Field Notes from the North Cascades / October 2023 eNewsletter
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It's officially Autumn now that we've traveled past the Fall Equinox, and you can feel the shift in the air and see signs all around. Like most Pacific Northwesterners, we feel a sense of relief with the return of the rain. Not only does it have us reaching for our favorite sweater, but it brings moisture to the thirsty land after a drier than usual summer, feeds the rivers, welcomes the salmon home and helps to finally extinguish the wildfires in the Cascades.
Speaking of, the behavior of the Sourdough Fire has moderated with the return of cooler temperatures and wetter weather, though the last official update still has the fire at more than 7,000 acres and 25% containment. There will be no change in containment until significant rain or snow, known as a “season ending event.” Campfires are again allowed in designated areas in frontcountry and backcountry campsites, but some trail and camp closures remain in effect.
OCTOBER 2023
▸ NEW & UPCOMING FIELD and ONLINE CLASSES
▸ FALL NATURE OF WRITING SPEAKER SERIES: TIM MCNULTY, GRAHAM ZIMMERMAN and JOHN D'ONOFRIO
▸ STUDENT VOICES PODCASTS FROM YLA
▸ BIGG'S KILLER WHALES ON OUR BLOG
Our staff evacuated the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on August 2 due to the fire. But recently—nearly two months later—we have been granted limited access to return. The good news is that the fire did not damage any of our buildings or immediate campus grounds. This is a huge sigh of relief! But with electricity turned off for long periods of time, other issues have occurred. Our Operations Team have just been allowed access to survey campus and start the work of fixing broken water systems, dealing with spoiled food and compost, making safety evaluations and doing much deep cleaning. This work is going to take several months before we are able to reopen. The area remains closed to the public, but we look forward to welcoming people of all ages back in early 2024.
We have been using this unanticipated pause as a time to bolster our programs, reevaluate Learning Center operations, and strengthen our capabilities. Meanwhile we are still fulfilling our mission by offering transformative learning experiences in nature including Field Excursions, Online Classes, Youth for the Environment and People (YEP!) and the Nature of Writing Speaker Series in Bellingham. Our 2024 program schedule is taking shape too... stay tuned!
Did you know... that many companies and governmental organizations offer workplace giving opportunities such as annual giving campaigns and donations through payroll deduction? Additionally, many companies offer matching gift programs to encourage philanthropy among their employees.
Learning Opportunities
FIELD EXCURSIONS, ONLINE CLASSES & EVENTS
Oct 3 | Teaching in the Rain: The Story of North Cascades Institute—NoW* event with John Miles
Oct 14 | Birds, Butterflies and Wildflower Block Prints with Molly Hashimoto—Online
Oct 17 | Wander Brewing Community Tuesday Pint Night—Bellingham
Oct 21 | Wild Heart—NoW* event with Kim Freier
Oct 14 | Baker Lake Fungal Foray with Erin Moore
Oct 22 | Befriending Fungi AM and PM sessions with Evan
Holmstrom—Bellingham
Oct 25 | Beyond Borders: Transboundary Conservation—Online NEW!
Oct 27 | Salmon, Cedar, Rock & Rain: Olympic Peninsula—NoW* event with Tim McNulty
Nov 5 & 15 | The Art of Maps with Véronique Robigou-Nelson—Online
Nov 8 | Birds of the North Cascades with Chris Williams—Online NEW!
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 at Aslan Depot—Bellingham
Dec 2 | Skagit Valley Winter Birding with Libby Mills NEW!
Dec 3 | Misty Mountains in Watercolor with Claire Giordano—Online NEW!
Dec 13 | Geologic Mysteries of the North Cascades with Gina Roberti—Online NEW!
*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.
BEFRIENDING FUNGI - 9AM & 1PM SESSIONS | Oct 22, BellinghamDig into the rich world of fungi with naturalist Evan Holmstrom in the 100 Acre Woods south of Bellingham. Evan will help us connect with fungi using our innate skills of observation and build our visual vocabulary so that we can begin to see the salient characteristics of mushroom types. |
BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES and WILDFLOWER BLOCK PRINTS | October 14, OnlineLearn how to create a hand-tinted block print in this fun online session with Molly Hashimoto. She will guide you through creating a design and carving it on easy-carve material to printing proofs, and then making oil-based ink prints which you can then hand-tint with watercolor paints. |
BEYOND BORDERS: TRANSBOUNDARY CONSERVATION
October 25, Online
We'll explore the transboundary nature of the North Cascades, how borders can be both meaningless and very consequential, and why healthy ecosystems need to function across these boundaries. Using examples from wolverines to birds to fish and amphibians, we’ll discuss the importance and challenges of cross-border conservation, particularly in light of our changing climate.
Institute News
This fall, Village Books and North Cascades Institute are excited to host authors, poets and naturalists sharing their latest works. These in-person speaker events are a great opportunity to sample the new books you'll want to curl up with in the cooler nights ahead! Most events take place in Village Books Readings Gallery in Bellingham, but Zimmerman's talk takes place at the Hotel Leo for the Chuckanut Radio Hour—pre-registration is encouraged.
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 27
Salmon, Cedar, Rock & Rain: Washington's Olympic Peninsula w/ Tim McNulty
November 8
A Fine Line: Searching for Balance Among Mountains w/ Graham Zimmerman
November 9
Hiking Mt Baker & The North Cascades w/ John D'Onofrio
NEW BOOK REVIEW ~ Teaching in the Rain:
The Story of North Cascades Institute by John Miles
We enjoyed this review of the new book Teaching in the Rain: The Story of North Cascades Institute from the Cascadia Daily News. John Miles is many things: professor emeritus at WWU’s College of the Environment, an environmental historian and author, co-founder of the Institute's Graduate M.Ed. program and our very first Board President! To have John research, consider and then write the history of our first 35 years is a great honor and a time capsule for the future.
"The North Cascades inspire dreamers. Count among them a group of five friends who, beginning in the early 1980s, turned a shared vision into the North Cascades Institute. The nationally respected environmental education nonprofit organization marked its 35th anniversary in 2021. The milestone spurred author and institute insider John C. Miles to chronicle the organization’s remarkable history in Teaching in the Rain: The Story of North Cascades Institute.
The 254-page book honors (Saul) Weisberg’s leadership, but it also records the contributions of National Park Service staff and others who built the dream of transformative learning experiences at the “convergence of natural and cultural history, science, humanities and the arts.” ... Because of his own long connection to the organization, Miles’ careful recounting of North Cascades Institute’s development is enlivened by a behind-the-scenes perspective. His book reads as local history, a business lesson and a love letter."
—Mary Vermillion
NEW ON BLOG: Bigg's Killer Whales and FisherpeopleOne of our favorite parts of the Nature of Writing Speaker Series is having the opportunity to publish excerpts from new nature-related books. Read an essay and poem about orcas from the Cascadia Field Guide (courtesy of The Mountaineers Books) and reflections on memoir writing from Tele Aadsen’s What Water Holds (courtesy of Empty Bowl), then go buy the books from your local bookseller! |
IN THE NEWS: Sourdough Fire and the Learning CenterThe Sourdough Mountain Fire |
STUDENT VOICES: New Podcasts from Youth Leadership Adventures
On Youth Leadership Adventures backcountry trips, high school students practice leadership strengths, build inclusive communities with their peers, and identify pathways to a hopeful and sustainable vision of the future. Listen to 2023 YLA participants on the final evening of their trip as they reflect on climate change, connections with nature, and access to the outdoors.
TOPICS INCLUDE: Impacts from YLA Trips, Memorable Moments from the Backcountry, and Messages to Adults: Environmental Stewardship
OUR 21st FOUR-STAR RATING
We’re excited to share that we recently received another Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most trusted nonprofit evaluator. This is our 21st consecutive Four-Star Rating, and this milestone achievement could not have happened without your support!
Thank you for trusting us to make a difference for the environment and our community.
