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Happy June! Last week, our Youth Leadership Adventures team supported Forest School with Whatcom Intergenerational High School, helping nearly 70 students camp for three days in the foothills of the North Cascades and leading hikes to Canyon Lake Community Forest.
Now, the team is preparing for summer—training the YLA crew who will lead nine backcountry trips for high school students. Their training includes a six-day canoe expedition on Ross Lake and a backpacking trip over Fourth of July Pass, focusing on teamwork, backcountry skills, and risk management.
June 2025
▸ DIABLO LAKE BOAT TOURS SET SAIL BEGINNING THE FOURTH OF JULY
▸ STAY AND PLAY IN THE NORTH CASCADES WITH BASE CAMP
▸ NOW HIRING SEVERAL POSITIONS AT THE LEARNING CENTER
A few of us on staff have been reading Is A River Alive?, the new book by British nature writer Robert Macfarlane, in anticipation of his June 12 reading at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. In a recent review, The Guardian called the book “timely,” noting the global crisis facing rivers: “They have been dammed, poisoned, reduced to servitude, erased from the map … Macfarlane wants them to revive—and to remind us of the interconnectedness of the human and natural world,” as expressed in a Māori proverb: “I am the river; the river is me.”
At the heart of the book is Macfarlane's world-spanning exploration of the question in the title: "Is this (river) really alive? By whose standards? By what proof? As for speaking to or for a river, or comprehending what a river wants—well, where would you even start?”
“For those who, like me, have been largely raised on rationalism, to imagine a river is alive in a way that exceeds the sum of the lives it contains is difficult, counterintuitive work," he continues. "It requires unlearning, a process much harder than learning.”
While not quite a beach read, this thought-provoking book invites us to consider how we might live alongside the other-than-human world as we navigate the shifting terrain of the Anthropocene. Hope to see some of you at the Seattle reading—Macfarlane has other engagements in Portland, Denver, San Francisco, and elsewhere too.
Beginning JULY 4, the Alice Ross IV sets sail on the azure waters of Diablo Lake in the North Cascades! North Cascades Institute, in partnership with Seattle City Light, offers visitors fun, educational tours of Diablo Lake all summer. Experience jaw-dropping views of glacier-clad peaks, learn about the quirky history of the Upper Skagit Hydroelectric Project and enjoy lunch at the Environmental Learning Center!
For personalized assistance or questions, contact our registration team Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm at (360) 854-2599.
Learning Opportunities
2025 PROGRAMS
June 6 | Spring Birding in the Methow with Libby Mills - waitlist available
June 7 | Amphibians of PNW Ponds and Wetlands- waitlist available
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 3 | Wildfires and Lynx with Carmen Vanbianchi - Online
Sept 5-7 | North Cascades Naturalist Seminar with Chris Byrd - ELC, waitlist available
Sept 5-6 | Watercolor Wildflowers Seminar with Molly Hashimoto - ELC, waitlist available
Sept 20 | Writing and the Natural World with Holly Hughes
Sept 27 | North Cascades Carnivores with Bill Gaines
Oct 18 | Baker Lake Fungal Foray with Erin Moore
Oct 26 | Befriending Fungi with Evan Holstrom
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
CARVING AND CONSERVATION |
NIGHT SKY PHOTOGRAPHY |
STAY & PLAY IN THE NORTH CASCADES
Looking for an overnight adventure in the North Cascades this summer? We have two great options at the Environmental Learning Center!
BASE CAMP LEARNING & LODGING offers guided learning activities with Institute naturalists, three meals and comfortable overnight accommodations in our guest lodges. New summer dates added!
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. Limited spots left for August 8-10
Last call for the Speaker Series! Celebrate the transformative power of nature and storytelling at these final Nature of Writing events offered In partnership with Third Place Books in Seattle.
Ian's Ride: A Long-Distance Journey to Joy with Karen Polinsky
After a bike accident left outdoor adventurer Ian Mackay permanently paralyzed from the shoulders down, his life was at a standstill. Gradually, with the help of his dedicated family, Ian’s love of nature began to pull him outside again, first through bird-watching, then through longer and longer wheelchair rides. In this intimate biography, writer Karen Polinsky recounts with Ian his accident and determined journey - including a three-hundred-thirty-mile trip across Washington state! - and becoming a champion for accessible trails.
Tuesday, June 10 at 7 pm, Third Place Books, Lake Forest ParkIs A River Alive? with Robert Macfarlane in conversation with David B. Williams
Hailed in the New York Times as “a naturalist who can unfurl a sentence with the breathless ease of a master angler,” Robert Macfarlane brings his glittering style to a profound work of travel writing, reportage, and natural history. Is a River Alive? is a joyful, mind-expanding exploration of an ancient, urgent idea: that rivers are living beings who should be recognized as such in imagination and law.
Thursday, June 12 at 7 pm, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park
Institute News
Reserve the Learning Center for Your Next Gathering
North Cascades Institute invites you to reserve space at the Learning Center for conferences, retreats, workshops, trainings, reunions and other group gatherings.
Located on the wooded shores of Diablo Lake in the heart of North Cascades National Park, our unique venue offers:
Lodging for 10-92 guests, including bed and bath linens
Meals served in our lakeside dining hall
Conference rooms, outdoor shelters, lounges and library
Guided canoeing and hiking opportunities
High-speed wireless Internet and audio-visual equipment
An onsite coordinator to help with your event
New dates available for November 2025. Call 360-854-2583 or use our Request Information Form
JOBS AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER
Do you love the outdoors and want to help others connect with nature? We have several openings supporting programs at the Environmental Learning Center that may be right for you or a job-seeker you know. CURRENT OPENINGS: Operations Coordinator, Program Support Specialist, and Program Instructor.
Learn more about working at the Institute, our location in North Cascades National Park, and subsidized housing options for these roles at ncascades.org/jobs.
“We participated in a Base Camp program and had an amazing experience. We’ve also brought our leadership team out for weekend retreats, and each time we leave more grounded and inspired by the land and your mission. At a time when our environment needs dedicated leaders more than ever, the Institute continues to be a shining example of impact through education, stewardship, and connection to place.”
Learn more about how you can help empower the next generation of environmental leaders by donating today or becoming a corporate partner.
Gratitude to everyone who supported our spring appeal and helped us reach our $35,000 GiveBIG challenge match! Together, we are fostering shared experiences in nature, inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders to take root and rise!
Many thanks once again to longtime Institute supporters Lee Whitford, Jane Talbot, Eric Hirst, Saul & Shelley Weisberg, the Rohan Nosko Family, George Sanders & Karen Aronoff, Cathy Wissink, and Andy Wickstrand for providing the challenge match funds.
We happily welcome donations made at any time of the year at ncascades.org/donate.
Top Image: Skagit River estuary by Benj Drummond
