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teaching experience

Graduate Students Visit Concrete Elementary!

forest
Jan 22, 2018Montana Napier

On January 17th, graduate students in the 17th Cohort visited Concrete Elementary School to teach naturalist lessons. As part of our Curriculum Design course, our main goal was to engage …
Read More of Graduate Students Visit Concrete Elementary!

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Recent Articles

  • Spring 2026 Mountain School Highlights
  • From the Trail: Spring Hiking in the North Cascades
  • 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

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Inspiring environmental stewardship through education, exploration and connection since 1986.
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Winter didn’t give the North Cascades much this ye Winter didn’t give the North Cascades much this year.  With one of the lowest snowpacks in decades, the season felt shorter and thinner than many of us winter enthusiasts had hoped. 

❄️ Still, there were quiet mornings, snow-draped peaks and ridge lines , and moments of stillness that remind us why this place matters. 

❄️ As the snow melts and summer takes hold, let’s appreciate what we had, enjoy what’s ahead, and do our part to care for the places we love. The mountains need advocates in every season.

What inspires you to help protect places like the North Cascades?

📸: @haleygoeshiking
On this day 27 years ago, a pipeline rupture in Be On this day 27 years ago, a pipeline rupture in Bellingham's Whatcom Falls Park released approximately 237,000 gallons of gasoline into Hanna and Whatcom Creeks. The fuel ignited, sending a fireball racing more than a mile down Whatcom Creek and a towering plume of smoke high into the sky.

Three young people—two ten-year-old boys, Wade King and Stephen Tsiorvas, and 18-year-old Liam Wood—lost their lives. Others were injured, and the explosion caused extensive damage along the creek corridor, burning forest and altering the landscape.

The ecological impact was profound. In the days that followed, tens of thousands of fish and other aquatic species were found dead, and scientists concluded that life in several miles of the creek was effectively wiped out.

In the years since, restoration efforts have helped stabilize streambanks, replant native vegetation, and support the gradual return of salmon and other aquatic life to Whatcom Creek—an ongoing reminder of both the damage and the resilience of this place.

Today, we remember those who were lost and reflect on the lasting impacts of this tragedy—on the community, the landscape, and the importance of caring for the places we share.

If you haven't already listened to Chris Morgan Wildlife 's podcast from @thewildpod  on this tragedy, we recommend you take the time to do so. Available at https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-story-of-whatcom-creek-an-explosion-a-tragedy-and-a-rebirth or https://youtu.be/Oet7sK0IJMM?si=_VU56kQ63m-T3Ak0. Thank you for this essential, respectful remembering Chris.

Photo of Whatcom Creek on June 10, 1999 - credit: Angela Lee Holstrom / Bellingham Herald
Summer is coming…. In a little under two weeks s Summer is coming…. 

In a little under two weeks summer will officially be here! That means warmer temperatures, longer days & snow melting out in the higher elevations leaving hundreds of miles of trails to explore. 

What trips, hikes, backpacks, climbing are you looking forward to this summer?

📸: @ryanradman
NEW CLASS ALERT! High above the North Cascades, wh NEW CLASS ALERT! High above the North Cascades, where glaciers hold on to the edges of summer and wildflowers spill across alpine meadows, a different kind of story begins to take shape. Join artist and scientist Jill Pelto at Artist Point for a one-day field course that blends climate science and creative practice in one of Washington’s most stunning landscapes. We’ll travel through the mountains together, pausing to take in sweeping views of peaks, glaciers, and watersheds—gathering inspiration along the way.

At Artist Point, Jill will share insights from her glacier research and guide a short walk through the alpine landscape. Then, back at our base, you’ll have the chance to create your own piece of data-driven art—transforming real climate data into something visual, personal, and meaningful. We’ll provide materials and graphs, but you’re welcome to bring your own ideas and artistic tools, too.

No art experience needed—just curiosity, a willingness to try something new, and an appreciation for this remarkable place.

📍 Artist Point, WA (carpool option from Bellingham)
📅 Sept. 19
👉 Register here: https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/glaciers-and-watersheds-create-data-art-inspired-by-the-north-cascades
Even with the Highway 20 closure between Colonial Even with the Highway 20 closure between Colonial Creek Campground (near milepost 130) and Porcupine Creek (near milepost 156), the western North Cascades still offer plenty of rewarding early spring hikes. From ADA-accessible forest walks to riverside trails and lake viewpoints, it’s a season that highlights the park’s quieter, more subtle beauty. Our naturalist Marissa Bluestein has a rundown of options in a new blog post, from Thunder Creek to the Sterling Munro Boardwalk, Diablo Lake Trail to Happy Creek. Learn more and find your route at https://blog.ncascades.org/
We were honored to welcome Institute co-founders We were  honored to welcome Institute co-founders Tom Fleischner and Saul Weisberg for two 40th anniversary events in Seattle and Bellingham. It was a pleasure to gather with so many of you—during happy hours and at the events themselves—to reflect on the Institute’s early days and celebrate Tom’s new book "Astonished By Beauty." Read an excerpt and find purchase link on our blog: https://blog.ncascades.org/naturalist-notes/crossing-the-threshold-with-tom-fleischner. 📸: @jas.ru
Summer officially approaches, which means prime Hi Summer officially approaches, which means prime
Hiking season does too! Here in the North Cascades winter and snow conditions in the higher elevations can last well into July.  But there is still incredible early season hiking to be done. 

🥾 Check out the many trails (some ADA accessible) around the Newhaelm visitor center. One onoir favorites is the Sterling Munro boardwalk. A short, but sweet walk that opens to a stunning view of the Picket Range. Try the River Loop trail if you’d like something a bit longer. 

🥾 Thunder Knob is a favorite of many! Be sure to pack your patience with this one. A short out and back hike starting in forest and ending at a viewpoint of Diablo lake and surrounding peaks. 

🥾 Or head across the highway to Thunder Creek where you can mosey through old growth forest as you follow Thunder creek. Stopping at the thunder creek bridge is a great place for a nice view and a good turn around point for a short, but lively hike. 

What is one of your favorite early season hikes?
May brought longer, warmer days and a mix of commu May brought longer, warmer days and a mix of community gatherings, time in the field, and hands-on care for the places we share.

We were especially honored to host Institute co-founders Tom Fleischner and Saul Weisberg for two 40th anniversary events in Seattle and Bellingham. And we're excited to congratulate our Ski to Sea team on a strong finish in this year's race! 

At the Environmental Learning Center, we welcomed a range of groups to campus, including Seattle Children’s Hospital patients and their families, Swinomish preschool graduates and community members who rolled up their sleeves during Spring Stewardship Weekend to help repair winter flood damage on campus trails. 

Out in the field, learning took many forms. From birding to our annual snake count, a naturalist seminar in North Cascades and a chance to get to know a wide range of marine life while exploring the Salish Sea aboard the Orion. 

For more fun May memories, check out our Flickr Gallery at https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncascades/albums/

📸 photo credits | Kim Nelson, Tim Leach, Jason Ruvelson, and Institute staff
Black bears are coming out of hibernation and are Black bears are coming out of hibernation and are hungry after their long rest. ​​​​​​​​
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🐻 Black bears like these, can be seen foraging for food in spring near roads, so be mindful while driving and please watch your speed. ​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
🐻 If you are driving, see a bear and want a better look, safely pull over out of traffic, stay in your car and enjoy the view. ​​​​​​​​

🐻 If you are on foot and see a bear, never run. Make noise, make yourself as big as possible and be sure to give bears plenty of space. 
​​​​​​​​
📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Swinomish, Upper Skagit & Sauk-Suiattle people​​​​​​​​
📸: Photo taken a past spring at the Environmental learning center
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