Field Notes from the North Cascades / <currentmonthname> <currentyear> eNewsletter
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That was sure a fun Fall, wasn't it? From mushrooming down in the lowlands to Larch-peeping up high in the North Cascades, we enjoyed leading people into their Wild Nearby to learn about what makes our corner of the continent so special!
As the Solstice approaches, we're bundling up the Learning Center for Winter—it will be pretty quiet on Diablo Lake until next February. But our work continues as we prepare for 2025! We are hiring several positions including Development & Marketing Director, Mountain School Manager, Group Programs Specialist, and several seasonal roles. We've also posted six new Winter classes including birdwatching in the Skagit Valley, online watercolor workshops, and expert natural history insights.
DECEMBER 2024
▸ FAMILY GETAWAYS 2025 OPEN FOR REGISTRATION
▸ WINTER ONLINE CLASSES & FIELD EXCURSIONS
▸ WILDERNESS FIRST AID TRAINING OPPORTUNITY
▸ GIFT CERTIFICATES & HOLIDAY GIFTS
December is also the month when many folks are generous to the nonprofit organizations they are passionate about. With the support of 58+ donors, we raised $15,000 on Giving Tuesday, meeting our challenge match from Mac & Linda MacGregor and Chris Nosko & Erin Rohan. A huge thanks to all of you who contributed! If you haven't already, we hope you will Choose Nature by making a gift today to help foster shared experiences in nature. You can also support the Institute's work by shopping in our online gift store this holiday season!
Finally, a hearty farewell to our amazing 2024 seasonal Instructors who taught thousands of people in Mountain School, Base Camps and Family Getaways! We're grateful for their hard work, many talents and passion. Good luck on your next adventures Madison, Abby, Aubrey, Sammy, Alli and Bailey, and Skagit Tour guide Luke!
Learning Opportunities
WINTER 2025 FIELD EXCURSIONS AND ONLINE CLASSES!
Dec 8 | Snowy Cascades Watercolor Workshop with Claire Giordano -Online
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
Military, student and disability discounts + scholarships are available for most programs.
DIVING INTO WINTER ECOLOGY |
WATERCOLOR WILDFLOWERS |
WFR TRAINING AT THE LEARNING CENTER
Wilderness First Responder certification is the gold standard for first aid training among industry professionals and outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you work or play in remote settings, this course can help you and your crew stay safer and go further. Offered by respected provider Backcountry Medical Guides and located at the Environmental Learning Center where participants enjoy lodging, meals, and ready access to North Cascades National Park.
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 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!
Institute News
NOW HIRING: Jobs in Programs, Fundraising and Operations
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—in teams across the Institute that may be right for you or a job-seeker you know.
In addition to Development & Marketing Director, Mountain School Manager, and Group Programs Specialist, we are also recruiting for Program Instructors, Housekeepers, and Cooks. These are exciting opportunities for anyone interested in supporting environmental education in the North Cascades. Learn more and apply at ncascades.org/jobs.
SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT
We want to thank two of our retail vendors Concept 360 and Eagle River Designs who contribute a percentage of their proceeds to support our work! This holiday shopping season, shop for a cause by purchasing items in our online store and feel good knowing that your purchases will benefit youth environmental education. North Cascades Institute is a proud 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner. If your company is interested in becoming a corporate partner or sponsor, contact our Grants Manager Althea Harris-Leader.
MY SUMMER WITH YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES"When I hugged my mom goodbye and stepped onto the YLA van this July, I had no idea what to expect. At first, the ride up to Newhalem was silent, everyone was timid ... It’s crazy how fast a group can go from strangers to family. I’m a non-binary 17-year-old from Oak Harbor... a military town, so there’s a constant influx of people from all over the world, but I’d never gotten to talk as deeply with people whose experiences were so different from mine until this trip." Read more on our blog! |
LOOKING BACK AT AFFINITY WEEKENDLast summer's Affinity Weekend was a practical step to achieve our mission of inspiring environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature while also providing equitable, inclusive access to our beautiful campus in the North Cascades National Park. Read a reflection by Alma Williams, the Institute’s Director of Inclusion and Community Partnerships, on this gathering of folks from Outdoor Asian, Latino Outdoors and other groups. |
Share your love of the North Cascades with friends and family by giving them the gift of getting outdoors with North Cascades Institute! Gift Certificates can be used toward 2025 programs including Learning Center Seminars, Field Excursions, Online Classes, Family Getaways, and Base Camp Learning & Lodging.
Call 360-854-2599 (Monday-Friday, 9-4) or purchase in our online shop.
SHOP ONLINE FOR HOLIDAY GIFTS
Our gift shop is full of handpicked items for the nature-lover in your life. Be they an Urban Birder, Backcountry Explorer, Day Hiker, Bookworm or Junior Ranger, we have gifts for everyone! Order by Dec 12 to receive in time for the holidays!
Gift Certificates for 2025 Institute programs are also in our online shop!
TAX-SMART YEAR-END GIVING
Make a strategic and meaningful investment for the future by contributing through your IRA, Donor Advised Fund, gifts of appreciated stock, or donating vehicles by the end of the year. With your support, we will connect even more people to nature and empower the next generation of environmental leaders. Thank you!
Top Image: October's Mushrooms of Cascadia field excursion with Evan Holmstrom, by Kim Nelson
