Weekly Photo Roundup: November 4 2017
Every weekend I will post photos collected from various North Cascades Institute graduate students and staff. Please enjoy this glimpse into our everyday lives here in the North Cascades.
This week Mt. Erie Elementary visited the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center for Mountain School. Next week is the last Mountain School session of 2017, so staff are enjoying every last moment. In the photo above, Naturalist Natascha revels in the first snowfall of the fall, and her last Mountain School group of the year.
Below are photos of kiddos watercoloring, courtesy of Cassie Durian.
The end of the fall season is bittersweet to Naturalist Cassie:
“And that wraps up another week of Mountain School. Just two weeks left and I am anticipating the sadness already of leaving this place and work. But I mean, look at these sweet paintings we made of the trees we learned about.”
In the spirit of Halloween, this week gnomes made a guest appearance at the Learning Center. These legendary forest dwellers brought cheer to the graduate students, as they studiously finished working on their natural history projects.
Liz Grewal, Brendan McGarry, Joshua Porter, and Zoe Wadkins
Gnomebody is cooler than these folks. Graduate student Liz Grewal shared this picture of the “phegnomenoms” posing during pod time in vibrant, fall color.
“Just another day in the office. Outside identifying mushrooms and other very serious gnome stuff.”
On Monday, students focused on mycology, and used hand lens and field guides to identify mushrooms. Below, Zoe Wadkins examines what might be a type of honey mushroom, while in her natural habitat in the woods.
Up close and personal view of the honey mushroom gills.
Gina Roberti and Zoe Wadkins investigate the mushroom outcropping on a rotting log.
After numerous observations, the group decides that the mushrooms are sulfur tufts.
Graduate students also wrapped up their fall Natural History Course with a Field Synthesis trip to the Suak and Skagit confluence on Tuesday. They practiced naturalist skills through wildlife tracking, weather observations, plant identification, and navigation through a trailless terrain.
For the rest of the week, students presented their natural history projects to the cohort and some of the staff at the Learning Center. Below is a picture of Marissa Bluestein teaching a class on stratovolcanos with ice cream and dyed wax. These props represent the processes of fire and ice on Mt. Baker, and demonstrate how ridges are formed.
Blog posts about students’ projects will eventually make their way to Chattermarks, in order to share what they’ve learned. Check back for updates.
Click here to see previous Photo Roundups!
Top photo by Natascha Yogachandra