How do I use it?

Click the headlines to see where the items are located in our community, or click on the map markers to see what's happening in those locations. Use the zoom tool on the left side of the map to drill down on the neighborhood you're most interested in, or use the Neighborhood Zoom dropdown menu at the top. You can add your own photos to an item, or add information with a comment.

Why should I bother?

The Web is really good at telling you about lots of things, but not what's going on in your neighborhood. Newsgarden can change that by helping you see what's going on around you. So instead of visiting several different sites for news, local blogs and other information sites, you could find links to the stuff that matters most to you (because it's closest to you) by visiting Newsgarden.

You could find a video on YouTube posted from a local festival, a photo posted to Flickr from a big house fire, a restaurant review from Chowhound on your favorite local pizza joint or a lost pet announcement that your neighbor posted (in addition to stapling posters on telephone poles).

Of course, you'll also find links to Herald news articles, placed on the map where they are set, so if you would like to see the stories the paper has written about your neighborhood, you should visit Newsgarden.

Can I play, too?

Yes, we appreciate your contributions. In fact, the more information you share on Newsgarden, the more beneficial it will be for our community and your neighborhood. You add your own items by clicking on "Add Story" and simply filling in the blanks.

Do I have to register?

Yes, but it's as painless as we could make it. Click "Sign Up" and enter a username, a password and an email address and you're good to go.

Let us know what you think about Newsgarden

We'd love to hear from you if you like it, loathe it, or need help using it. Click here to send us feedback.

What is Newsgarden?

Newsgarden is a map on a web site that shows the location of recent news items, blog posts and other information available on the web. It could have links to news stories from several different news sources and user generated content like photos and video. Posted items exist for 30 days.

Why the name?

We call it Newsgarden because you check on it regularly to see where new items are sprouting up in your neighborhood - just like a garden.

Where did this come from?

A Seattle-based group built Newsgarden and asked us if we'd be willing to test it on bellinghamherald.com. We agreed because we think the tool will help us cover our community better and hope that you will use it to share what's going on around you. So, if you think it's as cool as we do, tell your friends and contribute some items to the map.

Let us know what you think about Newsgarden

We'd love to hear from you if you like it, loathe it, or need help using it. Click here to send us feedback.