Field Notes from the North Cascades / <currentmonthname> <currentyear> eNewsletter
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Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful holiday season and are excited for 2025. We have big plans to share in the months ahead, starting with new Field and Online classes now open for registration. Popular offerings include winter birding in the Skagit Valley, seaweed harvesting on the Salish coast, snake surveying in the Methow, and sailing in the San Juans. From the east side to the west side to the sea, we have a glorious outdoor classroom to explore together! We’ll share our Summer + Fall classes and Base Camp Learning & Lodging dates next month.
JANUARY 2025
▸ NEW WINTER & SPRING FIELD EXCURSIONS & ONLINE CLASSES
▸ WILDERNESS FIRST AID AT THE ELC FEB 5-9
▸ FAMILY GETAWAYS 2025 OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
▸ LA CONNER BIRD FESTIVAL, STORMING THE SOUND & MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS
Learning Opportunities
WINTER/SPRING 2025 FIELD EXCURSIONS & ONLINE CLASSES
Jan 22 | Diving into Winter Ecology with David Lukas - Online
Feb 5-9 | Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Training - Environmental Learning Center
Feb 8 | Skagit Valley Winter Birding with Brendan McGarry
Feb 15 | Watercolor Wildflowers with Claire Giordano - Online
Feb 19 | Restoring the Salish Sea with Joe Gaydos - Online
Mar 5 | Driving the Geologic Mysteries of the Cascades with Gina Roberti - Online
Mar 19 | Finding their Way: How Birds Migrate with David Lukas - Online
April 12 | Pacific Northwest Native Plants with Chris Byrd - Online
April 27 | A Day of Sea Veggie Foraging, Feasting and Ecology with Jennifer Hahn
April 30 + May 7 | Frogs and Salamanders of the Puget Trough - Online Series
May 11 | Snake Count in the Methow Valley with Scott Fitkin & John Rohrer
May 17-18 | San Juan Islands Exploration on the Orion with Kevin Campion
Military, student and disability discounts + scholarships are available for most programs. Summer & Fall classes + Base Camps announced next month!
WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER (WFR) TRAINING
Environmental Learning Center, Feb 5-9
Wilderness First Responder certification is the gold standard in first aid training for outdoor professionals and enthusiasts. Whether for work or adventure in remote areas, this course helps keep you and your group safer. Offered by the trusted Backcountry Medical Guides, the training takes place at the Environmental Learning Center, with lodging, meals, and easy access to North Cascades National Park included (no lodging/meals option also available).
WATERCOLOR WILDFLOWERS |
RESTORING THE SALISH SEA |
WINTER 2025 COMMUNITY EVENTS
The Institute is always on the lookout for fun, engaging ways to connect people, nature and community—and inspire lifelong learning! Keep an eye on our Programs & Events Calendar to see what’s happening in your neighborhood and across our region. Coming up this winter ...
• JANUARY 24: STORMING THE SOUND ▸ REGISTER
Environmental educators from across Puget Sound gather at Skagit Valley College for the 26th annual Storming the Sound conference. Teachers, environmental organizations and students will share their expertise and passion for environmental education in our unique bioregion.
• JANUARY 25-26: LA CONNER BIRDING FESTIVAL ▸ INFORMATION
The annual La Conner Birding Festival celebrates the rich winged diversity of the Skagit Valley. Bird enthusiasts can immerse themselves in a weekend of avian wonder, featuring local artists, educational opportunities, interactive displays and delightful children's activities.
• FEBRUARY 1: EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS FAMILY FAIR ▸ FREE RSVP
Find us at Washington Hall in Seattle for the Explore the Outdoors Family Fair—a free community event featuring organizations of all kinds, advocating for reclamation of outdoor spaces for underrepresented communities. Enjoy games, treats, workshops & interactive activities for all ages, and learn about fun, healthy ways you and your family can engage with nature!
NOW REGISTERING: FAMILY GETAWAYS 2025
We have exciting plans for Family Getaways next July and August—each weekend will have a fun slate of daily family activities, shared meals in our lakeside dining hall and outdoor learning adventures for all ages. In the evenings, we’ll gather around the campfire for skits and songs under the North Cascades night sky. Anyone you call a family is welcome! Scholarships are available too!
Institute News
Youth for the Environment and People! Round-Up
Six students from three Skagit County high schools teamed up for an Ecological Forestry project with our YEP! program. After learning from experts at Evergreen Land Trust, RE Sources, and the Skagit County Conservation District, they decided to focus on connecting with younger students. They taught sixth graders at Central Elementary in Sedro-Woolley about the importance of forests. The lesson included hands-on learning, with students potting their own evergreen saplings and receiving tips for planting and caring for local forests in the spring.
JOIN OUR TEAM
Do you love the outdoors and want to help others connect with nature? We have several new job openings for 2025—full time, part-time and seasonal—that may be right for you or a job-seeker you know. In addition to Development & Marketing Director and Group Programs Specialist, we are recruiting for Housekeepers and Cooks. These are exciting opportunities for anyone inspired to support environmental education in the North Cascades.
SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT
Linda and Mac MacGregor have been dedicated supporters of the Institute for over 30 years. Thanks to them, visitors have enjoyed books in the Wild Ginger Library, paddled the Salish Dancer canoe, and benefited from expanded staff housing in Marblemount. They have also been key supporters of Mountain School since its since its beginnings in 1990. In 2023, the MacGregors created an endowment to sustain youth programs and named the Institute in their will.
“We wanted our giving to have a clear purpose: supporting children. The Institute aligns perfectly with that goal, and our endowment ensures its impactful programs continue for future generations.”
SHOP & SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE
Shop in our online store for North Cascades National Park apparel, patches and magnets, books and field guides, art prints and postcards, jewelry, and activities for kids. Your purchases help fund our youth education opportunities and create the next generation of public lands stewards.
THANK YOU!
We are so grateful for the 750+ individuals, families, and organizations who generously supported our organization in 2024! Thank you for investing in the next generation of environmental stewards by making transformational learning experiences in nature more accessible for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Top Image: Diablo Lake on the last day of 2024 by Jodi Broughton
