Field Notes from the North Cascades / <currentmonthname> <currentyear> eNewsletter
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Happy March! The Learning Center on Diablo Lake has been bustling these past weeks as we train new instructors and kitchen staff, tidy up campus, and put the finishing touches on preparations. And now—it’s finally go time!
This month marks the 35th season of Mountain School, with students, teachers, and parent chaperones arriving from Bellingham, Blaine, and Conway. It’s incredibly rewarding to move from planning into doing what we love most: inspiring environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature!
We have a few rare Fall 2025 openings and would love to welcome your school group! Schools can apply for Outdoor Learning Grants through Outdoor Schools WA, and if funding isn’t available, we offer generous subsidies. Contact us soon for details!
MARCH 2025
▸ SUMMER BASE CAMP LEARNING & LODGING STAYS AT THE LEARNING CENTER
▸ NATURE OF WRITING SPRING SPEAKER SERIES IN BELLINGHAM AND SEATTLE
▸ HIRING DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR AND MORE
▸ YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER TRIPS
Celebrate National Poetry Month with us with poet Harold Rhenisch sharing lyrical stylings from The Salmon Shanties on March 10 (Village Books) & March 11 (Third Place Books, Ravenna) and enjoy our "Poetry from the Porch" video series that we created with local luminaries back when we were all stuck in our homes (and porches) during the pandemic. We also posted "Acknowledgement Five" by Sauk-Suiattle poet Kara Briggs from her new collection Rivers In My Veins on our blog. Here's a evocative excerpt:
The stars so far away that they cannot be seen individually, like my ancestors from Sauk, Entiat, Chelan, Wenatchee, who go so far back in time that I cannot distinguish them all standing on these same mountains looking at these same stars.
Gear up for planting season! Visit us at the Whatcom Conservation District Native Plant Sale & Celebration on March 15 at Pioneer Park, Ferndale. Want to learn more about local flora? Sign up for our Pacific Northwest Native Plants class with Chris Byrd on April 12.
Last but not least in this busy season:
- Youth Leadership Adventures is now accepting applications for summer trips.
- Base Camp Learning & Lodging summer dates are open for registration.
- We’re hiring! Check out our new Director of Development and Engagement position.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES: NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!
YLA trips are for motivated high schoolers seeking a fun and challenging adventure in the North Cascades! Our 5- and 8-day field courses connect 9th-12th grade students to the natural world while exploring their unique leadership strengths. In partnership with North Cascades National Park and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, participants canoe-camp, backpack and complete stewardship projects.
Gear, food, and transportation from Skagit and Whatcom counties are provided and no prior experience is necessary. Scholarships are available for all students!
MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OPENINGS
We have rare openings in our Fall 2025 schedule and would love for your school group to join us!
Mountain School is our nationally recognized overnight outdoor school program—now in its' 35th year! Fifth-grade students come to North Cascades National Park with their peers, teachers, and parent chaperones for three days and two nights to learn about the ecosystems and the natural and cultural history of these mountains.
Learning Opportunities
WINTER/SPRING 2025 FIELD EXCURSIONS & ONLINE CLASSES
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 9 | Wolves In Washington Update with WDFW and the Wolf Advisory Group - Online
April 12 | Pacific Northwest Native Plants with Chris Byrd - Online
April 27 | A Day of Sea Veggie Foraging with Jennifer Hahn - waitlist avail
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 - waitlist avail
May 17-18 | San Juan Islands Exploration on the Orion - waitlist avail
May 10 | Spring Birding Bellingham Bay on the Snow Goose with Amanda Colbert & Dan Liden
May 30 | Stewardship at Kukutali Preserve
June 6-8 | Spring Birding in the Methow Valley with Libby Mills
June 7 | Amphibians of PNW Ponds and Wetlands with Vikki Jackson and Stephen Nyman
July 19 | Spoon Carving and Conservation with Brendan McGarry
July 26 | Night Sky Photography at Artist Point with Juan Aguilera
Aug 17 | A Naturalist's Journey Up Sauk Mountain with Hannah Black
Aug 22 | Floating the Skagit River's Geologic History with Jon Riedel and Triad Rafting
Sept 5-7 | North Cascades Naturalist Seminar with Chris Byrd - ELC
Sept 5-6 | Watercolor Wildflowers Seminar with Molly Hashimoto - ELC
Sept 27 | North Cascades Carnivores with Bill Gaines
Nov 16 | Drawing Mountains in Ink with Claire Giordano - Online
Scholarships + military, student and disability discounts are available for most programs
Questions? Contact us at info@ncascades.org or (360) 854-2599
GEOLOGIC MYSTERIES OF THE NORTH CASCADES |
BIRDING THE SALISH SEA |
Discover your next great read in presentations by authors, poets and naturalists sharing their new works! In partnership with our bookseller co-hosts at Village Books in Bellingham and Third Place Books in Seattle, our Nature of Writing Spring Series invites you to dive into Cascadian-inspired poetry collections; float and forage along the Pacific Northwest coast; journey deep into coastal rainforests and discover wildlife & geology just outside your door.
The Salmon Shanties: A Cascadian Song Cycle with Harold Rhenisch
March 10 at 6 pm, Village Books and March 11 at 7 pm, Third Place Books, RavennaPaddling the Salish Sea: 80 Trips in Puget Sound with Rob Casey
March 22 at 5 pm, Village BooksWild Forest Home: Stories of Conservation in the Pacific Northwest with Betsy L. Howell
April 4 at 7 pm, Third Place Books, RavennaPacific Harvest: A Northwest Coast Foraging Guide with Jennifer Hahn
April 16 at 7 pm, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park and May 2 at 6 pm, Village BooksEncountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-Enchantment with Brooke Williams in conversation with Lyanda Lynn Haupt
April 24 at 6 pm, Village Books
And more events in May—see our website for details!
STAY & PLAY IN THE NORTH CASCADES
Looking for a way to stay in the North Cascades National Park this summer? We have two great options at the Environmental Learning Center!
BASE CAMP LEARNING & LODGING offers learning activities with Institute naturalists, three meals and overnight accommodations in our guest lodges. June-August
FAMILY GETAWAYS include meals, accommodations and a daily slate of engaging, hands-on activities and outdoor adventures designed for people of all ages. We welcome anyone you call a family: parents, children, grandparents, guardians, aunts and uncles, friends, and nontraditional families. July-August (filling fast!)
Institute News
NOW HIRING: Development & Engagement Director & more!
Do you love the outdoors and want to help others connect with nature? We have several new job openings—full time, part-time and seasonal positions—that may be right for you or a job-seeker you know.
Our Leadership Team is seeking a Development and Engagement Director to lead and expand fundraising efforts in service of our mission. We are also recruiting for Program Service Specialist, Program Instructors, Retail Assistant and Cook. These are exciting opportunities for anyone inspired to support environmental education in the North Cascades. Learn more about these roles and apply at ncascades.org/jobs.
SUMMER 2025 CONFERENCE & RETREAT FACILITIES
Reserve space this summer for your family reunion, retreat, group training or other gatherings at the Environmental Learning Center! On the wooded shore of Diablo Lake in the heart of North Cascades National Park, this unique venue inspires reflection and connection to the natural world as well as to each other. Lodging, meals and learning opportunities included.
Availability in late July & August 2025. Call (206) 526-2573 or use our Information Request Form.
SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT: BACKCOUNTRY ESSENTIALS
In 2006, Chris & Erica Gerston founded the premier independent ski & outdoor specialty shop located in Bellingham as a gathering place and resource for the local community. Throughout the years, Backcountry Essentials has proudly given back to local nonprofits by donating gear, offering discounts, and sponsoring events. We are grateful that they’ve started selling our Institute-branded merchandise (like our one-of-a-kind trucker hats featuring art by local backcountry watercolorist Nikki Frumkim) with 100% of the proceeds going towards our youth programs!
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.
GIVE THE GIFT OF NATURE FOR LOCAL 5th GRADERS
Returning for its 35th year, we are so excited to welcome students back to Mountain School this month! We are expecting 2,500 5th graders to attend our 3-day, 2-night program at our Environmental Learning Center campus in North Cascades National Park this year. You can help provide the gift of nature and lifelong memories by making a gift today to support our youth programs!
Top Image: The first day of Spring 2025 Mountain School at the Environmental Learning Center!
