lakeside Lecture and FLSSP’s monthly restoration event to also RSVP.
• The City of Kenmore will be hosting two fall tree planting events this November on November 7th and November 14th both from 11am-2pm. Interested in what this tree planting event entails, check out City of Kenmore’s website to RSVP and learn more.

Reserve the EERC Classroom

The Environmental Education and Research Center (EERC) Classroom at Saint Edward State Park (Equipped with flexible seating, whiteboards, projector, Wi-Fi, and a kitchenette) is now available for reservation through the UW Bothell 25Live system.

Hours & Location:

• Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
• 14445 Juanita Drive NE, Kenmore, WA 98028

Reservation Options:

• Half-Day: 9:00am – 1:00pm or 1:00pm – 5:00pm
• Full-Day: 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Outside reservation hours: $100/hour additional fee

Pricing Structure:

• Community Partners: $250 (Half-Day) | $500 (Full-Day)
• Corporate Partners: $500 (Half-Day) | $1,000 (Full-Day)
• UW Bothell Partners: $350 (Half-Day) | $700 (Full-Day)

Reservations must be submitted through 25Live. A CoSEE staff member will be present during your event. Learn more and reserve!