Register for a Self-Defense Class!
Columbia Valley Parks and Recreation District is pleased to be able to offer two free self-defense classes to our community through ARC TACTICAL, a leading self-defense training team with years of experience. ARCTAC instructors will teach you how to protect yourself and loved ones by learning how to de-escalate a dangerous situation, how to be alert to potential danger, and self-defense against common types of attacks.
We’re offering 2 classes: Women’s Self-Defense & Basic Self-Defense
When: February 26, 203
Women’s Self-Defense (women only): 8am – 12pm
The women’s class covers everything in the basic class but is tailored for the strength and abilities of women.
To register for the Women’s Class, click here, or email us at cvparksandrec@gmail.com.
Basic Self-Defense (open admission): 1pm-5pm
The basic self-defense class covers all of the fundamentals when it comes to protecting yourself and your loved ones. Whether it be at your home, at work, running errands, or out walking, we can give you the skills to feel confident and safe in any situation.
To register for the Basics Class, click here, or email us at cvparksandrec@gmail.com.
Class sizes are limited so register early!
Where: North Fork Library, 7506 Kendall Highway, Maple Falls WA.
Each class is 4 hours in length and includes:
Defense against common attacks
Legal issues
Situational awareness
Basic escapes
This course is fun and contains some physical activity.
Equipment list includes: Safety glasses, inert training weapons, note taking supplies and liability waiver.
***NO LIVE WEAPONS ALLOWED***
To ensure the safety of the training environment no live firearms, ammo, knives, OC, or Tasers will be allowed. Please contact us if clarification is needed.
For more information, email us at cvparksandrec@gmail.com, or call Melonie at 360.656.6771.
Comprehensive Plan Series
What Is a Comprehensive Plan?
In 2021 Columbia Valley Parks and Recreation District released a completed Comprehensive Park Plan for the community. CVPRD’s comprehensive park plan is a 43-page document that was driven by public input and designed to guide the park planning process. The comprehensive park plan is filled with valuable information that will help fulfill the specific needs…
Introduction, Goals, and Objectives – CVPRD Comprehensive Park Plan
Welcome to the second post in our Comprehensive Park Plan series. Last week, we broke down what a general comprehensive plan and how one would typically be used. This week we’re going to take a deeper look into CVPRD’s very comprehensive park plan. The goal of this series is to familiarize everyone with the park…
Inspiration Posts for our Community Design Meeting on 6/5/22 from 3-4PM at 7916 Sante Fe Trail, Maple Falls, WA
Natural Playgrounds Slideshow
CVPRD is hosting the first Community Design Meeting on June 5th, 2022 at our Santa Fe Trail park property. This meeting is an opportunity to imagine and design our first park together…
Park Amenities Slideshow
CVPRD is hosting the first Community Design Meeting on June 5th, 2022 at our Santa Fe Trail park property. This meeting is an opportunity to imagine and design our first park together…
Covered Outdoor Space and Shade Structures Slideshow
CVPRD is hosting the first Community Design Meeting on June 5th, 2022 at our 7916 Santa Fe Trail park property. This meeting is an opportunity to imagine and design our first park…
Multigenerational Sensory Play Spaces Slideshow
CVPRD is hosting the first Community Design Meeting on June 5th, 2022 at our 7916 Santa Fe Trail park property from 3-4PM. This meeting is an opportunity to imagine and design our…
Additional Park Amenities Slideshow
CVPRD is hosting the first Community Design Meeting on June 5th, 2022 at our 7916 Santa Fe Trail park property from 3-4PM. This meeting is an opportunity to imagine and design our…
The Park Planning Process
Designing, Creating, and Maintaining Safe Parks
Welcome to this week’s blog post! So far, we’ve covered the different benefits of parks and shared some fond memories from community members. However, we want to make sure that we address and concerns and hesitations our community may have about bringing parks to Columbia Valley. One common concern is that the addition of parks…
A Peek into the Park Planning Process Part 1
Picking a Property and Evaluating Assets – Welcome back to another blog post! Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down the different pieces of the park planning process. From choosing a property, identifying existing features, imagining a vision, and implementing a plan. The entire process is built upon a foundation of community…
A Peek into the Park Planning Process Part 2
Imagining a Park Vision – Welcome back to another peek into the park planning process. Last week we covered picking a property and evaluating the existing assets. This week we’ll dive into the next step – imagining a park vision. There is a variety of different parks and equipment that CVPRD could bring to Columbia…
A Peek into the Park Planning Process Part 3
Coming Together to Make Decisions – Welcome to this week’s blog post! So far in this series we have covered how to pick a property, evaluate the assets, and imagine a park vision. Community involvement plays a critical role in all the steps of bringing parks to Columbia Valley… but what does community input and…
A Peek into The Park Planning Process Part 4
Welcome to the final post in the peek into the park planning process blog post series! So far in this series we’ve covered how to pick a property, evaluate the assets, imagine a park vision, and come together to make decisions. Now it is time to cover how park plans are implemented. Something wonderful about…
Columbia Valley Park & Recreation Blog Posts
Benefits of Different Kinds of Park Equipment
Welcome back! This week we’ll be exploring different kinds of park equipment and the benefits of them. First, let’s begin by discussing the benefits that playground equipment bring to children. Playground equipment is a great way to get children active and engaged outdoors. Playground equipment also provides children with a safe space to develop physical,…
Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District Exciting Winter and Fall Updates!
This Autumn and Winter seasons the Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District is thrilled to announce East Whatcom Gets Active classes for all ages! We are starting with classes with Dan Muffoletto to learn the basics of Chang Man Ching Tai Chi. Dan has nearly 4 decades of experience instructing Tai Chi for all ages…
Activity Groups and Volunteering with CVPRD
Welcome back to another blog post! As spring approaches, Columbia Valley Parks and Recreation Department is working on outdoor activities that can help improve your health, strengthen our community ties and are just plain fun! We’d like to start three different activity groups: one for walking, another for running, and one for photography. Whether you’re…
Innovative Park Designs
New York City’s Riskiest Park – play:groundNYC
CVPRD is excited to share another blog post series, this time showcasing different unconventional and extraordinary parks. We’ll be taking the next few weeks to research and highlight different park designs that are truly outside of the box. This week we’ll be diving into what is coined New York City’s Riskiest Park, enjoy! What is…
History of Adventure/Risk/Junk Playgrounds
Welcome back to another blog post! Last week we did a spotlight post on NYCs “risky” adventure playgrounds. In these inner-city parks children are encouraged to explore and play without the direct intervention of parents. Materials such as wood, nails, paint, fabric, tires, etc. are available to the children, and the parents are asked to…
Nature-based Park Design
Welcome to another innovative park design spotlight post! This week we’re going to be taking a deeper look into some nature integrated park design. These parks focus on using natural elements, such as trees, dirt, rocks, and water, to encourage creativity and exercise of gross motor skills in children. To understand what a natural playground…
Pocket Parks
Welcome back to another innovative park design spotlight! Over the last few weeks, we’ve covered different kinds of innovative playgrounds, that have been geared exclusively towards children and families. However, parks are a place for everyone. Today, we’re going to be looking at an innovative park design that is geared towards everyone in a community…
Community Gardens
Welcome back to another blog post! Last week we did a deep dive into pocket parks (read it here). The pocket park post was particularly relevant because they are a great way to begin adding parks and public green space into our own community! This week we wanted to play on that theme and talk…
Why Parks Matter to Columbia Valley Residents Blog Post Series
Why Parks Matter to Jessica Bee I
Welcome to the next series of blog posts where we asked Columbia Valley residents to share their fond memories of parks and explain why parks matter. The first few posts in this series come from our very own CVPRD commissioner, Jessica Bee. When Jessica was a teenager, in 9th grade, she participated in a dance…
Why Parks Matter to Carl Isom-McDaniel
Welcome back to this week’s blog post! Today we have a personal park memory to share from CVPRD commissioner Carl Isom-McDaniel. When Carl was a young child, around four or five, he remembers a park on Cottage Lake where he would take swimming lessons every summer. He knew that when he got older, he would…
Why Parks Matter to Jessica Bee II
Welcome back to this week’s post on why parks matter to Columbia Valley residents. This week, Jessica Bee shared memories of her and her friends from when she was a teenager. When Jessica was 17 years old, roughly 11th grade, she and her friends were hanging out and figuring out what to do. They decided…
Why Parks Matter to Jessica Bee III
Welcome to the third fond memory Jessica Bee has shared about why parks matter to her. This week we’ll be looking at a memory Jessica has about her children. Right now, Jessica has three teenage and two adult children. When all of her children were roughly in their teen years, Jessica remembers that they were…
Why Parks Matter to Maureen Brown
Welcome back! Community member Maureen Brown has shared some wonderful park memories she’s shared with her daughter. This story shows how impactful parks can be to a community. “Parks have improved the quality of life for my daughter and myself in every neighborhood in which we have lived. When she was young and we lived…
Why Parks Matter to Jessica Bee IV
Welcome back to this week’s why parks matter to Columbia Valley resident’s post. This is the final memory we are sharing from Jessica Bee. This story took place in 2005 when Jessica had a six-year-old, 4-year-old, 2 ½-year-old, and two children under one. Jessica explained that she was so grateful to have a local park…
Benefits of Parks Blog Post Series
Benefits of Parks for Elders
CVPRD is working to create comfortable park environments for everyone in the Columbia Valley community. This is the beginning of a series of blog posts describing the benefits of parks for all age ranges within our community. This week, we’re diving into what kinds of benefits parks bring to elders. For the purposes of this…
Benefits of Parks for Adults with No Children
Welcome back to our series on the benefits of parks within the Columbia Valley community. Last week, we covered the benefits that parks bring to our elders. This week, we’ll be taking a look into the benefits parks bring to adults without children in our community. We hope to highlight that parks are not just…
Benefits of Parks for Young Adults
We’re back with another Benefits of Parks post for Columbia Valley’s residents! So far, we’ve covered the benefits of parks for elders and adults with no children. If you haven’t already checked those posts out, they are on our website, cv-prd.org, under “District News/Events.” Each blog post is also being posted to our Facebook page…
Benefits of Parks for Teenagers
Welcome back to this week’s Benefits of Parks post, where we will be covering the benefits parks will bring to Columbia Valley’s teenagers. Last week we looked into the benefits of parks for young adults. You can find all of the posts from this series on our website, cv-prd.org, under “District News/Events.” Each blog post is…
Benefits of Parks for Children Ages 5-12
Welcome back to this week’s Benefits of Parks post! Last week we covered the benefits parks bring to teenagers. Visit our website, cv-prd.org, to view all of the parks’ benefits under the “District News/Events” page. This week we are looking at the benefits that parks have on children between the ages of 5 and 12. Parks…
Benefits of Parks for Children Ages 0-5
Welcome back to this week’s Benefits of Parks post! Last week, we looked into the benefits of parks for children ages 5-12. This week, we’ll be looking at the benefits that parks bring to children younger than 5. If you’d like to see all of the posts from this series, they can be found under…
Intergenerational Benefits of Parks
Welcome back to the final Benefits of Parks post! So far, we have covered the benefits of parks from elders to young children. If you’d like to read those posts, you can find them on our website, cv-prd.org, under the “District News/Events” page. CVPRD is committed to bringing parks to Columbia Valley. With that, they…
Current News/Events
Open Park Commissioner Position & More (all positions filled as of 2021)
April 2020
Are you interested in serving the community? There is a position open at the Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District to be a volunteer commissioner. Volunteer commissioners receive no pay and must live within the district to serve among other candidate requirements. Interested parties are invited to submit a letter of interest to cvparksandrec@gmail.com. This position would be temporary unless voted in at the next election as determined by the Whatcom County Auditor. Read on to learn more about elections. . .
Candidate filing week is May 17th through the 21st in 2020. Those interested in running for an open position in this district or others can go to the Whatcom County Auditors elections page here.
Message Regarding Park Funding April 2021
April 2021
The Columbia Valley Parks and Recreation District hopes this message finds you well to clear up any misunderstanding regarding park funding and properties. We would like to officially state that we have not decided on a property for a park. With that, we are excited to announce that we have acquired funds generously donated from the Foothills Community Association via the Mt. Baker Foundation for a future park in Columbia Valley! The transfer was approved on March 24th, 2021, and we received the funds on March 25th. This donation is an exciting first step in bringing our community members a new recreation opportunity. We would love to have community members participate in the park planning process. If you would like to stay up-to-date on information and become involved in the park planning process, please click the link to the google form below to sign up for our mailing list. We hope to hear from the members of our community soon!
Join our mailing list here!
CVPRD Survey
The 2020 survey has been closed and the collected data has been incorporated into the Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District Comprehensive Plan Draft.
Our survey is held every 1-3 years and is intended to collect public input about their wants and desires for local parks.
Participation in the CVPRD survey is voluntary. The answers you provide are anonymous, and the results will be aggregated.
Virtual Online Meetings
The best way to learn more about Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District is to attend the monthly meetings! To learn more about what these meetings entail and how to join, visit our Public Meetings page. We are glad you are here and hope to see you at a meeting soon!
East Whatcom Gets Active!
NOTE: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our launch of East Whatcom Gets Active! and its community classes have been put on temporary hold. Please check back soon or sign-up for email notifications to stay informed. We look forward to Getting Active with you soon!
Funded in 2020 by a Project Neighborly Grant from Whatcom Community Foundation, East Whatcom Gets Active! aims to strengthen our community and our bodies by offering no-cost fitness activities for Columbia Valley. Held in nearby community centers like the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center (EWRRC), local fitness instructors will soon be leading a variety of wellness classes such as barre, yoga, tai chi, Zumba, and self-defense, with limited mobility and virtual versions for many of these classes!
We hope that by providing affordable, accessible fitness classes for all ages, we can help grow our community’s physical wellness and offer community members a chance to get to know each other in a fun, empowering way!
Previous News/Events
2020 Ballot
November is just around the corner, and most of our neighbors have received their 2020 ballots. There are many ways we can as a community come together to make our wishes known, and one of those ways is with our vote. We hope you will vote this season and support your friends, neighbors, and family…
Comprehensive Plan Draft soon to be revealed
Dear Community, The Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District (CVPRD) is excited to share their recent work to create a Comprehensive Plan Draft. A Comprehensive Plan lays out important details of the community served as well as the plan for the districts’ work over the next three to six years based on demand and need.…
Please vote YES on the 2018-6 Levy
Exciting News! Columbia Valley Park and Recreation District has a levy for building and maintaining parks on the Ballot this season. I hope you and all of our neighbors will vote YES for Levy 2018-6. Parks offer community connection, a fun place to meet neighbors and for kids to play. From BBQs, to dog walking,…
First meeting 5pm January 12, 2017
First Meeting of CVPRD: 1/12/17 at 5PM. Location: Kendall Chapel 6449 Mt Baker Hwy Maple Falls, WA We hope you can make it to the meeting!
Columbia Valley Park & Recreation District 