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deer ears

Quietude

forest
May 11, 2014Katherine Renz

Highway 20 opened last Thursday at noon after six months of being closed — as it is every winter, due to heavy snows and avalanche danger over …
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Recent Articles

  • Welcome to our Fall 2026 Creative Residents!
  • The North Cascade Glacier Climate Project: Observing Glacier Change with Art and Science Since 1984
  • Why North Cascades Rivers Glow Turquoise Every Summer (And Why Diablo Lake Is So Iconic)
  • Guardians of Life: Vancouver Island Rebuilding Indigenous Sovereignty
  • “The Earth Said Remember Me” by Jason Dove Mark

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ncascades

Inspiring environmental stewardship through education, exploration and connection since 1986.
⬇️ 🌲Help youth Take Root & Rise - DONATE TODAY🌲 ⬇️

The Nature of Writing Speaker Series is back for a The Nature of Writing Speaker Series is back for another season! This series brings community together in conversation to celebrate the creative minds illuminating the natural world with the turn of a page. 

This Sunday, Sept 6, the Institute and Village Books welcome author & journalist Miriam Horn, with her new book "Homesick for a World Unknown"—a vivid and captivating account of the adventurous life of field biologist and wildlife convservation pioneer, George B. Schaller. In this riveting portrait, Horn captures the seventy years Schaller spent living among wild animals in the world’s remotest regions, forever altering how we see—and save—the natural world. 

📚 RSVP today and discover more Nature of Writing events at http://ncascades.org/now
“To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us “To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”~Terry Tempest Williams 

🌲 The Wilderness Act passed in 1964 and turns 62 today!! Wilderness designation not only protects wild landscapes, but protects thousands of years of humans residing on the land and strengthens the connections people have to the land. 

🌲 94% of North Cascades National Park is designated wilderness. The goal of the Wilderness Act designates areas to preserve and manage for future generations to use who seek solitude, retrospection and primitive recreation. 

🌲 Although Wilderness is a federal designation, the word can evoke thoughts, feelings, & emotions for many. 

What does wilderness mean to you? 

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Upper Skagit, Swinomish & Sauk Suiattle people
📸: @lostinwashington
🫍 ONLINE CLASS ALERT | Wed, Oct 7 | Drawing & Pain 🫍 ONLINE CLASS ALERT | Wed, Oct 7 | Drawing & Painting Orcas

Join artist and educator Sara Shimazu for an online workshop exploring the beauty & biology of our region’s resident and Bigg’s (transient) killer whales. 

We'll begin with an introduction to the physiology and identifying features of these iconic marine mammals before learning how to sketch their majestic forms. Then, bring your drawings to life with watercolor as Sara demonstrates techniques, offers personalized guidance, and answers questions to help us gain a deeper appreciation for the whales that call the Salish Sea home. 

🫍 REGISTER TODAY at https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/drawing-and-painting-orcas-online

art by Sara Shimazu @hysazu
The Nature of Writing Speaker Series is back for a The Nature of Writing Speaker Series is back for another season! This series brings community together in conversation to celebrate the creative minds illuminating the natural world with the turn of a page. 

This Thursday, Sept 3, the Institute and Village Books welcome New York Times best-selling author & naturalist Lyanda Lynn Haupt for a conversation about her latest book, "Among the Birds." Haupt takes readers on a wandering journey through the Pacific Northwest's avian world, drifting intuitively among species, much like you encounter birds on a forest amble or windy shoreline. Her signature voice - lyrical, curious, gently humorous, and deeply observant - infuses each vignette with delight and insight, as she blends personal moments with natural history, offering a closer look at the habits, habitats, and captivating quirks of some of your favorite birds. Lyanda will be joined in conversation by North Cascades Institute's editor and lead writer Christian Martin. 

📚 RSVP Today: http://ncascades.org/now
The Nature of Writing Speaker Series is back for a The Nature of Writing Speaker Series is back for another season! This series brings community together in conversation to celebrate the creative minds illuminating the natural world with the turn of a page. 

This Thursday, Sept 3, the Institute and Third Place Books welcome author & naturalist David B. Williams for a conversation about his latest book, "In The Range of Fire & Ice." Blending human and natural history, this groundbreaking exploration of Washington's Cascades invites readers to see this range not only as mountains, but as a living, evolving realm of fire, ice, and hope. Williams will be joined in conversation by environmental journalist Lynda V. Mapes. 

📚 RSVP Today: http://ncascades.org/now
Happy September 1st! Summer is setting in Washingt Happy September 1st! Summer is setting in Washington and we are moving closer to fall. 

🍁 For those of you counting down the days, the first of fall is Tuesday, September 22, the same day as the autumn equinox for the Northern hemisphere. 

🍁 What is something you are looking forward to as we start to transition from summer to fall?

Want to see and learn more about what makes fall a special season in the North Cascades, check out our upcoming Fall Naturalist Seminar. Link in bio. 

📸: @lj_discovers
Join local experts and fellow nature lovers to exp Join local experts and fellow nature lovers to explore the forces that shape the North Cascades' and our connection to these dynamic landscapes, in these Field & Online Classes: 

🏔 Sept 9 | Online | NOCA Glaciers: Four Decades of Monitoring Using Art and Science, with Mauri Pelto & Jill Pelto 

🌲 Sept 12 | St Edwards State Park | Forest Bathing: A Mindful Connection to Nature

🔥 Sept 16 | Online | Fire Ecology of Western Washington: Past, Present & Future

🏔 Sept 19 | Artist Point| Glaciers and Watersheds: Create Data Art Inspired by the North Cascades

👉 REGISTER TODAY and discover even more ways to connect with nature & community at ncascades.org/classes 

📸 : (1) North Cascades Glacier Project, (2) Jill Pelto, (3) U.S. Forest Service
Happy belated birthday to the @nationalparkservice Happy belated birthday to the @nationalparkservice!

🥳 The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916 and turned 110 years old yesterday. 

🥳 Its mission is to, “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

🥳 Over its 100 years the National Park Service has grown into over 400 national parks with North Cascades National Park being the 32nd National park to be created in 1968. 

Let us know in the comments how many National Parks you have visited and which was your favorite (obviously besides North Cascades 😉)

Want to learn more about what makes our favorite National Park so special, check out our current Environmental Learning Center, Field and Online classes. Link in bio. 

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Sauk Suiattle, Swinomish & Upper Skagit people
Tickets available now for Chris Morgan: Life in th Tickets available now for Chris Morgan: Life in the Wild—live at Mount Vernon Library Commons on Saturday, Oct 3! 

Join conservationist, podcaster and filmmaker Chris Morgan as he sloshes through jungles and crunches across the arctic sea ice, pulling you into the fascinating and emotional stories of wonder and hope from our incredible planet. His vivid storytelling, stunning photographs and film clips from a life spent among bears and other wild creatures. Come away inspired, entertained, and hopeful about what we can accomplish together for people and the planet. 

This event is FREE thanks to support from the City of Mount Vernon, North Cascades Institute, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, Skagit Audubon, Skagit Land Trust, and Washington Native Plant Society - Salal Chapter. 

🎟️ Get your FREE ticket today (advanced registration required): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/life-in-the-wild-with-chris-morgan-tickets-1996745977971
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