Skip to content

Donate

Search for:

Search for:

Menu

Discover The Institute, Environmental Learning Center & Ecosystem
Sign Up Learning Adventures for all ages
Retreat Book your conference or gathering
Blog Stories from the field
Shop Apparel, gifts & souvenirs
Support Become a donor
Directions & visitor info

Donate

Get updates

baker puff balls

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Name

Email (will not be published)

Message

Δ

Blog

Blog Home
Naturalist Notes
Life at the Learning Center
Institute News
Mountain School
Youth Adventures
Adventures
Field Excursions
Photography

Recent Articles

The Power of Patience: Building Community in Youth Leadership Adventures
Sourdough Fire closes Learning Center through 2023
Nature of Writing Speaker Series ⎸ Fall 2023
Languages: Barriers or Bridges in Youth Leadership Adventures?
In Memoriam Charles Claassen

Follow us on Instagram

ncascades

This Saturday, September 23rd, is National Public

This Saturday, September 23rd, is National Public Lands Day! Held every year on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort, and offers everyone the chance to VISIT A NATIONAL PARK FOR FREE!

The theme for this year—30 Years of Care and Community—celebrates the 30th year of National Public Lands Day. Join the celebration by volunteering at a national park site near you, or just have fun and enjoy the health benefits of being outdoors in a green space in your community.

Learn about volunteer opportunities at a national park near you : https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-day.htm#CP_JUMP_6237013

📸 Photo Credit
Slide 1 : National Park Service
Slide 2 : Britt Coy, North Cascades National Park
Slide 3 : Britt Coy, Olympic National Park
Slide 4 : NPS Photo, Mount Rainier National Park
Slide 5 : National Park Service

#NPLD #NPSVolunteer #MyParkStory #getoutthere #getoutdoors #northcascadesinstitute #learnoutside #teachoutside #cascadiaexplored #wanderwashington #northcascades #getoutside #northcascadesnationalpark #optoutside #explorewashington #mountrainiernationalpark #olympicnationalpark

Happy #wildlifewednesday! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Happy #wildlifewednesday! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣
Did you know you can take your pup on any trail within Ross Lake & Lake Chelan Recreation Areas & in nearby Forest Service lands?! Not to mention out on the water with you. The recreation areas reside within the North Cascades National Park Service Complex and there is forest service land bordering much of the park. But once you hit that park boundary, no dogs allowed. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If you choose to take your dog on the trail, please keep them on a leash and if taking them on the water put a dog life jacket on them & always pick up after your precious fur babe 💩. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you take your dog on adventures with you? What’s your favorite dog friendly activity you do together? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Skagit & Sauk-Suiattle people ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
📸: @adventures_of_lil_roo (Photo taken at Baker Lake, located outside the park service complex on national forest land)

✨DEADLINE EXTENDED!✨ Are you in high school in

✨DEADLINE EXTENDED!✨ Are you in high school in #Whatcom or #Skagit County? Are you ready to take action and make a difference in your community?!

Offered in partnership with RE Sources, Youth for the Environment and People (YEP!) is an opportunity for students to share ideas and passions, learn about climate change solutions, engage in local stewardship, and work on a group action project. And, of course, have fun! It's a time when adults step back and create space for youth voices and leadership like YOURS, and advocacy on issues YOU care about.

LEARN MORE & APPLY at the link in our bio!

#connectoutside #northcascadesinstitute
#youthactivists #changemakers #learningisfun #climatesolutions #youthleaders #youthaction #climateaction #environmentaleducation #teachoutside #learnoutside

Larch season is just around the corner! Who’s re

Larch season is just around the corner! Who’s ready? 🙋🏻‍♀️🍂⁣
📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Syilx (Okanagan), Methow & Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
📸: @brandy___marie

The sun is setting on summer as the transition to

The sun is setting on summer as the transition to fall begins. Putting our favorite summer activities on the shelf and transitioning to the shorter, rainy days of fall can be a challenge even if fall is your favorite season. ⁣
Here’s some tips to transition from summer to fall:

🍂 Journal for a fresh start. Fall marks a new beginning and a time for change.

🍂 Make a Fall bucket list. What would make you happy and how can you make the most of what the fall season has to offer?

🍂 Find your new routine. With shorter and darker days figure out the best way to maximize your day.

🍂 Shift to different foods. Time for all those fall seasonal foods like pumpkin, squash, apples and sweet potatoes.

🍂 Change your sleep schedule. Days are shorter, you may need to go to bed earlier, since your circadian rhythm may be disrupted.

🍂 Embrace change. Seasons are inevitable and out of our control. Enjoy the crisp air, changing of leaves and all those cozy clothes you get to wear now.

What other tips would you add as we transition from summer to fall?

📸: @sarina_pizzala

CALLING ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS in Whatcom or Ska

CALLING ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS in Whatcom or Skagit County interested in collaborating on a #ClimateAction project!

Offered in partnership with @resources_protects, Youth for the Environment and People (YEP!) gives you the chance to :

🌎 Meet and work with other youth in the region to create and implement a student-led action project
🌍 Discover, empower, and refine individual skills and talents
🌏 Practice stepping into leadership roles
🌎 Connect with local organizations working to solve local climate change in our region
🌍 Learn about local and global climate change solutions
🌏 Complete two local service projects on a couple of Saturday sessions

BONUS : we offer a $150 STIPEND to compensate students for their time and efforts!

This fall, students will explore the local climate change impact of flooding, how it affects different members of our community, and how we can adapt to become more resilient to climate change.

LEARN MORE + APPLY at the link in our bio!

#youthleaders #youthaction #climate #environmentalawareness #getoutdoors #northcascadesinstitute #environmentaleducation #learnoutside #teachoutside #youthleadership

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! With fall a little over

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! With fall a little over a week away, the 25,000- 30,000 black bears in Washington state are out searching for as much food as possible to prepare for winter. ⁣
Some fun facts to bear in mind:

🐻 Fall is a critical season for black bears as they commonly acquire most of their annual fat accumulation during this time.

🐻 Black bears may forage up to 20 hours a day during fall, increasing their body weight by 35% in preparation for winter.

🐻 Black bears typically deb between mid October into April. Denning bears enter a state of torpor, a modified form of hibernation, that allows them to defend themselves more effectively should a predator visit the den.

🐻 Bears do not urinate or defecate during denning, they recycle their waste into proteins and other nutrients.

🐻 Bears have a reproductive pattern known as delayed implantation. Fertilization happens in summer, the embryo implants in fall once the female dens and the fetus grows rapidly. Total gestation is 7 months, but the actual development period for a bear fetus is less than 3 months!

📸: @christinewloberg

Looking for your next great read for the Fall and

Looking for your next great read for the Fall and Winter months?!

Hosted in partnership with our friends at @village_books, the Fall Nature of Writing series includes inspiring presentations by authors, poets and naturalists sharing their latest works.

On September 14, naturalist and educator David B. Williams shares his book "Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of Puget Sound." In conversations with archaeologists, biologists, and tribal authorities, Williams traces how generations of humans have interacted with various species, and takes an unflinching look at how the Sound’s ecosystems have suffered from human behavior, and the effects of climate change.

Then, on September 28, editors Elizabeth Bradfield & Derek Sheffield present "Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry." Unlike a traditional field guide, this work goes beyond objective observation, and seeks to capture the deeper connection one feels to the plants and animals who encompass the region. With over 120 separate contributors, "Cascadia Field Guide" highlights diverse voices, including Tribal Nation members, Black voices, up-and-coming poets and artists, well-known authors and many others from across our region.

Space is limited - RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY at the link in our bio!

#naturewriting #authorreading #writing #northcascadesinstitute #poetry #readmorebooks #reading

Happy magic mountain Monday! ⁣ “There are some

Happy magic mountain Monday! ⁣
“There are some places that are extra magical ✨.”

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Sauk Suiattle, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation & Syilx (Okanagan)
📸: @married_mountaineers

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Enter your email address to be notified when a new post is published!

Discover
Sign Up
Retreat
Support

Directions & visitor info

(360) 854-2599 info@ncascades.org Contact

Get updates

Careers Media

© North Cascades Institute|Privacy Policy