Chattermarks

Spring into Summer with the Institute’s Early Bird Discount! From now through March 31st, when you sign up for one of our 2010 programs — Diablo Downtimes, art or writing retreats, natural history excursions, Ross Lake journeys or any program with tuition over $100 — you will receive $50.00 off each class registration. It’s a great opportunity to sign up for as many as you like and save!

We’ve just completed uploading dozens of new educational adventures for people of all ages to our website and we’re open for registration. Please visit www.ncascades.org/get_outside to view the Institute’s many unique spring and summer offerings. This year, we’re teaching birding, Pacific Northwest weather with Cliff Mass, basket-making with natural materials, digital photography, papercutting art with Nikki McClure, wilderness orienteering, wildflowers and pollinators, watercoloring and journal-making, wildlife tracking and more, including the 2010 Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival.

To register with the Early Bird $50 discount, call us at our NEW number, (360) 854-2599 (This discount is not valid for Family Getaways or Base Camp and cannot be combined with scholarships).

North Cascades National Park archaeologist, and long-time Institute field instructor and former board member, Bob Mierendorf is prominently featured in an excellent new article just published in Washington State Magazine, published by Washington State University. In “Of Time and Wildness in the North Cascades,” Mierendorf interprets his important work in documenting native presence in the higher elevations of the North Cascades:

Mierendorf has spent the last couple of decades trying to convince the archaeological establishment that pre-contact Northwest Indians did not confine themselves to the lowlands, but lived in the North Cascades and frequented the high country. When Mierendorf first started working at the park, Cascade Pass was one of 17 archaeological sites identified within it. Since then, he has identified nearly 300 more. Forty-five of those sites are located between 4,000 and 7,000 feet.

Obviously, population densities in the mountains were nowhere near what they were along the more hospitable coastal lowlands. Mierendorf argues simply that lower density does not mean absence. An earlier assumption by archaeologists was that Indians actually avoided the mountains, and any contact between coastal and interior tribes was accomplished by traveling along the Columbia Gorge. Mountains were a barrier, not a destination. The idea that prehistoric people crossed the Cascades on foot was simply incomprehensible.

Such an assumption is certainly understandable. The North Cascades is tough country. Even though only two volcanic peaks are higher than 10,000 feet, the deep glacier-carved valleys create dramatic local relief, often as much as 6,000 feet between valley floor and peak.

Alexander Ross, a fur trader with the North West Company, made the first non-Indian crossing of the North Cascades in 1814, from east to west, guided by an Indian. “A more difficult route to travel never fell to man’s lot,” wrote Ross.

So why was the question of the Indians’ presence in the mountains such a mystery? Why didn’t archaeologists just ask the Indians?

This article is a significant contribution to the public’s understanding of the cultural history of the North Cascades, and the Institute is understandably very excited to share it widely. You can read the rest of the article here.

In the next week or so, we’ll be opening registration for our spring and summer programs in the North Cascades, including Mierendorf’s long-running, popular field excursion on Ross Lake that explores the region’s cultural history, from native uses through to miners, fire lookouts and the park service (see photo at top of post). “Ross Lake by Boat and Boot: People and Places of the Upper Skagit” takes place July 22-25, with Captain Gerry Cook piloting the Ross Mule, your floating classroom for this exciting learning adventure. (While we can’t offer registration quite yet, you can send an email to nci@ncascades.org and we’ll let you know as soon as it is open for sign-ups!)

» Continue reading Bob Mierendorf and the pre-history of Cascade Pass

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.

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.

Six Northwest Washington poets will read their “poems about place” at Village Books on Saturday, January 16 at 7 p.m. The event, co-sponsored by North Cascades Institute, is free, open to the public and aims to raise awareness and support for the 2010 Skagit River Poetry Festival. In the lineup are Washington State Poet Laureate Sam Green, Jim Bertolino, Michael Daly, Oliver de la Paz, Nancy Pagh, and Jeremy Voigt.

The Village Books reading will be followed by a private reception for the poets with food and beverages courtesy of Bellingham’s new organic Sprout Catering. Tickets are $25 per person and all proceeds will benefit Skagit River Poetry Festival. For tickets and more information, contact Kris Ekstrand Molesworth at (360) 708-6626 or kris.bayview@gmail.com.

The Skagit River Poetry Festival, which aims to “push poetry off the page and into the lives of rural audiences,” will take place May 20-21 in venues throughout La Conner. It will feature former U.S. poet laureate Ted Kooser and National Book Award winner Sherman Alexie and will include readings, panel discussions and workshops by more than 25 poets. The three-day festival has been called “one of the jewels in our poetry crown” by poet Jane Hirshfield. To learn about program and schedule updates visit www/skagitriverpoetry.org.

Profile of the poets:

» Continue reading “Poems About Place” this Saturday in Bellingham

North Cascades Institute has the perfect gift idea that fits all sizes and will never go out of style…a gift certificate that can be used toward 2010 Institute programs. Make your purchase by December 10 and we’ll give you $100 value for only $80, and we’ll include a package of our blank note cards featuring art from Molly Hashimoto, John Cole and other artist friends of the Institute.

Share your love of the Pacific Northwest with friends, family and other loved ones by giving them a gift that will enrich their lives and provide a unique route to get outdoors in a meaningful way. Gift certificates can be used for Family Getaways, Sourdough Speaker Series, Diablo Downtime, adult natural history retreats and excursions and other Institute offerings. And yes, its okay to gift yourself a certificate too!

To take advantage of this holiday offer, call our front desk at (360) 856-5700 ext. 2 or email nci@ncascades.org by Thursday, December 10, so that your gift certificate can be mailed in time for the holidays.

When we arranged to have novelist Jim Lynch appear at the Learning Center to be a Sourdough Speaker a year ago, our timing couldn’t have been better — Jim’s then-forthcoming novel Border Songs is set in Whatcom County near the foothills of the North Cascades and is populated with an astonishing amount of natural history of birds of our region. Border Songs was released last summer to great critical acclaim, including a review in Crosscut.com that claimed Jim “could be the best new novelist in the region since David Guterson rolled out Snow Falling on Cedars in 1995″ and a similar rave from author Howard Frank Mosher: “Border Songs is a masterwork, and Jim Lynch, for my money, is our best new storyteller since Larry McMurtry: deeply in touch with the natural world, the absurdities of our era, and the hearts and minds of his unforgettable and endlessly surprising characters.” (Amazon.com has a compilation of praise for the new novel too.)

We’ve got a copy of Border Songs to give away to one of our readers– to enter the running, leave a comment at the end of this blog mentioning a book you’ve read recently, fiction or nonfiction, that included a healthy amount of nature in it. We’ll randomly chose a winner from everyone who leaves a comment at the end of next week.

Jim will be at the Learning Center Oct. 10-11, reading from his novels and discussing what it is like writing fiction set in Washington State, as part of our intimate Sourdough Speaker Series. For only $95, participants get to experience Jim’s presentation as well as enjoy a sit-down dinner and overnight accommodations in our lodges; breakfast and a naturalist-led activity the next morning is included too. We know of at least one book club that has been reading Jim’s books and will be joining us — what a great idea!

We want to extend a special thanks to Jim, and all our Sourdough Speakers, for coming up to the North Cascades to talk about their work — they all appear at the Learning Center on their own dime, helping us to raise money to support our various Youth Programs designed to connect the next generation with the natural world.

Here’s a book review I wrote on Border Songs earlier this summer for the Cascadia Weekly:

» Continue reading Jim Lynch at Learning Center, Oct. 10-11; win a copy of his new novel “Border Songs”

We’re extremely excited to welcome Lyanda Lynn Haupt and Martyn Stewart to kick-start our Fall 2009 Sourdough Speaker Series at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. Join us at the Learning Center September 26-27 for a special evening celebrating Darwin and his theory of evolution, the wonders of bird life in the Pacific Northwest and the wild music of bird song.

» Continue reading “Crow Planet” book giveaway!

Will Write for Change: Communication Tools and Techniques for Activists with Bill Dietrich; Eric DePlace; Karen Uffelman; Benjamin Drummond and Sara Steele and North Cascades Institute staff  * October 2 – 4 at North Cascades Environmental Learning Center

New special rate: $100 off tuition! Register for as low as $175 per person. Price includes two nights lodging and six meals

Join North Cascades Institute this fall on the shores of Diablo Lake for a unique retreat designed to strengthen the communication skills of individuals who work and write for nonprofits. We’ve assembled a crack team of experts to lead us through exercises, presentations and group discussions covering topics such as blogging, environmental storytelling, Twitter, photojournalism, web-based presentations and some of the nitty-gritty business of activist communications, including the business of grant writing, partnerships, publicity and publication. By the end of the weekend, you and your organization will have gained new techniques and tools for communicating your group’s stories clearly, persuasively and in a way that reaches the largest audience possible.

» Continue reading Will Write for Change — $100 off registration special

It was cool to find an interview with North Cascades National Park superintendent Chip Jenkins in an outdoors blog on the Oregonian’s website. Chip has been a great supporter of the Institute since arriving at the park in 2007, especially championing our youth programs like North Cascades Wild and the new Parks Climate Challenge, both of which rely on the landscapes and resources within the national park.

Q: Tell us a bit about your family and how you spent a recent summer weekend together in the park.

A: My wife and I have two sons, ages 9 and 7. We joined a Family Getaway with North Cascades Institute, staying in a cozy lodge with wonderful meals (with the tastes of young diners in mind). Family adventure options included Diablo Lake, nearby trails, games, art, storytelling and scientific explorations. These programs run Memorial Day through Thanksgiving. My youngest boy caught his first trout from the accessible fishing platform at Colonial Creek Campground on Diablo Lake.

The rest of the interview is right here.