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As we prepared this month's edition of Field Notes, we were saddened to learn of the passing of Wendell Berry at age 92. Berry was many things: a poet, essayist, farmer, scholar, novelist, cultural critic and political activist. His life's work extolled the virtues of traditional small-scale farming, local economies, moral responsibility and the relationship between human culture and the natural world. Through his books, poems, and speeches, Berry gently urged a deepening of care and connection with our local landscapes and communities. How we live, work, consume, care for the land, and meet our obligations to one another all matter.
North Cascades Institute was honored to sponsor an event with Berry at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall in 2011. In remembering him and reflecting on his legacy, we’ve returned to some of his many insightful words:
SEPTEMBER 2026
▸ MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OPEN-ENROLLMENT: 3-DAY, 2-NIGHT OUTDOOR LEARNING PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES, HOMESCHOOLS AND OTHERS THIS FALL
▸ NATURE NOTES: WHY IS DIABLO LAKE SO BLUE? HOW CAN ART INFORM GLACIER DATA?
▸ NEW CLASSES: DRAWING AND PAINTING ORCAS, SOIL SCIENCE, BOTANICAL SKETCHING, FOREST HEALTH, HOW BIRDS FLY & MORE
“Hope then to belong to your place by your own knowledge of what it is that no other place is, and by your caring for it as you care for no other place.”
“If you don't know where you are, you don't know who you are.”
“The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.”
"There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places."
These ideas continue to inform and inspire our daily work and our mission to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. As Institute co-founder Saul Weisberg remarked from the Benaroya Hall stage that evening, “We thank Wendell for inspiring us with the integrity and clarity of his purpose and his words.”
Back in the North Cascades, the first hints of fall are beginning to appear. As summer slowly gives way to cooler days and changing colors, there are still plenty of ways to get outside, learn something new, and experience this remarkable season with us.
Choose from Fall Base Camp Learning & Lodging stays (40% off in October and November!), Diablo Lake Fall Morning Cruises and a robust slate of Field Excursions. Our Online Classes are starting up again too with lots of fascinating topics including glacier monitoring, orcas, fire ecology, cougars and a special botanical sketching session with a Burke Museum artist.
We're looking for some kitchen team members to help us make the magic happen at the Learning Center this fall. Details and application here!
Learning Opportunities
FIELD EXCURSIONS, ELC SEMINARS & ONLINE LEARNING
Sept 9 | North Cascade Glaciers with the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project - online
Sept 12 | Forest Bathing with Mileva Huljev - St. Ed's State Park
Sept 16 | Fire on the Landscape: Past, Present, and Future with Dr. Susan Prichard - online
Sept 19 | Data Art Inspired by the North Cascades with Jill Pelto - Artist Point
Sept 25-27 | Fall Stewardship Weekend - ELC
Oct 3 | Beat Poets of the North Cascades with Nathan Drapela - Thunder Arm
Oct 7 | Drawing and Painting Orcas with Sara Shimazu - online
Oct 16-18 | North Cascades Fall Naturalist Seminar with Chris Byrd - ELC
Oct 21 | A Year in the Life of North American Woodpeckers with Paul Bannick - online
Oct 24-25 | Lichenology 101 with Hannah Prather - Northern State / Baker Lake
Oct 31 | Baker Lake Fungal Foray with Erin Moore
Nov 4 | Cougars in the Pacific Northwest with WDF&W's Brian Kertson - online
Nov 12 | Scientific Botanical Sketching with Crystal Shin - online
Nov 14 | Introduction to Tracking with Matthew Fortin - ELC
Dec 2 | Forest Health in the North Cascades with Rachel Brooks - online
Dec 9 | Soil Ecology of the North Cascades with Toby Rodgers - online
Dec 12 | Skagit Valley Winter Birding with Brendan McGarry
Dec 16 | How Birds Fly with Peter Cavanaugh - online
Scholarships + military, student and disability discounts are available for most programs
Questions? Contact us at info@ncascades.org or (360) 854-2599
40% OFF FALL BASE CAMP LEARNING & LODGING STAYS
Celebrate our 40th anniversary with 40% off Base Camp stays at the Environmental Learning Center this October and November, starting at just $63 per person. Fall is a magical time here, bringing changing colors, crisp mountain air, quiet trails, and mist drifting over Diablo Lake.
Spend a cozy weekend reading or playing board games in the Wild Ginger Library, wandering forest trails, slowing down with walking meditation or nature journaling, watching nature documentaries, and gathering around an evening campfire. Our naturalists can also help you plan a self-guided adventure to see the golden Western larches on the east side of the North Cascades.
Your stay includes guest lodge accommodations, three meals, and a variety of guided and self-led activities—all with plenty of time to slow down and enjoy fall in the mountains.
STEWARDSHIP WEEKEND |
DRAWING AND PAINTING ORCAS |
OPEN-ENROLLMENT MOUNTAIN SCHOOL
Experience Mountain School as a family in the heart of the North Cascades this fall. This 3-day, 2-night program invites families to explore forests, watersheds, and wildlife together through hands-on learning, reflection, and play—while connecting with a community of curious learners.
Rooted in Mountain School curriculum and approach
For families, homeschoolers, and community members
Designed for ages 7–12 (minimum age 7; older siblings welcome)
Emphasis on scientific inquiry, observation, and place-based learning
Get a peek at the Mountain School experience in our latest blog post: Mountain School Highlights of Spring 2026.
Learn more and register for one of these sessions:
OCTOBER 12–14 and NOVEMBER 16–18
DIABLO LAKE FALL MORNING CRUISES
Experience Diablo Lake as summer gives way to fall! Join North Cascades Institute and Seattle City Light for a guided Fall Morning Cruise, taking in spectacular mountain scenery while learning about the natural and cultural history of the Upper Skagit Valley. Along the way, explore the region’s geology and biodiversity and discover how the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project is woven into this remarkable landscape.
Cruises run Saturdays and Sundays, September 12–27, beginning at 10:15 am and lasting approximately 2 hours — a beautiful way to welcome fall in the North Cascades. For group bookings or questions, call our registration team Mon-Fri, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at (360) 854-2589.
Institute Events
Our popular speaker series is back for another season! Discover your next great read in presentations by authors, artists, poets and naturalists sharing their latest works inspired by the natural world. Coming up, a biography of George B. Schaller—the world’s leading field biologist—a poetry collection for our precarious times and a journey into old-growth forests through the eyes of the birds that inhabit them.
Homesick for a World Unknown: The Life of George B. Schaller by Miriam Horn
Sun, Sept 6 at 6 PM | Village Books, Fairhaven
Mon, Sept 7 at 7 PM | Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park
Dancing to the Ticking of the Doomsday Clock by Rena Priest
Fri, Sept 18 at 7 PM | Third Place Books, Ravenna
Sat, Oct 10 at 6 PM | Village Books, Fairhaven
Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient Trees by Marina Richie
Wed, Sept 23 at 7 PM | Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park
Sun, Oct 11 at 6 PM | Village Books, Fairhaven
Among The Birds: Field Notes from Cascadia by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Wed, Oct 14 at 7 PM | Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park
FREE CLASS: LARCH MADNESS |
CHRIS MORGAN: LIFE IN THE WILD |
Institute News
WELCOME FALL 2026 CREATIVE RESIDENTS
North Cascades Institute is excited to relaunch its Creative Residency program by welcoming Melinda Hurst Frye, Julie Kim, and Claire Thompson this fall at the Environmental Learning Center! These creatives will join us to work on their projects, share their processes, and live in community with program participants and staff.
Read Fall 2026 Creative Residents' Bios on our blog.
CALL FOR SPRING 2027
We are now accepting proposals for Spring 2027 Creative Residencies. See our website for guidelines and apply by Oct 30, 2026.
SHOULDER SEASON RATES FOR GROUP GATHERINGS
As the North Cascades shift with the seasons, Nov–Dec 2026 and Mar–Apr 2027 offer a special opportunity for your group to experience the region’s changing colors and moods—while enjoying reduced shoulder season pricing!
Nestled on the wooded shore of Diablo Lake in the heart of North Cascades National Park, the Environmental Learning Center is the perfect setting for reflection and connection to the natural world as well as to each other. Lodging for up to 92, delicious meals, and learning opportunities included.
Call (360) 614-7037 or use our Request Info Form.
Welcoming...
- Game Groups, Book Clubs, Sip & Stitchers
- Trainings and Creative Workshops
- Yoga and Hiking groups
- Family Reunions
- School and Company Retreats
- Leadership and Board Meetings
- Speaker Events and Seminars
NATURE NOTES
Every summer, Diablo Lake turns an incredible hue of turquoise blue. Why? And how can we better comprehend the rate of glacier loss and its impact on our region’s watersheds when art is combined with science? Find out on our blog!
SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT: BRAD and LISA SCHEUCH
We want to thank Brad and Lisa Scheuch, who have been donating annually to the Institute since 2017 in memory of Brad’s father, Brian. Brian Scheuch was a longtime Institute board member who was instrumental in the organization’s early days. For 23 years, he provided guidance on sound business practices and championed the expansion of youth programming as a top priority.
Upon his passing in 2016, Brian’s partner, BJ Carol, established the Brian Scheuch Memorial Fund, leveraging a bequest gift from Brian’s estate. Brad and Lisa’s annual contributions go towards his endowed fund, which supports Mountain School and similar youth programs in perpetuity. Additionally, they double their impact with corporate matching gifts from Lisa’s employer, Merck & Co.
Pictured: Brad, Lisa, and Charlie Scheuch
“We want to keep Brian's dedication to the environment alive with personal contributions to the organizations he cared most deeply for, which includes North Cascades Institute. Mountain School in particular was very dear to his heart and that is why we continue to contribute to his memorial endowment fund along with matching gift requests."
During his career, John helped create the WWU-NCI Graduate M.Ed. Residency Program, mentoring generations of environmental educators while championing the Institute’s mission.
EMPLOYER MATCHING
Did you know that many companies offer opportunities for their employees to support the nonprofits they care about, including workplace giving campaigns, payroll deduction programs, corporate matching gifts, sponsorships, and paid volunteer days? Make a meaningful impact today by contacting your Human Resources Department to learn more about your workplace giving potential.
Photos: Great Horned Owl photo by Eric Ellingson; Wendell Berry in Seattle 2011 by Christian Martin.
