Summer is winding down in the North Cascades and we’re giving thanks for the drizzly days, cooler temperatures and smoke-free skies this season. It’s such a relief after last summer’s sooty skies!

August was a very busy month in the North Cascades. Visitors, participants and staff made the most of summer’s end and this photo round up shows off those adventures. Please Enjoy!

Another season of Youth Leadership Adventures came to a close. This summer, we served 36 students, and almost every student was awarded a scholarship to increase access to these transformative 12-day backcountry experiences to young people who otherwise couldn’t afford them — thanks to our generous donors and funders. A lot of strong connections, deep learning and reflection took place in the wilds of the North Cascades this summer, as the next generation of conservation leadership takes shape.

Youth Leadership Adventures changed me to become a better person for this obstacle course called the real world, I saw that anything is possible no matter your size, shape, color or height.

 

One of our favorite moments from the summer was when a student shared his big takeaway from his trip: realizing that there are other people his age who have similar values surrounding the environment and climate change. The students said his group had many long conversations in the backcountry sharing ideas about what they can do to take meaningful personal actions.

If you missed it, Youth Leadership Adventures was covered in the Skagit Valley Herald and our summer instructor, Urvy, wrote about their experience leading these summer backcountry trips on our blog.

Field Excursion: Night Photography at Artist Point

Some shots from the recent night session at Artist Point. Andy Porter instructed the group to point their cameras skyward and adjust their settings to capture the elusive yet numerous stars in and around the milky way.

See more photos from staff and participants on our Flickr page