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Recent Articles

Nature of Writing Speaker Series ⎸ Spring 2023
Call to Contract Instructors
Meet our new Outdoor Educators!
Gerry Cook: Why I Named North Cascades Institute in my Will
Giving Back to our Community through Service

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Although it’s still very much a winter wonderlan

Although it’s still very much a winter wonderland in the high elevations, it’s official, spring has sprung! Officially the equinox was Monday around 2:24pm pacific time, but who’s counting.

With spring comes so many changes in phenology or the study of periodic biological phenomena, like flowering 🌸, breeding 😍, and migration 🦅, in relation to climatic conditions.

Have you noticed any phenological changes yet, where you live or what are you excited for as the season starts to change?

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

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL ESSENTIALS IN THE PNW - Online

WILDERNESS SURVIVAL ESSENTIALS IN THE PNW - Online // April 5 // $10

Want to learn about effective natural shelter-building, primitive water purification, friction fire-making, and foraging wild edibles? Jason Knight, author of The Essential Skills of Wilderness Survival will be in our virtual classroom to share knowledge and skills that will help keep you alive in emergencies and enhance your outdoor experiences.

Jason has been teaching wilderness survival skills since 1997. He is a cofounder and instructor at @alderleafwildernesscollege, one of the leading outdoor schools in the U.S. offering wilderness survival training to clients including the U.S. Forest Service, Seattle Mountaineers, and cast of Captain Fantastic.

Can't make it to the live event? Sign up and we'll send you a link to watch it on your own time!

SIGN UP: ncascades.org/online

“Dreaming of alpine escapes. One of the more unf

“Dreaming of alpine escapes. One of the more unforgettable treks from last summer. Tacking on the additional mileage and elevation made getting to this zone so worthwhile in the end.”~ @alexmontgumery

What alpine escapes are dreaming about for this summer?

📸: @alexmontgumery
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#northcascades #northcascadesnationalpark #northcascadesinstitute #washington #wanderwashington #explorewashington #pnw #pnwonderland #exploremore #nationalparkgeek #nationalparklife #getoutstayout #findmeoutside #optoutside #environmentaleducation #learning #teachoutside #learningisfun #outdoorsforall #ourpnw #staypnw

TOMORROW: Join North Cascades Institute and Villag

TOMORROW: Join North Cascades Institute and Village Books for a free in-person author event, the first in our Spring 2023 Nature of Writing Speaker Series.

Sunday, March 19 at 4pm: Christopher Preston, author of Tenacious Beasts

The news about wildlife is dire—more than 900 species have been wiped off the planet since industrialization. Still, there are glimmers of hope and lessons to be learned from animals that have defied global trends toward extinction: bears in Italy, bison in North America, whales in the Atlantic. These populations are back from the brink. How has this happened? What shifts in thinking did it demand? Christopher Preston’s gripping narrative reveals the mysteries and challenges at the heart of these resurgences.

Hosted in Village Books Readings Gallery (1200 11th Street, Bellingham)

BROWSE ALL AUTHOR EVENTS: blog.ncascades.org

@villagebooks #natureofwritingseries #writing #writingcommunity #naturewriting #authorreading #northcascadesinstitute

“If I could capture the moment I fell in love wi

“If I could capture the moment I fell in love with backpacking, this would be it.” ~@thewildcompiled

The North Cascades National Park complex has over 400 miles of trail and is 93% designated wilderness, so there are endless backpacking trips to had.

When did you fall in love with backpacking? What is one of your most memorable backpacking trips in the North Cascades?

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Upper Skagit, Swinomish & Sauk-Suiattle people
📸: @thewildcompiled

Join our team! 🙌 🙌 🙌 We are looking to fi

Join our team! 🙌 🙌 🙌 We are looking to fill these key positions as soon as possible:

• Bookkeeper
• Retail Assistant
• Retail Assistant - Skagit Info Center
• Food Services Supervisor
• Seasonal Cook
• Seasonal Facilities Technician

North Cascades Institute is an educational non-profit focused on inspiring environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature.

LEARN MORE: ncascades.org/jobs

📸 February 2023: all staff training day at the Environmental Learning Center; ancestral homelands of the Upper Skagit, Nlaka’pamux, Sauk-Suiattle and Swinomish peoples

“I haven’t been able to sit and watch a good s

“I haven’t been able to sit and watch a good sunset in some time. I am missing these evenings in the mountains.“

The North Cascades have some of the best sunsets/sunrises around, if you’re into that whole colorful high alpine thing 😉. Do you know the science behind them?

🌅 During sunrise or sunset, when the sun is close to the horizon, the light must travel through more of the atmosphere than it does when the sun is overhead. This causes the blue light that is seen during the daytime to be scattered away from our eyes, allowing longer wavelengths such as yellow, orange and red light to pass through.
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#northcascades #northcascadesinstitute #washingtonstate #womenwhoexplore #ourpnw #pnwonderland #pnwadventures #choosemountains #adventureawaits #wanderingwomen #wildernessculture #northcascadesnationalpark #cascadiaexplored #thatpnwlife #washingtontrails #pnwhiking
#washingtonhikers #northwestisbest #stayandwander #womenwhohike #ourpnw #optoutside #hikewa #seekthetrails #alltrails #teachoutside #wanderer #staypnw

“I have hope for a world in which people are not

“I have hope for a world in which people are not only empathetic to each other but to our lovely home, earth. I think by working together on climate solutions we are working towards that dream.” —2022 Youth Leadership Adventures participant

Summer 2023 backpacking and canoe-camping trips in the North Cascades are filling up! If you’re a 9th-12th grade student interested in connecting with nature, meeting new friends, and talking about climate change and solutions, don’t wait to apply—we still have spaces and SCHOLARSHIPS are available.

APPLY BEFORE MAY 4 >> ncascades.org/youth

No prior outdoor experience is needed. Gear, food, and transportation from Skagit and Whatcom counties are provided.

📸: 2022 Youth Leadership Adventures participants and Koma Kulshan

📍Ancestral home lands of the Upper Skagit, Nlaka’pamux, Sauk-Suiattle, Swinomish, Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples

Happy Monday! Sometimes it’s difficult to find t

Happy Monday! Sometimes it’s difficult to find the motivation to get outside, especially during those gray Washington winter months.

But just stepping out the door and heading to a local park, walking around the neighborhood, sitting in the backyard is being outside and has positive health benefits. Even looking at photos of nature has benefits.

Here’s a spring morning in the North Cascades to inspire you to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

What motivates you to get outside?

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Nooksack & Coast Salish people
📸: @jakeguzman
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#northcascades #ourpnw #northcascadesinstitute #washington #wanderwashington #explorewashington #pnw #pnwonderland #staypnw #thatpnwlife #pnwisbeautiful #getoutstayout #findmeoutside #optoutside #environmentaleducation #learning #teachoutside #learningisfun #outdoorsforall

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