Field Notes from the North Cascades / April 2024 eNewsletter
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Happy Spring! We hope that wherever you are reading this, you are seeing signs of the emerging season - perhaps through trees in bud, longer evening light, migrating birds, warmer weather, brave green shoots or through a rousing chorus of glorious frog-song.
We see Spring all around us in the North Cascades in all of the above, as well as in the sounds of gleeful groups of 5th graders attending the first month of the 2024 Mountain School year. In March, we welcomed classes and their teachers from Lowell, Alderwood, Carl Cozier, Parkview, Cordata, Roosevelt and Birchwood elementary schools from Whatcom and Concrete Elementary from Skagit. We love having so many curious learners back in our "outdoor classroom" again and look forward to many more to come.
APRIL 2024
▸ SUMMER BASE CAMPS AND FAMILY GETAWAYS FILLING UP FAST
▸ YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
▸ NATURE OF WRITING SPEAKER SERIES AT VILLAGE BOOK
▸ THANK YOU SKAGIT CO-OP!
The good weather is inspiring people to think ahead to summer, and our Base Camp Learning & Lodging stays and Family Getaways are filling up fast. While our upcoming Field Excursions on seaweed, snakes, spring birding and sailing in the San Juans are full, we have other great offerings focused on photography, butterflies, amphibians, birding on the Snow Goose and a new 2-day natural history "ramble" that will explore Potholes State Park, Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and Moses Lake Sand Dunes on the eastside of the mountains.
Read on for details, and we hope you'll be ready to Give BIG for Youth in the coming weeks to support Mountain School and the other programs that get young people outdoors learning, appreciating and connecting!
Give BIG for Youth!
Through your support, great things happen for both kids and nature. Early giving starts on April 23, and you can help us now by sending in your photo answering "Why I Give BIG for Youth" to marketing@ncascades.org. We’ll enter you in our raffle for a North Cascades Institute hat!
YOUTH LEADERSHIP ADVENTURES: Now Accepting Applications
Youth Leadership Adventures trips are for motivated high schoolers seeking a fun and challenging summer adventure in the North Cascades! Our 5- and 8-day field courses connect 9th-12th grade students to the natural world while talking about climate change, creating community, and discovering their unique leadership skills. In partnership with North Cascades National Park and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, participants canoe-camp, backpack and complete stewardship projects in the North Cascades.
Gear, food and transportation from Skagit and Whatcom counties are provided, and no prior experience is necessary. Scholarships available!
Learning Opportunities
FIELD EXCURSIONS, ONLINE CLASSES & EVENTS
Apr 10 | Understanding Bird Songs with David Lukas - Online
Apr 20 -21 | Columbia Basin Natural History Ramble with Chris Byrd - Potholes State Park
Apr 24 | Wolves in Washington Update - Online
May 1 | Guide to Hidden Hikes in the North Cascades with Wyatt Mullen - Online
May 4 | Waterfall and Stream Photography with Juan Aguilera - Newhalem
May 4 | Birding on the Snow Goose with Amanda Colbert - Bellingham Bay
May 8 | It All Begins in the Nest with David Lukas - Online
May 11 | Salish Seaweed Garden with Jennifer Hahn- waitlist available
May 12 | Snake Count in the Methow Valley - waitlist available
May 18-19 | San Juan Islands Exploration on the Orion - waitlist available
May 31-June 2 | Spring Birding in the Methow Valley with Libby Mills - waitlist available
June 8 | Geologic Evolution of the Skagit River Watershed with Jon Reidel
July 14 | Chasing Butterflies in the North Cascades with David Droppers
Aug 3-4 | Night Sky Photography at Washington Pass with Andy Porter
Aug 24 | Amphibians of PNW Ponds and Streams with Stephen Nyman and Vikki Jackson
Aug 31-Sept 1 | Night Sky Photography at Artist Point with Andy Porter
Sept 18 | Soul of the Skagit: Climate Change & Conservation with Christian Murillo - Online
Oct 12 | Fall Colors Photography with Juan G. Aguilera
Oct 26 | Baker Lake Fungal Foray with Erin Moore - new!
Nov 2 | Mushrooms of Cascadia with Erin Moore - Deception Pass - new!
If you can't make the specific date or time of an online class, you can still register and we will send you a link to view the program on your own time. Military, student and disability discounts & scholarships are available for in-person classes.
BASE CAMP and FAMILY GETAWAYS
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 delicious meals and overnight accommodations in our guest lodges. Bookings available June-August
FAMILY GETAWAYS likewise include tasty 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, grandparents, children, guardians, aunts and uncles, friends, and nontraditional families. July-August (filling fast!)
"Our stay at the Learning Center exceeded our expectations several times over. The campus, staff, food, activities, nature, warmth, love ... I could go on and on.”
COLUMBIA BASIN NATURAL HISTORY RAMBLE |
STREAM AND WATERFALL PHOTOGRAPHY |
Discover your next great read with this Spring series of presentations by authors, poets and artists sharing their latest works at Village Books in Fairhaven. We’ll read poetry, explore Zen, celebrate our kinship with herbs, learn about herbal medicine, and appreciate the artwork of Nikki McClure as guest speakers share their work inspired by the unique region we call home.
Monday, April 8, 6pm
The Madrona Project Volume VI: The Empty Bowl Cookbook with readings by Michael Daley, Tele Aadsen, Chuck Luckmann and others. Read poems from this wonderful new volume on our blog!
Sunday, April 21, 2pm
Cascadian Zen: Bioregional Writings on Cascadia Here and Now with readings by Paul Nelson, Jason Wirth, and Adelia MacWilliam
Monday, April 22, 6pm
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Readings by Natalie Hammerquist
CHUCKANUT RADIO HOUR WITH NIKKI McCLURE
Wednesday, April 24, 7pm at Hotel Leo in Bellingham
Something About the Sky with Nikki McClure
Bringing the soft edges of clouds and the natural world to vivid life with a more fluid approach to her signature cut-paper technique, Nikki McClure inspires engagement with the world we all share. An antidote to “get your head out of the clouds,” this art-meets-science tribute to curiosity and wonder is a gift for daydreamers and nature lovers of all ages.
Institute News
SKAGIT HEALTHY KIDS DAYGet the kiddos out of the house and into the sun with us at Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 13, from 2:30-5 pm at the Mount Vernon YMCA. There will be games, educational activities, and healthy snacks, PLUS resources and info for families on summer programs in the Skagit/Whatcom area. This FREE, all-ages event is great way to get excited for a healthy, active summer! |
THANK YOU SKAGIT CO-OPWe are so grateful to Skagit Valley Food Co-op for their generous donation to our Mountain School program! With the support of community members who filled their carts on 4% Friday, the Co-op raised over $2700 to help Skagit County students access outdoor education this year. And the giant check presented to us by their team made such a fun photo! |
JOIN OUR TEAM
Do you find inspiration in nature? Are you excited to share your passion with people of all ages while teaching outdoors? We’re hiring a Program Coordinator (Mountain School and Family Getaways) and a Seasonal Program Instructor to join our team at the Environmental Learning Center in North Cascades National Park.
SUMMER RETREAT FACILITIES
Reserve space this summer for your family reunion, retreat, group training or other gathering 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.
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.
Top Image: "Skagit Valley Snow Geese and Daffodils" by John Macaulay Woods
