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Wilderness medicine courses at the Environmental Learning Center

Wilderness medicine courses at the Environmental Learning Center

Oct 18, 2018North Cascades Institute

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Winter Hikes: Baker River, An Immersion in Green
Grateful for Moments in Nature in a Challenging Year
Amy Brown’s Environmental Education Journey
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Are you looking for a delightful rainforest walk w

Are you looking for a delightful rainforest walk while the highlands are buried in snow? The Baker River Trail is a great option for a lowlands winter hike in the North Cascades, and our latest blog has all the details from a new guide book, "Hiking Mt. Baker & The North Cascades" by John D'Onofrio.

Read more on the blog at the link in our bio.

And join us this Friday at Village Books in Fairhaven to celebrate the launch of John D'Onofrio's new book, highlighting the inspiring beauty of the Mt. Baker region.
Click here to reserve your seat today : https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-donofrio-hiking-mt-baker-the-north-cascades-tickets-701927071767

📸 : John D'Onofrio

#naturewriting #photography #northcascades #mountbaker #hiking #authorreading #northcascadesinstitute

“Always obsessed with every crevasse and glacier $“Always obsessed with every crevasse and glacier I see!” Did you know the North Cascades has the highest concentration of glaciers in the lower 48 states? 🧊 Glaciers in the North Cascades take a significant amount of effort to be reached as they are located in rugged and remote mountainous terrain. 🧊 Glaciers are a sight to behold due to their beauty, inaccessibility and history they hold, but more importantly they store water. Lots of water. 🧊 They are natural reservoirs and provide 25% of the North Cascade regions total summer water supply. During the dry months of June-September North Cascade glaciers release approximately 230 billion gallons of water each year. That water is used for irrigation, salmon fisheries, power generation and recreation. 🧊 The beautiful turquoise color of Diablo Lake is made by glaciers. Their immense weight grinding on rock as they melt, depositing small silt sized particles of rock or glacial flour into the lake. Those particles are suspended in the water and refract sunlight giving the lake its iconic color. 🧊 Climate change effects glaciers. They are retreating and becoming smaller. There are fewer glaciers in the North Cascades compared to 40 years ago. There are many people who make it their life’s work to study and inform the public about glaciers and their importance. The more you know, the more can be done to protect glaciers and educate people about their significance. Have you seen a glacier in the North Cascades? How would you describe it in one word? 📸: @skandog$

With heavy rain and flood warnings across western

With heavy rain and flood warnings across western Washington this week 💦 students from the Skagit cohort of YEP (Youth for the Environment and People) want to help you prepare & stay safe!

High school students participating in YEP have been working together this Fall to understand the local impacts of flooding and plan a community action project to help their region respond to future challenges. A big Thank-You to the Skagit cohort for the information shared here, which was adapted from their work and research this term.

Learn more about YEP by visiting ncascades.org/yep

#learnoutside #teachoutside #takeaction #skagitcounty #youthleaders #youthaction #environmentalawareness #northcascadesinstitute #environmentaleducation

We want to thank our skilled, passionate and dedic

We want to thank our skilled, passionate and dedicated Board of Directors! Each of their unique talents and perspectives helps North Cascades Institute imagine and facilitate outdoor learning experiences for thousands of people of all ages, every year. We couldn't do it without them!

Learn more about our board by visiting https://ncascades.org/discover/north-cascades-institute/board-advisory-council

#northcascadesinstitute #nonprofit #gratitude #learnoutside

Highway 20 is officially closed for the season! ⁣
❄️🚗 Due to high avalanche concern and with significant snow and rain in the forecast, @wsdot closed the highway at 6pm last Thursday, November 30.

❄️🚗 The closure is between the Ross Dam trailhead at milepost 134 and Silver Star gate at milepost 171. Recreation use of the pass is still open, but please be aware of avalanche hazards before heading out and #RecreateResponsibly.

❄️🚗 @eden.ingrid, with you nailing the guess of November 30 you win the admiration and respect of being the best guesser. 👏👏👏👏

❄️🚗 The road will reopen in Spring. Until then, we wait…

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Syilx (Okanagan) & Methow people
📸: @wsdot

Geekin out on Geese! ⁣ 🪿 Snow Geese are a fal

Geekin out on Geese! ⁣
🪿 Snow Geese are a fall staple by the thousands in the Skagit Valley. That’s because they love open fields and bodies of water for their wintering grounds.

🪿 Snow geese breed from late May to mid-August, but they leave their nesting areas and spend more than half the year on their migration to-and-from warmer wintering areas. They migrate in large numbers, along narrow corridors, more than 3000 miles from traditional wintering areas to the tundra and vice versa.

🪿 Snow Geese make epic journeys by air, but they are impressive on foot, too. Snow Geese chicks are well developed when they hatch, with open eyes and down-covered bodies. They can swim and eat on their own within 24 hours and within the first three weeks of hatching, they may walk up to 50 miles with their parents from the nest to a more suitable area.

🪿 Snow Geese mate for life, choosing an individual of the same color morph as the family members they grew up with. The female incubates the eggs, spending 21 or more hours per day on the nest, while the male stands guard to defend the nest against predators. Common predators are, arctic and red foxes, Glaucous Gulls, Parasitic Jaegers, polar and black bears, & Snowy Owls.

Have you seen Snow Geese on their annual migration before? How would you describe the sight?

📸: @timreaganphotography

You made it possible! With your support, we raised

You made it possible! With your support, we raised over $15,000 on #GivingTuesday, far exceeding our $5,000 match from Mac & Linda MacGregor. THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping plant the seeds of environmental stewardship.

Together, we will create spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn, explore, heal, grow and flourish together in nature.

And if you missed GivingTuesday, you can still make a donation by December 31 to help us start the new year strong. ncascades.org/donate

Happy #wildlifewednesday! 🔊 Sound on Sunrise o

Happy #wildlifewednesday! 🔊 Sound on

Sunrise over Koma Kulshan (Mt. Baker) with the sounds of thousands of Snow geese. It’s migration season in the Skagit Valley!

🦆 During the winter months thousands of snow geese, trumpeter swans and water fowl grace the skies and fields of the Skagit Valley.

🦆 Skagit Valley farmland provides food and habitat for approximately 10,000 trumpeter and tundra swans, 100,000 snow geese and thousands more mallards and other ducks.

🦆 As well as providing food and habitat for migrating birds, Skagit Valley farmland provides sustainable and locally grown food for programs held at the Environmental Learning Center.

📍Ancestral homelands of the Skagit, Swinomish, Coast Salish & Stillaguamish people
📸: @pnwwheels

For 37 years and counting, North Cascades Institut

For 37 years and counting, North Cascades Institute has been a trailblazer in the field of environmental education. Through our work, we continue to advocate for all people to have access to transformational learning experiences in the outdoors, and create spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn, explore, heal, and grow together.

We invite you to partner with us on #GivingTuesday to inspire generations to come to care for our outdoor spaces and one another through your generous gift! Thank you 💙

Visit the link in our bio to donate today!

#support #nonprofit #northcascadesinstitute #GiveBack #learnoutside #teachoutside #gratitute

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