Chattermarks

The North Cascades Institute Staff and Graduate students have spent weeks packing food, preparing curriculum, shuttling canoes, calling students, organizing camping gear and finalizing lessons in preparation for the first of two Cascades Climate Challenge Programs.  On June 29th twenty students from around the Pacific Northwest met for the first time at Sea-Tac Airport to began their three week journey through the North Cascades.

The first few days have been full of nerves, laughs, smiles and lots of questions as the group prepared for their first camping experience with their new community. Already these students have learned how to set up camp, use different types of media to capture their experience, explored trails on their own, and met with North Cascades National Park scientists and rangers focusing their attention on the impacts of climate change on this alpine ecosystem.

» Continue reading Introducing the 2010 Cascades Climate Challenge Team!! (Part 1)

From sea to shining sea . . . Well, okay, not that far, but North Cascades Institute has been traveling far and wide recruiting students to join us for service learning, field science, leadership and fun in this year’s two Summer Youth Programs for teenagers!

Representatives from North Cascades Wild and Cascades Climate Challenge have been tirelessly traveling across the Pacific Northwest meeting with students, teachers and club leaders, encouraging youth to challenge themselves and the norms of high school life by applying for these transformative programs.

» Continue reading Summer Youth Roadshow

For those of you following the progression of the Parks Climate Challenge 2009 participants, you will be glad to hear that the talented and empowered youth are in the process of fulfilling the third stage of this incredible new program. PCC students around the country are creating, implementing and leading service projects focused on engaging youth in their home communities on the issue of climate change in collaboration with a local National Park and Elementary School. On November 3rd, with the faithful guidance of North Cascades National Park, North Cascades Institute and Seattle Parks and Recreation, the five motivated students haling from the Seattle area facilitated an education field trip to Carkeek Park for over 80 rambunctious elementary students. Laura Humes, Sydney Jarol, Yvonne Chan, Sarah Salvador and Heather McPherson used their knowledge and leadership to inspire 4th/5th graders from from Parkwood, Whittier and Echo Lake Elementary Schools on a beautiful day in Seattle.

» Continue reading Taking the Lead

On October 24th 2009 communities around the world are taking a day to mobilize citizens and create a movement to stop the climate crisis.  Locally, North Cascades Institute will be joining others in Skagit and Whatcom Counties rallying toward sustainability in Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Anacortes.  Promoted by 350.org, International Day of Climate Action is raising awarness and taking action in over 150 countries, if you can’t join us here check out an event near you.

» Continue reading International Day of Climate Action, October 24th 2009

Here in Western Washington many of us wait in anticipation for the coming of spring. Indications of this seasonal change are different for different people. For some it’s sighting the first of the migratory birds, blossoms of the indian plum, deer in their spring velvet, tulips bursting from the warm ground, or the eerie drumming of the ruffed grouse. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy and look forward to all of these milestones, but I am a backcountry skier.  Spring to me means smooth, fast, Cascade corn snow so I wait in anxious anticipation for the opening of Hwy. 20 over Washington Pass to access the deep snowpack and rugged mountains of the North Cascades.

» Continue reading Skiing into Spring

Prys, draws, sculling, sweeps, posts and something called the Duffek, no these are not different ways to rid yourself of mosquitoes, they are just some of the 15 paddling strokes we learned to maneuver canoes safely and efficiently. Who knew there were so many?

» Continue reading Diablo Paddling Perfection

Puma, Mountain Lion, Cougar…..regardless of nomenclature this incredible animal is synonymous with elusive. Many could spend a lifetime in cougar habitat and never glimpse even a sign of its presence. So after my initial sighting of tracks earlier this year, following our first big snows of the season, I knew how fortunate I was to live in this amazing, wild place. Since that time I have had the privilege of tracking this animal on numerous occasions, noting that the cougar seems to travel in similar areas and patterns.

With the coming of spring, the snow around the Learning Center has changed into all forms of slush, perfect for tracking.  My most recent snowy adventure led to a fun and notable discovery, two sets of tracks heading in the same direction and at the same time. Has the spring brought about a mate for our solitary feline? Only time will tell.  And don’t worry, I’ll do my part and monitor our cougar neighbor as long as I can.

Following our winter break, the North Cascades Institute graduate students were “stuck” downriver by mudslides, avalanches and washouts. When the roads were cleared, we had one day to prepare for a weekend retreat with 40 apprentices, instructors and graduate students from two leading environmental educations centers in Western Washington. We shoveled walkways, cooked food, cleared trails and prepared the lodges at the Environmental Learning Center for their much anticipated arrival.

An introduction icebreaker….literally

It turned out to be a fabulous way for us to bring in the New Year with a housewarming party of 40 plus nature-loving educators!!! 

» Continue reading We’ll show you our classroom, if you show us yours!