Chattermarks

My dreams within Environmental Education are like that of the Skagit River’s watercourse.

From its headwaters, my dream begins in the tiniest of raindrops, collecting in glaciers perhaps and trickling down to alpine streams. The dream builds to a river, solidifying as do the sturdier banks supporting the way of the water. Weaving out and around, the dream’s course is composed, at times, of rapids raging, then pooling in softer shallows. It exits the mountain peak domain to enter a gentler, more gradual flow—that of farmland and forest—though still bringing with it reminders of the lessons learned in higher places. The channel widens, as does my dream’s scope, the hint of salt in freshwaters. As river converges with ocean, a chorus commences. Ideas, like nutrients, swell. Life is rich, vibrant. Just as the Skagit River feeds the Salish Sea, so the sea replenishes the river.

» Continue reading From headwaters to sound

What do Bald Eagles mean to you?

This was a question a group of 10 high school students from the International District Housing Alliance’s (IDHA) Wilderness Inner-city Leadership Development program (WILD), and 30 students of almost all grades from Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Program, discovered over the weekend. The North Cascades Institute, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, assisted the groups to help find some answers. The day of discovery began with a discussion of Bald Eagle biology ranging in topics from migration and diet, to anatomy and reproduction. The wonderful examples of Bald Eagle skulls, talons and eggs added to the excitement.

(Title) IDHA group discussing salmon (Above) A Bald Eagle roosting

» Continue reading Kulshan kids wing it

Tuesday morning found Cohort 9 at the Bagelry in Bellingham getting provisions for an all-day snowshoeing adventure to Artists Point from the Heather Meadows lot of Mount Baker Ski Area.

Blue skies and copious sunshine beckoned overhead as we headed up Koma Kulshan Highway. On our way to the ski resort, we stopped to stretch our legs and investigate some remnant old-growth Douglas-fir trees. Even as we crossed the North Fork Nooksack River, snow was scarce, leaving us concerned about possibly being over-equipped. All of our fears, however, were laid to rest several miles further up the slope as we met head-high snowdrifts along the road. Megan was able to successfully drive in the snow for the first time, quite a milestone for this native Floridian.

(Title) The group snowshoeing toward Artists Point, Photo by Kelsi Franzen (Above) Cohort 9 “C9″ rocks the old growth, Photo by Kelsi Franzen

» Continue reading A snowshoeing we will go

An alder leaf on a trail. A chance encounter between a weasel and a hawk. The mad rush of a waterfall.

These images – and more – were captured in words by the participants in the North Cascades workshop Sit, Walk, Write: Nature and the Practice of Presence, held at the Environmental Learning Center on October 23 – 25, 2009.  For the past two seasons, Kurt Hoelting and I, Holly Hughes, have had the pleasure of leading this workshop the last weekend in October. At this workshop, we literally sit, walk and write as a way to more deeply engage with the natural world. Kurt- a writer and teacher of meditation – and I -poet, essayist and teacher of writing – both believe strongly in the value of combining meditation with writing as a way to deepen and reflect on our experience of the natural world.

Our time together goes like this – We begin the day with sitting meditation, followed by a brief period of walking meditation or Qi Gong, eat breakfast together in silence, then gather to read poems and prose that illustrate the practice of paying attention that meditation encourages. In the afternoon, we hike with an North Cascades Institute naturalist, learning more about the woods around us, and spend the rest of the day writing and reflecting on what we are observing. In the evening, we gather to share our writings then end the day by sitting together in meditation. Throughout, we are practicing attention – attention to our breath as we meditate, attention to the shimmering gold of the aspen leaves as we hike up a trail. Our hope is that by paying attention, we will become more present to ourselves and our world, and in doing so, we might feel called to bear witness.

» Continue reading Watching the waterfall, bearing witness

I am very fortunate in that part of my professional duties here at North Cascades Institute include visiting our programs out in the field to photograph them. Every summer since I was hired as the communication coordinator, I’ve been able to get up on Ross Lake via Gerry Cook’s infamous Ross Mule, and this past summer I also got to explore the Methow Valley with the Naturalist’s Retreat, hang out at the Learning Center for our Thunder Arm Writing Retreat and “Will Write for Change” gatherings and listen to Jon Reidel teach about climate change while perched on the edge of Mount Baker’s Easton Glacier.

Here are a few of my favorite moments of being out in the field experiencing the amazing work of Institute staff and instructors; I don’t claim to be a great photographer, but sure get to experience many great times exploring this amazing Cascadian landscape!

Robert Michael Pyle, looking cool while teaching about butterflies at Early Winters Campground in the Methow Valley.

Dennis Paulson teaching dragonflies near Pipestone Canyon in the Methow Valley.

Bob’s beloved and trusty butterfly net Martha took a beating on this day, but she has been broken and fixed and broken again and fixed again several times, so I expect she’ll live on.

A highlight of the day was when Dennis discovered, and then netted, a rattlesnake near the mouth of Pipestone — a very versatile naturalist, that Paulson! (The snake was released unharmed moments later.)

Dennis Paulson.

Katie Roloson paints the scenery on the shores of Diablo Lake, with Colonial and Pyramid Peaks in the distance, during a class with Molly Hashimoto in the summer art retreat.

After finishing our first week of classes following winter break, the graduate students and staff at the North Cascades Institute had a fun and busy weekend, hosting instructors and staff from two other environmental education centers. The 4^th Annual Instructor Exchange included IslandWood, Wilderness Awareness School and North Cascades Institute.

When everyone had arrived on Saturday, graduate students led a tour of our LEED certified buildings, giving the visiting students a chance to compare our classrooms, lodges and living spaces with their own. A social hour before dinner gave everyone time to start getting to know each other. Following dinner, we gave an introduction to our programs by sharing the Parks Climate Challenge video. Later, our Program Director, Laura Busby, shared more information about our adult and family programs, summer youth programs, and a little bit about Mountain School and the graduate program. We ended the evening with a trivia game, designed to test participants’ knowledge of the natural history of the region, as well as test their skills as environmental educators. Some of the challenges included identifying quotes from well known environmentalists, writing mission statements for ridiculous non-profits and composing and performing a new campfire song.

» Continue reading Sharing our place

At the Environmental Learning Center, the weather this week hints almost of spring. It is tempting to get swept away from the season at hand into those of the future. But winter is not a season to be wished away, it is a season to be savored.

With snow’s presence lacking on the surrounding landscape, I find myself looking for other, less obvious signs of winter’s presence. I want to dig deeper into the often remarked “dreary” landscape of winter to bring out, instead, the vibrant shades and shapes that exist as my knowledge of this place’s natural history grows. Through twig tracking – the identification of deciduous shrubs and trees based on bud placement, plant shape, and twig color and texture – I am able to expand my engagement, understanding, and appreciation for the wintry North Cascades.

You need not travel far from your home to decipher the first of many twig mysteries that, for other seasons, hide beneath layers of leaves, flowers and fruits. On a late afternoon walk to Diablo Dam, I identified over 10 species of deciduous trees and shrubs that flourished alongside the roadway. Who knows what additional wonders await when venturing further into the woods!

» Continue reading Trying out twig tracking

The days are getting longer, but slowly, and there are still plenty of dark, rainy evenings this winter for reading.

If, as a member of the Institute community, you wish to broaden and deepen your knowledge of conservation history – We are into “conserving and restoring northwest environments through education” are we not? – then I have the perfect read for you. As a bonus, this one book will take you through to spring. It is Douglas Brinkley’s The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America (Harper, 2009, 940 pages).

While there are multitudes of books about Theodore Roosevelt, no one has explained and dissected how natural history and conservation were central to his life and work with the thoroughness and insight Brinkley brings to the task. He describes the young Roosevelt’s fascination with the natural world, the influences on his interests of his eccentric Uncle Rob, the centrality of Darwin’s theorizing upon his thinking, and how his fascination with the American West formed many of his ideas about land in general and public land in particular.

» Continue reading The Wilderness Warrior

Sometimes we think in order to see new things that we need to travel to the furthest reaches of our earth.

I was reminded of how wrong this train of thought is last Saturday as I traveled 40 minutes downriver to Rockport State Park. Rockport is a small place, blink while driving across Highway 20 East to the Cascades and you might well miss it. However, being small and little known should not suggest that this State Park has nothing to offer. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a more easily accessible example of old growth forest anywhere in the Cascades.

That which we do not speak of makes its presence known

» Continue reading Rocking the old growth

Exciting news about an upcoming special all about the North Cascades, including a story on our Mountain School program that was filmed at the Learning Center last fall! Read on for details:

KCTS 9 is proud to present the premiere of ‘North Cascades: People, Places and Stories’, a special showcasing the breathtaking park through the words and actions of Washingtonians of all ages.  Airdates areSunday, January 17, at 10:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 20, at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 31, at 4:30 p.m.

KCTS 9 will also be producing a Spanish-language version, which will air on V-Me on Saturdays, January 23 at 7:00 p.m. and January 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Three of the stories featured in this program are:

* A look at the North Cascade Institute’s nationally recognized education program, Mountain School, where hands-on activities introduce hundreds of students each year to diverse ecosystems. Says Professor John Miles of Western Washington University, “There’s a concern that kids are getting disconnected from nature, and if they get too disconnected then they will not be the stewards of the North Cascades of the future.

* A profile of legendary mountaineer Fred Beckey who has been climbing in the North Cascades for nearly seven decades, racking up more “first ascents” than any other climber in history. The 86-year-old is the author of the Beckey Guides, indispensable guidebooks for climbers and hikers exploring the backcountry.

* The return of wolves to the North Cascades. Scientists and conservationists are tracking two wolf packs, one in the Methow area and the other near Republic. After being hunted to near extinction, the natural return of this iconic predator is exciting news for wildlife biologists — and a cause of concern for ranchers.

Written and produced by Emmy Award-winner Doug Tolmie and hosted by KCTS 9’s Enrique Cerna, ‘North Cascades: People, Places and Stories’ provides an in-depth look at the region and its relationship to the community. The program highlights both critical environmental issues and the stories of passionate citizens who have worked to create, maintain and preserve this stunning part of our state for the future good of all.

“The North Cascades features one of the most ecologically diverse landscapes in the world,” notes Cerna in the program. “It’s home to a national park, two national forests, more glaciers than any other place in our country outside of Alaska, and more than 300 peaks above 7,000 feet in elevation.”

The full-length program will be available online at KCTS9.org/video in English and Spanish after the premiere. The program will also be available via Comcast Video on Demand.