AdventuresNW
Teaching in the Rain: The Story of the North Cascades Institute, by John C. Miles. Chuckanut Editions, 2023
The North Cascades Institute has been a fixture of the northwest Washington landscape since 1986. In “Teaching in the Rain,” author John C. Miles tells its origin story, a story with so many moving parts it’s a wonder the Institute was established at all. It’s a story of tremendous perseverance, led by its founders Saul Weisberg and Tom Fleischner, and a cast of hundreds, all guided by a desire to share the beauty of the northern Cascades ecosystem.
It began in 1984 as an idea that Saul, Tom, and three friends shared. All had experience in the North Cascades as field biologists, park rangers, and educators. The goal was to create an experiential learning environment involving natural historians, ecologists, geologists, writers, painters, and photographers (with archeologists and historians included later). In 1986, the idea became reality when the National Park Service agreed that the Institute would serve as the non-profit educational arm of North Cascades National Park. The mission statement at that time was “Conserve and restore Northwest environments through education.” Initially, the Institute offered adult trips and classes only. However, in 1989, a stroke of luck occurred when Seattle City Light needed to relicense its hydro project through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Environmental mitigation was required, and education was deemed an appropriate mitigation response. The team chose the old Diablo resort as the new brick-and-mortar Environmental Learning Center, with construction and renovation partially funded by Seattle City Light.
Once the Learning Center was built, the Institute expanded its programming. Mountain School for Whatcom and Skagit 5th graders moved from tents in the Newhalem campground, and programs for all ages expanded, including lodging and meals for those less inclined to camp. These programs included field seminars, mountain camps, canoe camps, climate change education, watershed education, and stewardship opportunities, among many others. As the Institute gained a reputation for teaching excellence, more and more educators joined the fold, providing top-notch environmental education for all ages.
Miles, a board member of the Institute, details its fascinating story and describes all the people involved in its creation and continued success. He discusses the various challenges facing the Institute, from balancing the differing missions of the Forest Service, the National Park Service, and Seattle City Light, among others, to the COVID pandemic and the particular challenges it created. Throughout it all, the guiding light of Saul Weisberg kept the Institute going. The book is a fascinating and detailed look at how this tremendous institution came to be and how it succeeds today.
Cathy Grinstead, born and raised in northern California, spent her summers backpacking in the Sierra. In 2018, she retired from veterinary practice and moved to Bellingham to explore a different part of the world. She enjoys hiking, outrigger paddling, and snow sports, and loves all that Bellingham has to offer!
