Skip to content
North Cascades Institute North Cascades Institute
Donate
  • Discover The Institute, Environmental Learning Center & Ecosystem
    • Overview
    • North Cascades Institute
    • Job Openings
    • North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
    • North Cascades Ecosystem
    • Multimedia
  • Sign Up Learning Adventures for all ages
    • Overview
    • Classes & Events Calendar
    • Family and Adult
    • Mountain School
    • Conferences and Retreats
    • Skagit Tours
    • Youth
  • Retreat Book your conference or gathering
    • Overview
    • Activities
    • Facilities
    • Request Information
  • Blog Stories from the field
    • Blog Home
    • Naturalist Notes
    • Life at the Learning Center
    • Mountain School
    • Youth Adventures
    • Nature of Writing
    • Adventures
    • Field Excursions
    • Photography
    • Odds & Ends
  • Shop Apparel, gifts & souvenirs
  • Support Become a donor
    • Ways to Give
    • Donate Online
    • Accomplishments & Reports
    • Impact Stories
    • Supporter Spotlights
    • Youth Programs and Scholarships
    • Saul Weisberg Catalyst Fund
  • Directions & visitor info
Donate
Blog

eagle

Snapshots of Paddling on the Skagit

forest
Feb 11, 2016Ben Kusserow

While the Broncos and the Panthers were playing the biggest football game of the year, almost two dozen of us living in the upper Skagit valley traveled …
Read More of Snapshots of Paddling on the Skagit

Posts navigation

Blog

  • Blog Home
  • Naturalist Notes
  • Life at the Learning Center
  • Mountain School
  • Youth Adventures
  • Nature of Writing
  • Adventures
  • Field Excursions
  • Photography
  • Odds & Ends

Recent Articles

  • “The Earth Said Remember Me” by Jason Dove Mark
  • Leave No Trace in the North Cascades: Protecting a Wild Place During Peak Adventure Season
  • Spring 2026 Field Programs Highlights
  • Spring 2026 Mountain School Highlights
  • From the Trail: Spring Hiking in the North Cascades

Follow us on Instagram

ncascades

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

Join us at Village Books this Thursday, July 16th, Join us at Village Books this Thursday, July 16th, as we welcome Jason Dove Mark with his latest book "The Earth Said Remember Me," as part of the Nature of Writing Summer Series. 

As climate change accelerates and biodiversity declines, we risk adapting to loss without noticing—a phenomenon scientists call “shifting baseline syndrome.” In "The Earth Said Remember Me", environmental activist and former Sierra editor-in-chief Jason Dove Mark offers a hopeful antidote, built around four simple practices: go outside, bear witness, make a record, and pass it on. Through stories of citizen scientists, birdwatchers, and outdoor enthusiasts, Mark shows how everyday actions can help us reconnect with the natural world and support conservation, one person at a time.

📌 Reserve Your Seat at ncascades.org/now
Hiking and backpacking season are in full swing! Hiking and backpacking season are in full swing! 

🥾🏕️ With adventures through lush forests, slogs to high alpine lakes, sufferfests climbing up remote and rugged peaks, there’s something for everyone in the North Cascades!

🥾🏕️ North Cascades National Park is over 95% wilderness and is surrounded by several National Forests. Being able to recreate in these places means we also have to take care of them. Remember to practice Leave No Trace principles when you are out on the trail. 

What hikes and/or backpacks are you looking forward to this season?

📸: @bluemrb
What if you could go to Mountain School, too? Thi What if you could go to Mountain School, too?

This fall, bring your family to the North Cascades for a shared outdoor learning experience inspired by our award-winning program. Spend three days exploring forests, watersheds, and wildlife together—through guided hikes, hands-on science investigations, nature journaling, games, and creative activities.

Set along the shores of Diablo Lake, this 3-day, 2-night experience invites families to learn side by side, build confidence and curiosity, and connect more deeply with each other and the natural world. The cost for this unique learning experience is subsidized by donor support in order to welcome as many learners as possible!

🌲 Openings available Oct 12-14, and Nov 16-18. Register online today! 

https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/open-enrollment-mountain-school-october-12-14-2026

https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/open-enrollment-mountain-school-november-16-18-2026
NEW ART AND POETRY CLASS! On Saturday, Sept 5, joi NEW ART AND POETRY CLASS! On Saturday, Sept 5, join Methow Valley–based writer and artist Sarah Gilman for a field course on crafting an illustrated poem in conversation with the land. 

Starting from the Environmental Learning Center, we'll explore the edges of burn scars from the Goodell and Sourdough fires, gathering reference photos and sketches, writing notes and impressions, and learning about the area's natural history and renewal. Back in the classroom, Sarah will help participants shape their observations into a final illustrated piece, capturing the beauty and resilience of the North Cascades. 

>> Sign up today at https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/wild-and-fire-illustrating-poetry-about-our-dynamic-landscapes

(images by artist and writer Sarah Gilman @hiddendrawerdesigns )
North Cascades Institute, Village Books and Settin North Cascades Institute, Village Books and Setting Sun Circle invite you to join us for the Nature of Writing Summer Series, featuring Jason Dove Mark and Kiliii Yüyan!

On July 16, we'll welcome environmental journalist Jason Dove Mark to Village Books to share his new book "The Earth Said Remember Me"—an invitation to go outside, bear witness, make a record, and pass it on. 

Then, on July 18, enjoy a slideshow and conversation about "Guardians of Life" with National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yüyan. Through vivid portraits of Indigenous communities—youth and elders, hunters and farmers, spiritual leaders and craftspeople—this new book from Braided River offers powerful perspectives on relationships to land and care for our planet and one another. 

📚 Get Tickets Today! >> ncascades.org/now
The Washington State Wilderness act turned 42 last The Washington State Wilderness act turned 42 last week. Happy belated anniversary/birthday? Either way it’s something to celebrate 🥳! 

🌲 Signed on July 3, 1984 the act permanently protected over one million acres of Washington State land, designating them as wilderness areas. 

🌲 This act established or expanded 23 wilderness areas, including notable locations like Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, and Henry M. Jackson. It also created the Mount Baker National Recreation Area and the North Cascades Scenic Highway.

🌲 The act aimed to preserve these areas for their natural character, offering opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation while prohibiting  development, motorized and mechanized equipment, with some exceptions for managing agencies.

Let's continue to celebrate and care for our Washington wilderness areas!

📸: @awilsondc
We are incredibly grateful to the Community Food C We are incredibly grateful to the Community Food Co-op for selecting North Cascades Institute as the recipient of their upcoming Community Shopping Day on Saturday, July 18! 

The simple act of grocery shopping can have a profound impact. The co-op will donate 2% of sales from both Bellingham store locations, and every dollar raised will go directly towards supporting Whatcom County 5th grade students attending Mountain School.

#NCISupporterSpotlight #support #shoplocal
One of our Spring Mountain School instructors, Kat One of our Spring Mountain School instructors, Kat, recently took us on a mountain adventure, camping beneath the magical Colonial and Pyramid Peaks. Both of these mountains you can see right from the Environmental Learning Center on a clear day. 

Experiences like these remind us how connected we are to the landscapes we learn in and from. Whether you’re exploring nearby trails, heading into the mountains or re-visiting your favorite trail, we love to see where your adventures take you.

Bring us along on your journey by tagging us in your photos and stories. Thanks for being a part of our community. We can’t wait to see where you go next!

📍Ancestra homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Upper Skagit, Swinomish & Sauk Suiattle people
📸: @katfowl3r
🌲 Registration is now open for our 3rd Annual Week 🌲 Registration is now open for our 3rd Annual Weekend for All: Come As You Are. Be Outside Together.

Weekend for All is a 3-day, 2-night gathering at Diablo Lake for people of color and partner organizations—a chance to be in community, get outside, and connect in a way that feels comfortable and welcoming. Whether you’re just starting to explore outdoor spaces or have years of experience, you’re welcome here.

Over the weekend, you can join guided hikes, paddle on the lake, try hands-on art activities, learn about local ecosystems, or simply relax and enjoy shared meals and great conversation. There’s no set schedule—just time to enjoy nature and community.

📍  North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
📅  August 28–30
👉  Learn more + register: https://ncascades.org/retreats/weekend-for-all-2026
Follow on Instagram

Back to Top
  • Discover
    • Overview
    • North Cascades Institute
    • Job Openings
    • North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
    • North Cascades Ecosystem
    • Multimedia
  • Sign Up
    • Overview
    • Classes & Events Calendar
    • Family and Adult
    • Mountain School
    • Conferences and Retreats
    • Skagit Tours
    • Youth
  • Retreat
    • Overview
    • Activities
    • Facilities
    • Request Information
  • Support
    • Ways to Give
    • Donate Online
    • Accomplishments & Reports
    • Impact Stories
    • Supporter Spotlights
    • Youth Programs and Scholarships
    • Saul Weisberg Catalyst Fund

Directions & visitor info

(360) 854-2599 info@ncascades.org Contact
North Cascades Institute
Careers Media
Charity Navigator: Four Star Charity
© North Cascades Institute|Privacy Policy
Design: Neal Maher, design for social change