The Institute’s mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative experiences in nature. Recognizing climate change as the greatest threat to the environment and human communities, we …
Read More of The Institute’s Journey to Climate Neutrality
Slowly, gently, the snowflake spirals downwards. It pirouettes through the sky, first drifting this way, then another, finally coming to rest on a precarious pile of powder.
Read More of The Birth and Death of a Glacier
After being inspired by the mission and vision of the Youth Leadership Adventures program, I joined North Cascades Institute’s seasonal staff in June of 2021. I’ve continued …
Read More of Why I Love North Cascades Institute (and you should too!)
If you can imagine a grayish-brown, rabbit-like creature the size of a grapefruit and nearly as round, that is an American pika. They inhabit mountain slopes, often …
Read More of “Buying Time for Pikas” by Thor Hanson
By Heather McPherson The year was 2009, I was a sophomore in high school, and I had no idea I was about to embark on a series …
Read More of Reflections on the Parks Climate Challenge program
For the Youth Leadership Adventures (YLA) program, a normal summer looks like bringing around 80 local high school students on a backcountry adventure that is anything but …
Read More of High school students reflect on climate change and their futures in the North Cascades
Since Youth Leadership Adventures stayed in local communities this summer, we had the opportunity to do something a little bit different- we made a podcast about climate change! We …
Read More of Youth Leadership Adventures podcast on climate change
I participated in Mt. Baker Snow School during my senior year at Western Washington University. During my time as a student, I spent the vast majority of my …
Read More of Mt. Baker Snow School: Reflections of a Volunteer Instructor
When I was growing up in Western Washington summer was a glorious time. The cold weather and relentless rain would finally cease, and the warm embrace of …
Read More of Playing With Fire: A Cultural History of Wildfire in Western Washington
When we talk about drought in this country, one usually thinks of recent water rationing in California or kind of historic events that led to the Dust …
Read More of Ross Lake: Recreation, Hydroelectricity and the Future of Water in the North Cascades
