GRADUATE ALUMNI NEWSLET TER
THE PICKET POST Winter 2015, Volume II: Edition I
G R A D U AT E M . E D .
PROGRAM
810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, Washington 98284 • (206) 526-2567 • ncascades.org/study
Alumni Reunion North Cascades Institute graduate student alumni reunited in September 2014 to celebrate 14 years of the graduate M.Ed. program. More than 50 people traveled from near and far to reminisce about their experiences. At least one alumni from every cohort attended, with some even experiencing their first stay at the Learning Center. Stories were exhanged, memories reignited and meals shared during the two-day reunion. Adam Lorio skippered the Salish Dancer in Samish traditions, the largest group of people ever to swim in Diablo Lake got cooled down, and Lee Whitford and crew brought all of the love–and just as much trouble. north cascades institute graduate alumni, staff & friends at the reunion
John Miles was, of course, in attendance and said he loved every moment: “What a fine few days. The highlight for me, of course, was seeing all the ‘old’ grads that came, like Cory from North Carolina, Rory from BC, Robbie from Atlanta, Kate just on verge of motherhood, Tanya from the Tetons (honorary grad), and so many others. I realized anew how much I love them all (one can say that about students after retirement)!”
From the Graduate Director
A closing ceremony concluded the weekend of connection and renewal among friends–old and new. Thoughts and feelings shared reflected a sense of strength that arises when all are working toward a common goal of making a difference in the world. Goodbyes and promises to visit and keep in touch rounded out the weekend. We look forward to the next time we reunite and reconnect with the ever-growing family of graduate alumni.
Like ecological systems, the North Cascades Institute graduate M.Ed. Residency is composed of evolving networks and cycles. The past year in particular brought an incredible level of development. New roles have emerged with John Miles’ retirement in 2014. Former Institute staffer Tracie Johannessen has returned as Education Director and is instructing the curriculum design course. At Huxley College, Nick Stanger is the new Assistant Professor of Environmental Education and is integrating transformative inquiry in his courses. Our marketing efforts have also evolved with increased recruitment in 2014 and a record applicant pool for Cohort 15! We’ve received additional recruitment support from Ed Weber, Huxley College’s new Graduate Program Coordinator. And finally, we are excited to welcome Lindsey MacDonald as the new North Cascades Institute Graduate Program Coordinator. There is a palpable sense of momentum in the Graduate Program and it’s exciting to see the program growing in both capacity and connectivity! Joshua Porter, Graduate Director
John Miles Retires
alumni cool off in frigid diablo lake
alumni from thirteen cohorts
saul and john enjoying family time
“Don’t let your education get in the way of your learning”
- John Miles
The Graduate Alumni Reunion at the Learning Center in September 2014 was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the retirement of John Miles. With more than 40 years at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, John has served as a professor, advisor and at one point the dean — marking over 65 years in the academic world! Throughout the weekend, many stories of John were shared, both lively and sentimental, recognizing the impact he has had on students’ lives over the years. The theme of reconnection and renewal among long-time friends was the perfect opportunity to recognize the graduate alumni’s fearless leader, advisor and friend. Some highlights included a “best New England accent” contest, acknowledgement of the number of people John taught to backpack and Rory Crowley (C3) teaching John some new “skills.”
Of retirement, John says that every day is Saturday with plenty of time to read. Though his time is both relaxed and flexible, he says he misses the students, his literature class and sessions with graduate students at the Learning Center. Since retiring, he and his wife Susan have moved near Taos, NM where they are exploring northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. John is also warming up to New Mexican food — thanks to Susan! In the mean time, he is currently compiling research for a book on current wilderness issues in national parks. The two are planning an upcoming rafting trip and plenty of early summer climbs (anyone willing to carry his pack?). If you haven’t reached out in a while, John would love to hear from you! He can be reached at mtbakersnag@earthlink.net.
Introducing Nick Stanger In September, 2014, Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment and North Cascades Institute welcomed Assistant Professor Nick Stanger. He, along with Professor Gene Myers, will teach the M.Ed. in Environmental Education courses based at Western. Hailing from Victoria, BC, Nick has taught environmental education for more than 20 years, exploring the human-digital-nature conondrum we currently face in our Westernized society. He completed his Doctorate at the University of Victoria in 2014 and was a Social Sciences and Humanities Council Doctoral Fellow. His research examined the learning that occurs within outdoor childhood places and their lasting effects on our lives.
nick stanger and his son otis
Nick is Chair of the board for the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada, an organization seeking to connect organizations, families and youth with nature-based experiences. You can learn more about his work at www.nicholasstanger.ca. He currently lives in Bellingham, WA with his wife, Joy, and son, Otis.
Welcome Cohort 14!
2015 Class Schedule
In July 2014, Cohort 14 began their month-long field course immersed in the natural and cultural history of the North Cascades. With local naturalists as their guides and the landscape as their classroom, the group canoed the Skagit River, explored the forests of the upper and lower Skagit Valley, cooked and sampled traditional foods at Northwest Indian College and hiked the shrub-steppe in the Methow Valley. The in-depth excursion, designed to teach the flora and fauna of northwest Washington culminated with a nine-day backpack trip through the heart of the North Cascades!
APRIL
Register at www.ncascades.org/signup
In the fall, the group taught their first season of Mountain School and this winter completed their curriculum and nonprofit projects. Their recent winter natural history field seminar was full of snow camping, winter tracking and howling wolves. They will begin their second Mountain School season in March and then delve into their Leadership Tracks in June.
3-5
Ross Lake: Exploring the Drawdown by Canoe
MAY 1-3 9-10 10 16-17 22-24 29-30 29-31
Watercolors: Wildlife Exploring Yellow & Jones Islands I Snakes and Amphibians of the Methow Exploring Yellow & Jones Islands II Photography: Into the Forest Block Printing at the Burke Hands to Work at the ELC
JUNE 5-7 5-7 12-14 20 26-28 26-28
Songs of Spring: Birding in the North Cascades Wild Edibles on Lopez Island Watercolors: Landscapes Urban Lichens The Artful Map: A One-Page Nature Journal In the Company of Corvids
JULY 12 18 19 24-26 31-2
Geology: Cinder Cones and Crater Lakes Urban Dragonflies Geology: Artist Point After the Burn: Methow Wildfire Ecology Dragonflies of the North Cascades
AUGUST
Liz Blackman Texas
Chelsea Earnst
religious studies
environmental studies
north carolina
Rachel Gugich washington comparative history of ideas
7-9 7-9 7-9 13 13-16 15 20-22 23
Carnivores of the Cascades Photography: Capturing the Cascades Geology across the Cascades Photography: Washington Pass at Night Poets on the Peaks: Ross Lake Adventure Geology: Landslides and Floods Cob Oven Construction and Cooking ELC 10 Year Anniversary Picnic!
SEPTEMBER 11 12 19-20 25-27 25-27
Photography: Artist Point at Night Citizen Science: Snake Count! Citizen Science: Hawk Watch! Poetry: Rhythm and Reflection Introduction to Field Journaling
OCTOBER Petra LeBaron-Botts colorado
Lauren Ridder tennessee
Mike Rosekrans wisconsin
political science & middle eastern studies
biology
adventure tourism & recreation tourism
3 3 9 9 18 23 24
Birds of the Salish Sea on the SnowGoose Citizen Science: Baker Lake Clean Up Watercolor: Trees Mushrooms: Culinary Adventures Harvest Dinner at the Learning Center Sit, Walk, Write: Practice of Presence Mushrooms of the North Cascades: Baker Lake
Family Getaways: July 3-5, 17-19, 24-26; August 14-16, 28-30.
ncascades.org/family Base Camp: Overnight learning adventures and accomodations. Dates vary, please visit ncascades.org/basecamp Kelly Sleight maine sociology
Kevin Sutton oregon
Gavin Willis washington
tourism & outdoor leadership
marine biology
Skagit Tours: Diablo Lake Boat Tours and Skagit Power Bus Tours and Newhalem Walking Tours, July 2 - September 14. ncascades.org/skagit-tours
Alum Spotlight: Aneka Sweeney At the 2015 Storming the Sound Conference in La Conner, WA, we caught up with Aneka Sweeney of Cohort 8. Newly married with an exciting new job, she is now employed as the Education & Outreach Coordinator for Whatcom Conservation District. “The county hasn’t had anyone in that position for 5 years and so they wanted someone to come in and develop an educational and outreach structure that works within the social network of the Conservation District,” Aneka explained. “My main goal right now is to spread the message that land owners can have a staff person come to their property to advise how to live in a manner that is respectful of the native ecology. We provide technical and financial assistance to help with those efforts. To best do my work, I have to understand their values and then build programming around that.” When recalling her experiences in the M.Ed. program, Aneka appreciated being involved in a wide variety of programming during the Residency. Organization, time management and increased confidence in public speaking have proven to be the most useful skills she learned. “Public speaking is more than just informational campaigns,” she said. “You need to nurture values to help increase the longevity of educational programming. Standing up in front of large groups, confident that I am thinking and speaking critically, are skills that I directly attribute to NCI and WWU.”
Diversity Scholarship and Outreach Award
What does the future of environmental leadership look like? At North Cascades Institute, we believe the process of conserving and restoring diversity in the natural world is the best way to create resilience in ecosystems facing environmental threats such as climate change. Similarly, we value ethnic and cultural diversity as a source of human strength and resilience. That’s why we are actively seeking students from diverse cultural backgrounds and people of color to live, learn and teach in the North Cascades. Our youth program audiences represent the full spectrum of diversity in our local communities. We want our teachers and graduate students to reflect that diversity, too. North Cascades Institute’s Diversity scholarships range from $1,000$20,000 and are applied to the residency and housing fees. We share this land. Let’s learn together. Join us. More information and how to apply at ncascades.org/study/scholarships-financial-aid
Keep in Touch! In future issues of our alumni newsletter, we want to include updates on exciting things happening in your life! This could be a vacation you just went on, a new professional position, getting married, having a kid or talking about the great environmental education trip you just led! Photos are welcome, too. Please email us at ncigrad@ncascades.org with any updates you’d like to share with our alumni community!
chattermarks.org A blog about Living, Learning and Teaching in the North Cascades