Field Notes from the North Cascades / November 2023 eNewsletter
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It’s November and the snow geese are back in the fields of Skagit Valley, the days are shorter and much cooler, and many of us are using this time to focus on gratitude. North Cascades Institute is so grateful to all the people, organizations and partners who’ve helped the Institute foster learning experiences in nature this year!
While the Learning Center is still closed to the public after the Sourdough Fire, there’s still a lot going on at the Institute! We are working on many facilities issues and upgrades, and bettering systems for a strong reopening of the campus in 2024. The Mountain School team is making program adjustments based on feedback from our new curriculum pilot. And we’re seeing our mission in action with high school participants in Youth for the Environment and People as a continuation of our goals for Youth Leadership Adventures. We are getting out in the field and online for informative and inspiring courses with more coming this winter. You also may have connected with us at local events like our week of celebrating the publication of Teaching in the Rain: The Story of North Cascades Institute by John Miles. Be sure to check out the latest Institute Photo Round-up on our blog to see more of what staff has been up to.
NOVEMBER 2023
▸ UPCOMING FIELD and ONLINE CLASSES
▸ CHRIS MORGAN LIVE AT MOUNT BAKER THEATER
▸ GRIZZLY RESTORATION: PUBLIC COMMENTS REQUESTED
▸ CHALLENGE MATCH FOR GIVINGTUESDAY NOV 28
▸ HOLIDAY GIFTS AT 15% OFF
We hope you’ll consider supporting transformative learning experiences in nature by including North Cascades Institute in your year-end giving plans. We have a $5,000 match for donations made on GivingTuesday, November 28. And another way to support us is to shop in our online store for your holiday gifting!
NOW HIRING
We are now recruiting candidates for Youth Leadership Coordinator and Youth Leadership Specialist—and more positions coming soon!
Learning Opportunities
FIELD EXCURSIONS, ONLINE CLASSES & EVENTS
Nov 5 & 15 | The Art of Maps with Véronique Robigou-Nelson—Online
Nov 8 | Birds of the North Cascades with Chris Williams—Online
Nov 8 | A Fine Line—NoW* event with Graham Zimmerman
Nov 9 | Hiking Mt Baker & The North Cascades—NoW* event with John D'Onofrio
Nov 16 | Pint Night Meet & Greet at Aslan Depot—Bellingham
Nov 18 | Wild Heart —a family-friendly NoW* event with Kim Freier
Dec 2 | Skagit Valley Winter Birding with Libby Mills
Dec 3 | Misty Mountains in Watercolor with Claire Giordano—Online
Dec 13 | Geologic Mysteries of the North Cascades with Gina Roberti—Online
*Nature of Writing (NoW) Speaker Series events are hosted by Village Books and take place in locations around Bellingham. See our blog for details and RSVP info.
If you can't make the specific date or time of an online class you want to take, you can still register and we will send you a link to view the program on your own time!
SKAGIT VALLEY WINTER BIRDING WITH LIBBY MILLS | Dec 2, Skagit ValleyBundle up and join Libby Mills—a long-time Skagit resident locally renowned for her natural history knowledge, birding and guiding skills, and artwork too—for a field excursion celebrating one of the PNW’s natural treasures. We’ll survey Lower Skagit Valley's profound bird life, with a focus on raptors, wintering waterfowl, upland, and shorebirds, as well as the relationships that bring these various species together in this particular place. |
MISTY MOUNTAINS & SNOWY TREES WINTER WATERCOLORS | Dec 3, OnlineGrab a cup of tea and your watercolors for a new interactive online workshop. Adventure artist Claire Giordano will share with us her favorite techniques for painting two iconic elements of winter landscapes in the Pacific Northwest: trees draped in snow and mountains wreathed in mist and cloud. With step-by-step guidance from Claire you'll create 2 paintings that are sure to make lovely gifts or cards for the holidays. |
BIRDS OF THE NORTH CASCADES | Nov 8, Online
Take flight with National Park Service Interpretive Ranger Chris Williams and explore the world of birds of the North Cascades. Learn about one of the most biodiverse national parks in the US and the birds that call it home. Who lives here? Who migrates through? Where are some of the best places to look for these feathered friends? Chris will answer these questions and empower us to make the most of birding in this region!
Institute News
Public Comment Period for Restoring Grizzlies to the North Cascades
The National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are seeking public input on a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluates options for restoring grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem in Washington. Grizzly bears occupied the North Cascades for thousands of years as an essential part of this ecosystem, distributing native plant seeds and keeping other wildlife populations in balance. In the 20th century, humans nearly hunted them to extinction in the area and the last confirmed sighting of a grizzly bear in the U.S. portion of the North Cascades was in 1996.
“The time has come for the grizzly bear to return to its habitat to take its place in the indigenous ecosystem. The Upper Skagit successfully coexisted with grizzly bears for thousands of years, and we should once more.”
—Scott Schuyler, Upper Skagit Tribe, whose territory lies within the recovery zone
FALL 2023 INSTITUTE PHOTOGRAPHY ROUND-UPThe Learning Center may still be closed after the Sourdough Fire, but there’s a lot going on at the Institute! Working with students in YEP!, cleaning up campus, rescuing canoes, befriending fungi during field classes, and tabling at community events—see it all in our newest blog post. |
PINT NIGHT AT ASLAN DEPOT IN BELLINGHAM - NOVEMBER 16In support of our work at the Institute, Aslan Brewing will donate $1 from every pint sale—as well as every "Fireweed" cocktail, specially crafted to help kick off our year-end fundraising efforts! Join us Nov 16 at Aslan Depot for a fun evening of cheers, chats and Institute swag! |
15% OFF FEATURED 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 specially-priced at 15% OFF through Dec. 31!
Gift Certificates for 2024 Institute programs are also now in our online shop!
CHRIS MORGAN: Live at Mount Baker Theater, January 26 at 7:30 PM
Dive into life among bears and other big carnivores! North Cascades Institute is proud to sponsor renowned wildlife ecologist, conservationist, TV host, and podcast producer, Chris Morgan at Mount Baker Theater in Bellingham. Morgan’s live event brings a captivating energy to the stage as he shares stories, stunning photographs, and beautiful film clips that will leave you inspired, entertained, and hopeful about the great things we can do together for humans, other species, and our planet. Reserve your tickets today!
SAVE THE DATE:
GivingTuesday on Nov 28
GivingTuesday is a global movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. We're excited that Institute supporters Mac and Linda MacGregor are offering to match every donation made that day, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000! With your support, we can connect even more people to nature and empower the next generation of environmental leaders. Thank you!
