North Cascades Institute

North Cascades Institute We inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature Learn more at www.ncascades.org/get_outside.
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North Cascades Institute inspires and empowers environmental stewardship for all through transformative experiences in nature. Since 1986, we have helped connect people, nature and community through science, art, literature and the hands-on study of the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. Our goal is to help people of all ages experience and enjoy the mountains, rivers, forests,

people and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest – so all will care for and protect this special place. Our offerings include Mountain School, Youth Leadership Adventures, the Graduate M.Ed. Degree Program, Family Getaways and a year-round schedule of natural and cultural history seminars and field excursions. The North Cascades Environmental Learning Center, field campus of the North Cascades Institute, is a hub of discovery for all ages in one of the wildest, heaviest glaciated and most biologically diverse areas in North America. Built in partnership with Seattle City Light and the National Park Service, the campus graces the north shore of Diablo Lake in the heart of the North Cascades.

Join local experts and fellow nature lovers to explore the forces that shape the North Cascades' and our connection to t...
08/28/2026

Join local experts and fellow nature lovers to explore the forces that shape the North Cascades' and our connection to these dynamic landscapes, in these Field & Online Classes:

🏔 Sept 9 | Online | NOCA Glaciers: Four Decades of Monitoring Using Art and Science, with Mauri Pelto & Jill Pelto

🌲 Sept 12 | St Edwards State Park | Forest Bathing: A Mindful Connection to Nature

🔥 Sept 16 | Online | Fire Ecology of Western Washington: Past, Present & Future

🏔 Sept 19 | Artist Point| Glaciers and Watersheds: Create Data Art Inspired by the North Cascades

👉 REGISTER TODAY and discover even more ways to connect with nature & community at ncascades.org/classes

📸 : (1) North Cascades Glacier Project, (2) Jill Pelto, (3) U.S. Forest Service

Happy belated birthday to the !🥳 The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916 and turned 108 years old yeste...
08/27/2026

Happy belated birthday to the !

🥳 The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916 and turned 108 years old yesterday.

🥳 Its mission is to, “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.”

🥳 Over its 100 years the National Park Service has grown into over 400 national parks with North Cascades National Park being the 32nd National park to be created in 1968.

Let us know in the comments how many National Parks you have visited and which was your favorite (obviously besides North Cascades 😉)

Want to learn more about what makes our favorite National Park so special, check out our current Environmental Learning Center, Field and Online classes. Link in bio.

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Sauk Suiattle, Swinomish & Upper Skagit people

Tickets available now for Chris Morgan: Life in the Wild—live at Mount Vernon Library Commons on Saturday, Oct 3! Join c...
08/25/2026

Tickets available now for Chris Morgan: Life in the Wild—live at Mount Vernon Library Commons on Saturday, Oct 3!

Join conservationist, podcaster and filmmaker Chris Morgan as he sloshes through jungles and crunches across the arctic sea ice, pulling you into the fascinating and emotional stories of wonder and hope from our incredible planet. His vivid storytelling, stunning photographs and film clips from a life spent among bears and other wild creatures. Come away inspired, entertained, and hopeful about what we can accomplish together for people and the planet.

This event is FREE thanks to support from the City of Mount Vernon, North Cascades Institute, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, Skagit Audubon, Skagit Land Trust, and Washington Native Plant Society - Salal Chapter.

🎟️ Get your FREE ticket today (advanced registration required): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/life-in-the-wild-with-chris-morgan-tickets-1996745977971

08/25/2026

Did you know it’s National Park Week?! National park week started August 22 and goes through August 30. National Park Service parks, programs, and partners will host events and activities all week! This year’s theme is, “Celebrate America’s Story,” honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary. Check out some of themes of each day for the rest of this week and for more info visit: nps.gov

🦬 Tuesday, August 25: The 110th birthday of the National Park Service! Celebrate nationwide with a fee free entrance day!! North Cascades National Park is always free to enter, but our other amazing Washington parks, Olympic & Mount Rainier will be fee free today.

🦬 Wednesday, August 26: Watch Wildlife Wednesday. Observe, learn about and safely appreciate wildlife big and small that reside in our National Parks.

🦬 Thursday, August 27: Thankful Thursday. A day dedicated to recognizing park volunteers, local conservation groups and public land advocacy organizations supporting the park system.

🦬 Sunday, August 30: Junior Ranger Day. For kids (and kids at heart), become a Junior Ranger.

📸: Haley Amanda ᨒ↟

Hey Bellingham, help support North Cascades Institute youth programs when you dine & drink local during ROUND IT UP WEEK...
08/24/2026

Hey Bellingham, help support North Cascades Institute youth programs when you dine & drink local during ROUND IT UP WEEK at Aslan!

Starting today through Aug 29, round up your tab at Aslan’s Bellingham Brewpub and The Depot, and they’ll donate the difference to the Institute to fund immersive outdoor education for local youth.

And mark your calendars for "Parks & Rec" trivia at The Depot on Thur, Aug 27 from 6-8 pm. Test your knowledge of local public lands and outdoor recreation for a chance to win great prizes like books, gear and more! $1 from every pint of Hop Water & beer poured on trivia night will be donated to the Institute.

Thanks for your support! Cheers!

08/18/2026

Sound on for the cutest lil MEEPS!

Seen here is a pika alerting their friends to possible danger. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

🐰 The pika resembles their close cousin the rabbit, but with rounded ears.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🐰 Meep! Pikas emit high pitched alarm calls to communicate and to announce intruders into their territory.

🐰Known far and wide for their cuteness pika are found in mountainous regions like the North Cascades, most often on rockpiles and talus fields.

🐰 Pika survive the cold winters by burrowing far under the snow where the deep snowpack acts as an insulator to keep them from freezing. They have difficulty thermoregulating their bodies to heat, so they rely on rock crevices and cavities for shade and cover. ⠀⠀⠀

🐰 Pika do not hibernate in the winter but remain active consuming grasses and plants they collect and store in crevasses under rocks during the warmer months.

🐰 They are unable to tolerate high temperatures, (>78 degrees Fahrenheit) for long periods of time, which is why they are an indicator species for climate change.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🐰Long term monitoring and studies are essential for their survival in places like the North Cascades.

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux people

08/13/2026

This slug is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S

🐌 Banana slugs are pretty neat. They are mollusks and have two pairs of tentacles. The upper pair is the largest and are used to detect light intensity or lack of light, similar to the way human eyes detect light and dark.

🐌 The smaller pair of tentacles is used to detect and differentiate smells, similar to the way human noses detect and differentiate smells.

🐌 For protection, both pairs of tentacles can be retracted inside the slug’s body in case of danger, but if bitten off by a predator they can grow new tentacles.

🐌 A slug like this one can top out at a speed of six-and-one-half inches per minute, and has a lifespan of one to seven years.

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Sauk Suiattle, Upper Skagit & Swinomish people

08/12/2026

🌲 What is forest bathing?
🌲 What are the benefits of this simple practice?
🌲 What will you learn about yourself and the world around you by breathing deeply, listening, noticing?

Join certified Forest Therapy Guide Mileva Huljev in St Edwards State Park on Sept 12 to tune into the rhythms of the forest and learn more about this restorative practice. Sign up at https://ncascades.org/signup/programs/forest-bathing-a-mindful-connection-to-nature-pm

08/11/2026

“When you feel on top of the world.” ~ LJ Discovers

This spot has one of the best views in North Cascades National Park Service Complex. You can probably see why. Epic mountains on mountains, mountain goats abound, glaciers and not many people (overnight). And one of the best camp toilet views around. IYKYK.

Enjoy a look around without putting in the miles!

📍Ancestral homelands of the Nlaka’pamux, Okanagan & Confederated tribes of the Colville reservation
📸: LJ Discovers

Enjoy great local brews and help youth get outside! From Aug 24-29, round up your tab at Aslan’s Bellingham Brewpub and ...
08/10/2026

Enjoy great local brews and help youth get outside! From Aug 24-29, round up your tab at Aslan’s Bellingham Brewpub and The Depot, and they’ll donate the difference to North Cascades Institute to support outdoor education for local youth.

And mark your calendars for "Parks & Rec" trivia at The Depot on Thur, Aug 27 from 6-8 pm. Test your knowledge of local public lands and outdoor recreation for a chance to win great prizes like gear, books and more! $1 from every pint of Hop Water & beer poured on trivia night will be donated to the Institute.

See you there! Cheers 🍻

Address

810 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA
98284

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