Today’s speaker was Deven Vilar, the Outreach and Events Coordinator for North Cascades Institute. NCI is located on Diablo Lake on Hwy. 20.
Deven started her presentation with three trivia facts: (1) the North Cascades have more glaciers (300) than Glacier National Park; (2) it is glacial runoff that turns Diablo Lake green: and (3) wolverines recently returned to the North Cascades.
NCI is a nonprofit organization focusing on environmental conservation. It uses education to inspire conservation. Its programs for both adults and children use shared experiences to strengthen communities.
Saul Weisberg founded NCI in 1986. He centered it around adult field education. In 2005, NCI created the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake. The compound has 3 lodges (ADA accessible) to accommodate 92 visitors. It also has a number of other buildings including a dining hall and amphitheater. The dining room provides three meals a day to visitors, serving organic, in season foods grown within 125 miles of the site.
The programs for guests include wildflower hikes, sailing, weekend camping for families, bird tracking sessions, knot tying and canoeing on Diablo Lake. In the Base Camp program, visitors choose their own way to learn while staying overnight in one of the lodges and eating on site. NCI hosts conferences, retreats, workshops, trainings, reunions and weddings. There is a host of naturalists on site ready to augment the experience in any stay.
Youth programs serve many youngsters. The Mountain School hosts 5th graders, who learn about different parts of the North Cascades natural community, both living and non-living. For many of the participants, it is the first time they have been to a national park. The entire Bellingham School District participates in this program.
NCI also sponsors the Mt. Baker Snow School, where 6th to 12th graders perform science data collection for actual projects, such as snow pack analysis. This program focuses on underserved communities from Bellingham, Blaine, and Mt. Baker districts, as well as Skagit County.
The Forest School, at the south end of Lake Whatcom, serves 3rd graders. They study different creatures in the forest around them, including the flying squirrel, jeweled beetles and woodpeckers.
The Youth Leadership Adventures is a program for high schoolers, jump starting their engagement with leadership through learning field skills. It provides an 8-day trip involving back packing, interacting with others and public speaking, where the students report back their experiences. Although the cost of the YLA is $1300, most participants pay only a fraction of that, rarely more than $100. Fundraisers through the year and grants cover the cost. REI and Gear Aid have donated a lot of gear which NCI provides to the participants.
NCI sounds like a hidden jewel in our area. Thanks to Deven for sharing its story.
