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wilderness first aid

Kulapalooza! Weekend Adventure Retreat for Women

Kulapalooza! Weekend Adventure Retreat for Women
Aug 13, 2019Special Guest

When was the last time you tried something for the first time?  If it’s been a while… Kulapalooza, a three-day outdoor adventure retreat for women has classes …
Read More of Kulapalooza! Weekend Adventure Retreat for Women

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  • Reflections on the Parks Climate Challenge program
  • ¡La Escuela de Montaña cumple 30 años!: Actualización de plan de estudios para mejor servir a los estudiantes y maestros 
  • Reflections on the Connections Program
  • Dec 2020-Jan 2021 Photo Round-up!
  • North Cascades Institute & Connections on National Public Radio

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Connecting people, nature and community through education since 1986. #ncascades

North Cascades Institute
Black researchers, activists, inventors & naturali Black researchers, activists, inventors & naturalists in STEM: Katherine Johnson ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Katherine Johnson was a mathematician and one of the key members of the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division (PARD) at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA) Langley laboratory in 1958.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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She earned a PhD in mathematics and in 1952, began work at NACA’s West Area computing section specializing in trajectory analysis and orbital spaceflight equations. Her research led to the publishing of Determination of Azimuth Angle at Burnout for Placing a Satellite Over a Selected Earth Position in 1960; she was the first woman to be named coauthor of a research report at NACA.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In 1962, Katherine was called to support the orbital mission of John Glenn. Before the flight, John Glenn asked for Katherine Johnson to run the numbers that were programmed into the computer; he trusted Katherine’s skills and was quoted as saying, “If she says they’re good then I’m ready to go.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Katherine continued to support orbital missions and author or coauthor research reports until she retired in 1986 after 33 years with NACA. In 2015 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor by President Obama.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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On February 24th, 2020 at 101 years old, Katherine Johnson passed away.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Created by the Thurston ECO network DEI subcommittee
Almost as exhilarating as seeing a bobcat is spott Almost as exhilarating as seeing a bobcat is spotting its tracks! 🐾 🐾 🐾  Katie, the Environmental Learning Center’s resident photographer, followed these bobcat tracks along a trail near campus last week. If you enjoy looking for animal tracks, here are pointers from an expert tracker:

Ideal times: 
- After it has snowed or rained—snow and mud are great mediums to capture tracks. And like humans, animals find shelter during harsh weather and will be more active after it has passed, leaving tracks as they resume hunting or migrating.
- On hiking paths in the morning, before peoples’ footprints obscure tracks left by animals overnight.

Ideal places: 
- Near the edge of a source of water like a pond, stream, or wherever animals might go to drink. 
- Along hiking trails or rows of power lines. Just like human, animals prefer the path of least resistance instead of a path with obstacles. 
- In “edge habitats” where two habitats like a forest and a meadow come together.

📸: Katie Manz
📍Ancestral home lands of the Upper Skagit, Nlaka’pamux, Sauk-Suiattle & Swinomish peoples
TONY'S COFFEE is hosting a week of support for Nor TONY'S COFFEE is hosting a week of support for North Cascades Institute!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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☕️Today through March 12, $5 from every 12-oz bag of *Honduras Alvarado Sisters* sold will be donated in support of our efforts to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. This is the coffee we serve in our dining hall at our Environmental Learning Center—a bright and balanced single-origin coffee from female growers in the Copan region of Honduras. And tastes delicious! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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☕️We hope you'll shop coffee for a good cause at tonyscoffee.com
So dreamy....⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ So dreamy....⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Being in the North Cascades can feel like a dream, with jagged glaciated peaks, remote wilderness, & dark starry night skies to name just a few. The reality is when we adventure in the mountains especially in winter we must be prepared and recreate responsibly. Make sure you check the weather, avalanche forecast and have the proper skill and knowledge for the terrain you are in. After that, have fun. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What do you find dreamy about the north cascades?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#dreamon #recreateresponsibly ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📸: @nickrlake
North Cascades Institute is seeking a dynamic, ene North Cascades Institute is seeking a dynamic, energetic leader to be its new MOUNTAIN SCHOOL MANAGER! Working from the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park, the Mountain School Manager is responsible for the Institute’s overnight school programs that serve 2,500 Whatcom and Skagit County students every year. The ideal candidate is a creative, energetic, professional team player with a strong connection to, and passion for, the Institute’s mission to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature.

Is this you or someone you know? Applicants can find the full job description at ncascades.org/careers.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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📍Ancestral home lands of the Upper Skagit, Nlaka’pamux, Sauk-Suiattle & Swinomish peoples
“There's nothing wrong with having a tree as a f “There's nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend."- Bob Ross ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Trees are pretty neat. Did you know:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌲 Some trees have been to the moon 🚀🌙⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Moon trees'' were grown from seeds taken to the moon during the Apollo 14 mission in early 1971. NASA and the US Forest Service wanted to see if the moon’s orbit caused the seeds to grow differently back on earth. These trees were donated to state forestry services in 1975 and 1976. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌲 Trees are able to communicate and defend themselves against attacking insects.🦗🤺⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Scientists have found that trees can flood their leaves with chemicals called phenolics when the insects begin their raid. They can also signal danger to other trees so they can start their own defense.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌲 Trees can help to reduce stress.🧘⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A study conducted by the University of Illinois and the University of Hong Kong found that the denser the forest, the lower the stress, which suggests that taking a walk down a tree-lined street could prove beneficial to your mental wellbeing. Research also suggests nature experiences help us to feel kinder toward others. This is partly because they release chemicals called phytoncides. When we breathe them in, it can reduce blood pressure, lower anxiety levels, and increase pain threshold.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌲 Trees help reduce the effects of climate change.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A mature tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, removing and storing the carbon while releasing the oxygen back into the air. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#themoreyouknow🌈⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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 📸: @mountainkimbo
As evident in these pictures of Banded Glacier in As evident in these pictures of Banded Glacier in the North Cascades (as it appeared in 1960 and again in its present state), glaciers are dramatic indicators of climate change. They are sensitive to temperature because that is what determines if precipitation falls as snow or rain, and it affects the length and magnitude of the melt season. The one degree Celsius increase in temperatures over the last century has melted half of the glacial area in the North Cascades.

In our upcoming online course with Jon Riedel, National Park Service geologist and expert on glaciers, we’ll learn about the history of glaciers in the North Cascades from the end of the last ice age to the present rapid decline. Jon will discuss why glaciers are important in this region while taking us on a photographic journey of change in glacier area in the last century. We’ll also learn about Jon’s Glacier Monitoring Program that has tracked seasonal changes in volume on eight glaciers in Washington's national parks since 1993, and conclude with a long-term perspective on glacier change from the geologic record.

March 10 at 4 PM: Blue Legacy—The Recent History of Glaciers in the North Cascades

Learn more and sign up at ncascades.org/classes. 

Can't make the date? Register for the class and we'll send you the recording afterward to watch when it works for you! 

Are you @youth_leadership_adventures alumni? Sign up for FREE by calling 360-854-2599.
Intersectional History of Environmentalism from @i Intersectional History of Environmentalism from @intersectionalenvironmentalist 

Swipe through to learn about Hazel Johnson, the mother of environmental justice, and her work in the South Side of Chicago that sparked a movement nationwide. 

Graphic by: @amndazhu 
Research by: @lexiiimh 
Copy edit by: @amirachandni
Need a personal #natureretreat this Spring? Base C Need a personal #natureretreat this Spring? Base Camp spaces are still available April 2-3 and April 9-10 for overnight stays in the North Cascades National Park!

Spend your day hiking and enjoying signs of Spring (like trillium!) in the North Cascades. Add some journaling and quiet reflection on the wooded shore of Diablo Lake. Then kick off your boots, enjoy a hot meal, and relax in the comforts of our Environmental Learning Center campus. Each night’s reservation includes:

🌿Private accommodations in our comfortable lodges
🌿Take-out breakfast, lunch and dinner made with locally-sourced, organic ingredients
🌿Self-guided learning activities and recreation in the heart of North Cascades National Park

Reserve your spot and learn about our COVID-19 safety protocols at ncascades.org/basecamp.

📍Located on the ancestral homelands of the Upper Skagit, Nłeʔkepmx Tmíxʷ, Swinomish, Syilx Tmix (Okanagan) & Sauk-Suiattle peoples
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