Field Notes from the North Cascades / April 2023 eNewsletter
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Just coming off a week of some really nice weather, and of course like everyone else, we welcome the extra hours of light and warmer temperatures. It's got us thinking of the months ahead! And of these lines from Robert Sund, bard of the Skagit Valley:
Sun one day,
rain the next —
Winter and spring draw a line
and hop
wildly back and forth
APRIL 2023
▸ UPCOMING FIELD, LEARNING CENTER & ONLINE CLASSES
▸ YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES: ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
▸ CONFERENCES & RETREATS: BOOKING FOR SUMMER
▸ NATURE OF WRITING SPEAKER SERIES
After many months of planning, we now have all of our programs up through the summertime, and Wow, there's a lot for you to choose from!
We are taking registrations for Base Camp Learning & Lodging stays, including discounted “shoulder season” pricing for bookings in April and May, and summertime Family Getaways are filling up fast. We have a robust slate of classes both online and in-person, including just-added classes on mindful photography, summer tracking, forest bathing & sketching, plein air watercoloring and fall mushrooming. And we're excited to announce that Diablo Lake Boat Tours are back, with dozens of morning and afternoon cruises — some with a delicious home-cooked lunch at the Environmental Learning Center — getting underway June 29.
As we continue to rebuild from disruptions caused by the pandemic, we are building our team and hiring for several different positions, some year-round, some seasonal: Bookkeeper, Marketing Assistant, Retail Assistants, Food Services Supervisor and a Cook, and a Facilities Technician. If you or someone you know is interested, learn more details here.
We are thrilled that we could serve four Bellingham schools last week with Mountain School — engaging 230 5th graders with transformative outdoor learning at Diablo Lake — and now getting ready to welcome Sedro-Woolley, Concrete and Blaine students next!
Join us May 2-3 for Give BIG for Youth!
Through your support, great things happen for both kids and nature. Let’s join together to transform lives and make this world a better place for generations to come!
North Cascades Institute, in partnership with Seattle City Light, offer visitors fun, interactive boat tour aboard the Alice Ross IV in the heart of North Cascades National Park. Experience the jaw-dropping beauty of Diablo Lake, enjoy stunning views of glacier-clad peaks and hidden waterfalls, keep an eye out for wildlife and birds, and learn about the fascinating natural and cultural history of the area.
All ages are welcome and tours are wheelchair accessible. For more information, call (360) 854-2599.
Diablo Lake & Lunch Tours: June 29-Sept 4
Thursdays - Mondays with a delicious lunch at the Learning Center
Diablo Lake Afternoon Tours: June 30-Sept 3
Fridays - Sundays
Fall Morning Tours:
Sept 9-Oct 1
Saturdays & Sundays
YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES ~ Applications Due May 4
Miriam Alexa reflects on her experience in YLA: "You'll have amazing friendships, memories that will last a lifetime, and you're gonna have so much fun... canoeing is AMAZING!"
Youth Leadership Adventures are 9-day field courses that connect high schoolers to the natural world! Participants canoe-camp on Ross Lake, backpack and work on stewardship projects, discover their leadership skills, build community with peers, and identify pathways to a hopeful and sustainable future. All gear, food, and transportation from Skagit and Whatcom counties are provided.
No prior experience necessary, scholarships are available!
Learning Opportunities
FIELD EXCURSIONS, LEARNING CENTER and ONLINE CLASSES
April 5: Wilderness Survival Essentials with Jason Knight - ONLINE *
April 26: Wolves in Washington with the Wolf Advisory Group - ONLINE *
April 28-30: Spring Stewardship Weekend - Learning Center
April 29: Birding the Salish Sea on the Snow Goose with Amanda Colbert
May 6: Waterfall and Stream Photography with Juan Aguilera
May 7: Salish Seaweed Garden with Jennifer Hahn - full, waitlist avail
May 10: Exploring Connections with Corvids with Dr. Kaeli Swift - ONLINE *
May 12-14: Discovering Biodiversity with Ed Grumbine - Learning Center
May 12-14: Spring Birding in the North Cascades with Libby Mills - Learning Center
May 14: Spring Snake Count in the Methow Valley with Rohrer and Fitkin
May 17: Grizzly Bears with Frances Backhouse and Joe Scott - ONLINE*
May 24: Killer Whales of the Salish Sea with Monika Wieland Shields - ONLINE*
June 3: Mindful Photography at Baker Lake with Alan Majchrowicz
June 4: Plein Air Watercolor Adventure with Claire Giordano
June 17: Forest Bathing and Sketching with April Claxton and Beverly Choltco-Devlin
July 15: Summer Tracking with Chris Byrd
Sept 13: Centuries on Foot: Historic Trails in the North Cascades - ONLINE*
Oct 13: Wild Mushrooms and Culinary Ventures with Erin Moore - Learning Center
Oct 13-15: Sit, Walk, Write: Nature and the Practice of Presence - Learning Center
Oct 13-15: Autumn Trees and Landscapes: A Watercolor Workshop - Learning Center
Oct 21: Baker Lake Fungal Foray with Erin Moore
* Can't make the specific date? We'll send you a link to watch the video on your own time! Military, Student and Disability discounts and scholarships may be available.
Please note that we are no longer requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for in-person programs.
BASE CAMP LEARNING & LODGING
Book for April & May at shoulder season pricing—starting at $85 per person
Each night of your Base Camp stay at the Environmental Learning Center in North Cascades National Park includes:
- Private room in our guest lodges
- Three delicious meals
- Explorations of the natural and cultural history of this spectacular region
SUMMER RETREAT FACILITIES
Reserve space this summer for your family reunion, wedding, group training or other gathering at the Environmental Learning Center! Located on 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, delicious meals and learning opportunities included.
NATURE OF WRITING SPEAKER SERIES IN BELLINGHAM
Find your next book for Spring in this series of presentations by authors, poets and naturalists sharing their new works. We hope to see you at one of these readings in Bellingham!
FREE EVENTS IN VILLAGE BOOKS READINGS GALLERY
▸ April 7 at 7 pm: Abigail Morgan Prout's Walk Deep: Poems - read Abigails's blog post
▸ April 8 at 7 pm: Jason Knight's The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival
▸ April 15 at 4 pm: Frances Backhouse's Grizzly Bears
▸ April 28 at 7 pm: Children of the Setting Sun Productions's Jesintel: Living Wisdom from Coast Salish Elders
▸ April 29 at 4 pm: Barbara Davis-Pyles's Nobody Likes Frogs
▸ May 13. 4 pm: Matt Kracht's OMFG, BEES! Bees Are So Amazing and You're About to Find Out Why
EVENT AT BELLINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL ▸ May 6 at 7 pm: The Power of Trees ~ An Evening with Peter Wohlleben and Thor Hanson (TICKETS)
SHOP AND SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE
From North Cascades National Park apparel, patches and magnets, to a wide variety of books, art prints, jewelry, toys and activities for kids—shop in our online store and feel good knowing that your purchases benefit youth education in the North Cascades!
