Join Shifting Gears on our Biking & Birding Field Trip in collaboration with North Cascades Audubon Society and BIKE Bellingham!
This field trip is a part of Bellingham Bird Week, which is a celebration of the important role Bellingham and Whatcom County play in the journey of millions of migratory birds and the everyday lives of our resident birds.
What to Expect: Our group ride is a delightful mash-up of two great joys in life: bikes and birds 🚲🐦Participants will meet our Shifting Gears ride leaders at Waypoint Park and follow the approximately 11-mile BIKE Bellingham: For the Birds (lite) route, which visits bird-related locations and points of interest around Bellingham.
At these stops, your ride leaders will share interesting and unexpected facts and details about the sites we visit. This includes a stop at Little Squalicum Park for birdwatching (remember to pack your binoculars)! North Cascades Audubon Society board members will be cruising right alongside you to help with bird ID and expand your connection to the avian world.
Who: This ride is open to all adult (18+) women (queer, cis, trans), nonbinary, and femme-identifying folks. Learn more about Shifting Gears' mission to empower all women through outdoor recreation and education opportunities here.
Route: BIKE Bellingham: For the Birds (lite)
Meeting Time and Location: We will be meeting at Waypoint Park to begin the bike field trip at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, October 7. We will congregate on the grass lawn near the Acid Ball in Waypoint Park before we start the ride. We aim to wrap up the ride at 7:00 PM.
About Bellingham Bird Week: Bellingham Bird Week is being hosted by North Cascades Audubon Society (NCAS) and Audubon Washington. NCAS and local community partners are creating a week of in-person events centered on celebrating our region’s birds. Your participation and excitement will help our city continue to be a welcoming home for birds! Bellingham Bird Week is taking place October 5-11, 2026. See the full list of events here.
About BIKE Bellingham's For The Birds Route: For the Birds takes you on a flight through Bellingham’s wonderfully bird-obsessed side, where winged wonders turn up in public art, ponds, parks, businesses and some decidedly unexpected places. It’s part bike ride, part birdwatching, part adventure, and entirely for the birds. While you might come for the birds, there’s a good chance you’ll discover a few other things along the way. Binoculars aren’t required, but they’ll come in handy for spotting the avians hiding in plain sight. Bring your curiosity, keep your eyes peeled, and prepare to get a little bird-brained.
Registration: This program in conjunction with NCAS and BIKE Bellingham is offered for free as a part of NCAS's goal to make all Bellingham Bird Week programming free and accessible to as many folks as possible. There is an option to donate to Shifting Gears as a part of the registration form, which helps us continue to improve access to outdoor recreation for all women through the programs, events, and workshops that we run.
What to Bring: Please bring your bike, helmet, snacks and water, appropriate layers, and binoculars if you have them (there will be a bird-watching stop along the tour). We will be outdoors for the entire duration of our program. Dress for the weather!
If you need any of these items or have any questions, please reach out to elena@letsshiftgears.com.
No spots left? Sign up for our waitlist! We will reach out to you directly if there is a spot available.