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fruits

Ready? Set? Go! Autumn!

forest
Oct 25, 2013Katherine Renz

Signs of fall tend to be subtle around the Environmental Learning Center, in the plant world, at least: We live in a dense coniferous forest, so the …
Read More of Ready? Set? Go! Autumn!

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Recent Articles

  • Looking Back at the Flowers, Frogs & Frolics of Summer
  • From the Trail: Why Autumn Smells So Good in the North Cascades
  • 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)

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ncascades

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

June, July, and August are some of the most deligh June, July, and August are some of the most delightful months in the North Cascades ecoregion with abundant wildflowers, wildlife, and wild landscapes to explore! From natural crafting to deep time explorations, check out some of our favorite moments from the past few months of Institute Field Excursions. 

🌲 Ready to set out on an adventure with us? Check out upcoming Fall & Winter Field and Online Classes >> ncascades.org/classes
“What’s your favorite season? Awards.”~ Moira Rose “What’s your favorite season? Awards.”~ Moira Rose 

Our favorite season might be larch season and it’s just around the corner. Soon we will begin to see greens turn to red and our favorite shade of yellow, golden larch. 

As we move closer toward larch season, we will be posting about these amazing trees and why they are so special. And of course please take us on your larch adventures, tag us at @ncascades or #ncascades. 

Also, tonight at 7pm at Backcountry Essentials join us for, Larch Madness! 

Come learn where to find the PNW’s favorite tree, when to go, and how to make the most of #larchseason. Registration is not needed but encouraged to help with planning. Link in the @backcountryessentials bio. 

📸: @adamdopey
The Nature of Writing Speaker Series brings commun The Nature of Writing Speaker Series brings community together in conversation to celebrate the creative minds illuminating the natural world with the turn of a page.

This Friday, Sept 18, the Institute and Third Place Books welcome poet & essayist Rena Priest for a conversation about "Dancing to the Ticking of the Doomsday Clock"—a poetry collection for our precarious times that plays love, hope, and optimism against the harsh realities of the climate crisis, extinction, and histories of oppression. With dark humor and deftly executed tangents, Priest invites readers to embark on a poignant journey, oscillating between moments of joy and sorrow, wit and wisdom, hope and solemn reflection. This collection offers profound insights and emotional resonance to carry us towards a hopeful future. 

📚 RSVP Today: http://ncascades.org/now
Did you know the North Cascades has the highest co Did you know the North Cascades has the highest concentration of glaciers in the lower 48 states?

🧊 Glaciers in the North Cascades take a significant amount of effort to be reached as they are located in rugged and remote mountainous terrain.

🧊 Glaciers are a sight to behold due to their beauty, inaccessibility and history they hold, but more importantly they store water. Lots of water. 

🧊 They are natural reservoirs and provide 25% of the North Cascade regions total summer water supply.  During the dry months of June-September North Cascade glaciers release approximately 230 billion gallons of water each year. That water is used for irrigation, salmon fisheries, power generation and recreation. 

🧊 The beautiful turquoise color of Diablo Lake is made by glaciers. Their immense weight grinding on rock as they melt, depositing small silt sized particles of rock or glacial flour into the lake. Those particles are suspended in the water and refract sunlight giving the lake its iconic color. 

🧊 Climate change effects glaciers. They are retreating and becoming smaller. There are fewer glaciers in the North Cascades compared to 40 years ago. There are many people who make it their life’s work to study and inform the public about glaciers and their importance. The more you know, the more can be done to protect glaciers and educate people about their significance. 

Have you seen a glacier in the North Cascades? How would you describe it in one word?

📍Ancestral lands of the Nlaka’pamux, Nooksack & Coast Salish people
📸: @lostinwashington 

Ready to experience the wonder & beauty of the Cascades in person? Enjoy 40% Fall Base Camp stays in celebration of our 40th anniversary! Book today: ncascades.org/basecamp
Discover more inspiring reads at Nature of Writing Discover more inspiring reads at Nature of Writing events in Seattle & Bellingham this Fall! http://ncascades.org/now

Upcoming Events
📚 Sept 18: "Dancing to the Ticking of the Doomsday Clock" with Rena Priest
📚 Sept 23: "Feathered Forest: Aloft with Birds in Ancient Trees" with Marina Richie
Check out this Great Horned Owl spotted by Eric El Check out this Great Horned Owl spotted by Eric Ellingson. Hoo doesn’t love owls?! Here’s owl the fun facts you need to know. 

🦉 Many owl species have asymmetrical ears, with one ear opening higher than the other. This helps them determine the direction and height of sound. 

🦉 Owls don’t have eyeballs, they have eye tubes. Their tube-shaped eyes are completely immobile, providing binocular vision which fully focuses on their prey and boosts depth perception.

🦉 Contrary to popular belief, owls can’t rotate their heads 360°, but they can rotate their necks 270°. A blood-pooling system collects blood to power their brains and eyes when neck movement cuts off circulation.

🦉 Owls are zygodactyl, which means their feet have two forward-facing toes and two backward-facing toes. However, unlike most zygodactyl birds, owls can pivot one of their back toes forward to help them grip and walk.

🦉 Not all owls hoot! Barn Owls make hissing sounds, while the Eastern Screech-Owl whinnies like a horse. 

🦉 TLDR: And perhaps the cutest and best fact about owls is baby owls are called owlets. 🥹

📸: Eric Ellingson

Ready to experience the wonder & beauty of the Cascades in person? Enjoy 40% Fall Base Camp stays in celebration of our 40th anniversary! Book today: ncascades.org/basecamp
Fall is approaching—a great time to reconnect with Fall is approaching—a great time to reconnect with and give back to the landscapes we love!

Sept 12 | FOREST BATHING at St Edward's State Park
Sept 16 | FIRE ECOLOGY of Western WA (online)
Sept 19 | GLACIER ART at Artist Point 
Sept 25 | FALL STEWARDSHIP WEEKEND at the Environmental Learning Center

🍂 Sign up & discover more ways to get outside with us this Fall at https://ncascades.org/signup/calendar
NOW HIRING! Up to $1200 bonus & low-cost housing a NOW HIRING! Up to $1200 bonus & low-cost housing available for positions on our Kitchen Team! 

Work in the heart of the North Cascades, helping prepare and serve delicious meals at the Environmental Learning Center in North Cascades National Park. You’ll be part of the team that fuels environmental education and outdoor adventures for students, families, and visitors from around the world—all from our lakeside campus on Diablo Lake.

This is a great opportunity for someone looking for a seasonal experience in the mountains, with potential for longer-term opportunities.

BONUS PAY — UP TO $1,200!
$400 in your first paycheck
$400 at a mid-season date
$400 in your end-of-season paycheck
Low-cost housing available.

👉 Learn more and apply at ncascades.org/jobs
We love us some North Cascades alpenglow! Ever won We love us some North Cascades alpenglow! Ever wonder how it works? So glad you asked. ​​​​​​​​​

🌄 Alpenglow, from the German word alpenglühen for “Alp glow”. 

🌄 Alpenglow is the reddish glow often seen on the summits of mountains just before sunrise or just after sunset.

🌄 Unlike the direct sunlight around sunrise or sunset, the light that causes alpenglow is reflected off airborne precipitation, ice crystals, or particulates in the lower atmosphere. These conditions differentiate between direct sunlight around sunrise or sunset and alpenglow.

Have you ever seen this optical phenomena? 🙋🏻‍♀️

📸: @skandog
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