Mission
North Cascades Institute seeks to protect and restore Northwest environments through education. Through our wide variety of programs for diverse people of all ages, we help others learn about, appreciate, and care for the natural and cultural landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, creating an engaged and ecologically-literate public. Since 1986, the Institute has provided leadership and excellence in field-based environmental education and, in 2005, we opened the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center in the heart of North Cascades National Park for new residential education opportunities.
Primary Programs/Projects
The Institute offers a wide range of environmental education programs about the natural and cultural history of the North Cascades region. In particular, we focus on the Skagit watershed and North Cascades mountain range. Our current programs include Mountain School, Parks Climate Challenge, North Cascades Wild, Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Kids Project, Field Excursions, Learning Center seminars and retreats, teacher and nonprofit peers training and a Graduate M.Ed. program offered in partnership with Huxley College of the Environment.
Reason for Participating on the Skagit Watershed Council
The Institute is committed to educating the public about the natural resources of the Pacific Northwest. We believe this will lead to their conservation and protection. The Skagit watershed is one of the Northwest’s most important natural resources and as the river winds its way down from the North Cascades it affects everything along the way: farms, salmon, waterfowl, people. The health of this region’s natural resources is linked with the health of the watershed. The Institute gains from being a member of the Council’s discussions, from raising issues that are important to us and for working with like-minded partners to preserve the values and health of the river system. We hope to provide a voice for education and community outreach on the Council.
