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horses

Reflections from the back of my horse

forest
Apr 25, 2013Sahara Suval

I am on my horse at the Pilchuck Tree Farm in Arlington with my mom. The air is cool and moist; the sun reflects off the glinting …
Read More of Reflections from the back of my horse

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Recent Articles

  • Tom Fleischner with Saul Weisberg 40th anniversary events this week
  • The Secret Skyway: Spring Bird Migration in the North Cascades
  • “Crossing the Threshold” with Tom Fleischner
  • From the Trail: Phenology and Climate Change in the North Cascades
  • Service Days in Action: How Institute Staff Are Showing Up for Community, Conservation, and Care

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ncascades

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

Calypso bulbosa, also known as the Calypso orchid Calypso bulbosa, also known as the Calypso orchid or our favorite the fairy slipper.  Fun facts: 

🌸 Calypso, the Greek goddess who concealed Odysseus on her island, reflects the flower's habitat preference. Calypso means “concealed” in Greek which may refer to the flower’s preference for shaded sheltered areas on comfier forest floors.

🌸 🧚‍♀️Calypso orchids don't produce nectar, but their flowers mimic the shape and scent of nectar-producing flowers to attract pollinators, particularly bees. 

🌸 🧚‍♀️These orchids have a unique symbiotic relationship with a specific fungus, which helps them obtain nutrients from decaying organic matter. 

🌸 🧚‍♀️They bloom in May or June, usually after snow melt. They have distinctive, showy flowers with a pink or reddish-pink slipper-shaped lip and three pointed sepals. 

🌸 🧚‍♀️The Nlaka’pamux people used the calypso orchid's corms (bulb-like structures) as a food source, and some used them medicinally to treat epilepsy. 

Have you seen any fairy slippers this year?! 🌸🧚‍♀️

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Upper Skagit, Sauk Suiattle & Swinomish people 
📸: Tim Leach
Team North Cascades Institute had a great time par Team North Cascades Institute had a great time participating in Whatcom County's annual Ski to Sea race last weekend! Representing our programming, operations, and fundraising teams, eight Institute staff members enjoyed beautiful sunny skies (and some challenging wind) as they skied, ran, biked, and paddled from Mount Baker Ski Area down to Bellingham Bay.

We were honored to be selected as this year's community team for Ski to Sea and are grateful to Whatcom Events for giving us this opportunity to celebrate the Institute's 40th anniversary through connecting with each other, fellow racers, and the natural world.
Last chance to Give BIG for Youth! We need your he Last chance to Give BIG for Youth! We need your help today to get more young people outside in the year ahead and inspire them to become the next generation of environmental leaders. Together, we will deepen roots and build a brighter future!

🏔️ GIVE TODAY at ncascades.org/givebig

@wagives #givebig2026 #givebig #northcascades #outdoorschoolforall #nochildleftinside #environmentaleducation #mountainschool #youthleadership #givelocal #giveback #socialgood #solutions #nature #ThatGivingFeeling
It’s been a rough winter for State Route Highway 2 It’s been a rough winter for State Route Highway 20/North Cascades Highway. Usually the road is open by now, but there has been exceptional damage and more than normal repairs needed. Highway 20 remains closed between Colonial Creek Campground (near milepost 130) and Porcupine Creek (near milepost 156). WSDOT is planning to have the highway fully open by June 25. 

This is an active construction zone, and only authorized personnel  are permitted in this area.

It is not safe for people to enter the area, even for hiking, biking or camping. 

What to expect:
🚗⚠️ Continued delays while repairs and assessments happen

🚗⚠️ Possible phased or limited reopening first

🚗⚠️ Sudden schedule changes depending on weather and conditions

🚗⚠️Heavy equipment and work crews remaining in the area

🚗⚠️ If traveling check road and weather updates  before heading out. 

📸: Edward Lowe
📸: WSDOT
Black Birders Week 2026 starts this Sunday May 24 Black Birders Week 2026 starts this Sunday May 24 and ends Saturday May 30!

🐥 This year’s theme, “Flyways & Freedom: Advocacy, Action, and the Future,” celebrates migration, resilience, community, and the powerful connection between Black communities and the outdoors.

🐥 Black Birders Week continues to uplift Black birders, scientists, and nature lovers while creating space for joy, healing, advocacy, and collective action in environmental spaces. 

🐥 Visit @blackafinstem for upcoming events, activities, and ways to get involved!

📸: @blackafinstem
Check out this great video from our archives! #thr Check out this great video from our archives! #throwback to our conversation with Institute co-founder and author Tom Fleischner 13 years ago... 

https://youtu.be/EIvxVKKieqQ?si=jknNIoSJNeSr93kJ

Keen for more thoughtful insights and natural history nuggets from Tom? Join us at one of these Nature of Writing events this week: 

📚 Thurs, May 21 | 7PM at Third Place Books, Seward Park
📚 Sat, May 23 | 6PM at Village Books, Fairhaven

Reserve your seat at ncascades.org/now
Sound on! 🏞️ Did you know the benefits of taking Sound on! 

🏞️ Did you know the benefits of taking a walk in the great outdoors coupled with the sounds of nature are beneficial to our physical, emotional, and mental health? 

🏞️ Benefits include improved circulation, increase in mood, as well as a decrease in anxiety, blood pressure, & stress! 

🏞️ There are over 400 miles of trails in the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.  You are bound to find something to enjoy and to hear the sounds of nature , while also acquiring those health benefits. 

🏞️ Enjoy the soothing sounds of cascading water (They don’t call ‘em the cascades for nothing) over mossy rocks. 

What are your favorite nature sounds?
This Saturday, May 23, Village Books and North Cas This Saturday, May 23, Village Books and North Cascades Institute welcome author and conservation biologist Thomas Lowe Fleischner to the Fairhaven Readings Gallery to share readings and reflections from his new book "Astonished by Beauty: A Field Guide to the Practice of Paying Attention". 

Offering simple, grounded steps to nurture our bond with nature, the book is part reflection and part guide, calling for a life lived with care, presence, and respect for the wild beauty that surrounds us. Ecologist and co-founder of North Cascades Institute, Saul Weisberg, joins in conversation. 

📚 Reserve your seat: https://www.villagebooks.com/events/4397720260523

🍻 Before the reading, you're invited to join Tom, Saul and friends of the Institute at Trackside on the Bellingham waterfront for happy hour from 3:30PM - 5:30PM.
On Thursday, May 21, join North Cascades Institute On Thursday, May 21, join North Cascades Institute and Third Place Books at the Seward Park store for the next installment in our Nature of Writing Speaker Series. Author, ecologist and conservation biologist Tom Fleischner will share readings and reflections on his new book "Astonished by Beauty: A Field Guide to the Practice of Paying Attention". 

Offering simple, grounded steps to nurture our bond with nature, the book is part reflection and part guide, calling for a life lived with care, presence, and respect for the wild beauty that surrounds us. Ecologist and co-founder of North Cascades Institute, Saul Weisberg, joins in conversation. 

Before the reading, all guests are welcome to join Tom & Saul for happy hour next door at Chuck's Hop Shop from 5-7PM. We hope to see you there! 

📚 RSVP for this free event: https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/tom-fleischner
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