Summer Solstice Newsletter

 
 

Happy Solstice!


What are your favorite summer memories as a kid? From playing hide and seek in the forest, eating salmon berries, playing in creeks and mud puddles, working the hay fields, they center on the outdoors and the length of light. Today, there are 14 hours and 5 minutes of sunlight. Plants are growing, youth are harvesting greens from the gardens, and our summer programs are budding. This spring, we have worked our soil at GPI to strengthen, diversify and evaluate our community investments. From the new partnership with the Snohomish Conservation District we have launched a workforce program to improve air quality in the Darrington area while providing chipping services to community members and providing workforce training. Now our workforce programs are ramping up for hiring community youth for the summer. We have played, learned, laughed, and offered programs to the Concrete area in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club and Concrete School District. We also wrapped up our 9th year of programs in the Darrington School District. Our summer programs are ramping up and are offered this summer to Darrington and Concrete areas. Due to popularity and to improve planning, we have a new sign up system. We are looking forward to getting out with youth to enjoy the longer (yet, now shortening) days to explore and grow. Thank you for your support and being a part of the community. 

– Oak Rankin, Executive Director


Here Comes Summer!

With the school year over, we are gearing up for a great summer of outdoor learning and recreation! Check out the calendar below to learn about our programming opportunities for the months of June and July. Any programs highlighted in orange require pre-registration one week in advance! These programs will also have transportation provided by GPI from central locations in both Darrington and Concrete. Hope to see you there!

Green = Darrington Community Days | No transportation will be provided and all youth will meet at the Darrington School Greenhouse

Orange = Registration Required | Transportation will be provided from Darrington/Concrete and pickup/drop off locations and times will be determined by signups and the program location; these details will be sent out via email on the Monday prior. Register online at www.glacierpeakinstitute.org/summer-registration or give us a call at (360) 436-6445.

To kick off the summer and mark the end of the great school year, last week GPI hosted a cookout at Old School Park in Darrington for youth and families. It was great to see so many friendly faces! We had learning stations, art, and games galore. In this picture, GPI staff are playing a game of fire in the forest during last week's Welcome to Summer Cookout. Thank you so much to our volunteers from Windermere Real Estate Arlington for making this event a success!

Meet the GPI Summer Interns

Mel Boatright is the Forestry Crew Intern for 2023 and is a rising senior at Northern Arizona University. Mel is excited to be a member of the Glacier Peak Institute team this summer. She is an honors student studying Environmental Science and Spanish and grew up as a military brat, moving every few years. She is eager to explore every opportunity GPI can provide and to work with like minded young people interested in investing some good into their world. Mel is also an avid painter, hiker, and helicopter parent to her dog.

Hayley Simpson is from Memphis, Tennessee and is a junior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville studying Conservation Psychology. After volunteering at local nonprofit Beardsley Community Farm and working as a research assistant for the Tennessee Reading Research Center as well as East Tennessee Environmental Educators, she became interested in youth outdoor experiences and environmental education. She hopes to build strong relationships with the GPI Team and better understand strategies for teaching and learning through sustainable recreation.

Maris Toalson is a student at the University of Oregon who is studying journalism, political science, and science communication and pursuing a certificate in outdoor leadership. Outside of the classroom, you can find her participating in one of her many (probably too many) outdoor hobbies such as skiing, rock climbing, backpacking, and more. She also enjoys reading and crocheting when she’s not climbing mountains. Maris is excited to join the Glacier Peak Institute this summer to combine her love of the outdoors with her passions for social and environmental justice and working with people.

Jared Wireman is originally from the west side of Washington and is excited to be back for the summer working with GPI.  He is currently wrapping up a Bachelors of Arts in Outdoor Recreation Leadership from Eastern Washington University. He has been passionate about the outdoors since he was young and enjoys being able to teach people new skills so they can maximize their time in the outdoors. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, mountaineering, snowboarding, and overlanding.

GPI with Concrete Pre-K and Kindergarten

This past May and June, Glacier Peak Institute had the opportunity to work with the Head Start, Transitional Kindergarten, and Kindergarten classes at Concrete Elementary School. All of our lessons are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and were leveled based on student ages. Our main lesson themes were weather, the sun, spring, and butterfly life cycles. Students also learned about the interconnectedness between the themes; for example, how the sun's warmth changes the weather and how butterfly life cycles are linked to the seasons.

All in all, GPI's science and art learning programs reached about 75 students ages 4-6! It was so great engaging in outdoor learning with the young kids as they were so geared up to be hands-on, explore the world using their senses, and engage with tactile learning. Some of our fun activities included building caterpillar shelters, making craft butterflies, and releasing mature butterflies into a butterfly garden! 

– Bailey Huff, WSC Program Support Coordinator, and Julie Stone, Outdoor Education Curriculum Manager

Chipper Days


Our Darrington Chipper Days program, in partnership with the Snohomish Conservation District, has been running since May 20th in an effort to increase air quality by encouraging landowners to not only thin their land and create slash piles, but to also chip their slash piles instead of burn them. Landowners get to keep all of the chips produced on their property, and the chips created at our main site at the Darrington Airport are free for the public to pick up.

Our program ends on June 25th with a big chipper event at the airport from 8AM until 1PM. Over the course of our program we have helped countless residents who have dropped off piles to our airport site, and a handful of properties we took our chipper to in an effort to make chipping more accessible to our community. We have produced over 4,500 ft^3 of chips and helped thin out over 135 acres of land, making it more resistant to intense wildfires. Please let us know if you are interested in this program as we will be applying to receive more grant funding for this program next year, and we have a waitlist! Hope to see you at our final Chipper Days event on the 25th!

– Maia Inniss, Chipper Crew Lead

Backpacking with Darrington High School


While many of our programs center on our elementary and middle-school aged youth, spring has carried with it some exciting opportunities to get the local high school students outdoors. Working with GPI staff and DSD teachers, youth in the Darrington High School Outdoor Club have been able to plan, prepare for, and venture out on a three-day, two-night backpacking trip in the Circle Peak and Crystal Lake region. Watching youth engage with each aspect of this process – from risk management discussions to gear preparation to tackling the physical and mental challenges presented by a hard hike – has been a reward all on its own... Bagging Circle Peak with the youth will be another.

– Hannah Dreesbach, WSC Program Support Coordinator 

Get Involved!

Interested in volunteering with us? Want to support GPI programs and events? Email us at info@glacierpeakinstitute.org or click here for more information!

Glacier Peak Institute will once again be hosting our Military Teen Adventure Camp in July and we are in need of more counselors for the boys' cabins. These volunteers are needed for the second week of camp running from July 18-21 with a training day on July 17. Please reach out to 4h.militarycamps@wsu.edu with any questions!

Spring Equinox Newsletter

 
 

Happy Equinox!

In the mountains, bulbs are beginning to break out of the soil as the solar energy reaching the earth increases. Lacking the warmth of the Puget Sound, our spring flowers are always 3 weeks behind. Snowdrops are in bloom, breaking through the soil where snow was on the ground last week. At Glacier Peak Institute, we are breaking forth with our programs. We are beginning to plan late spring and summer programs. This past month, we ran a record 56 programs due to support from Washington State's Outdoor Learning Grant and No Child Left Inside. Support from The National Forest Foundation, United States Forest Service, and Snohomish County Conservation District means that workforce programs will be blooming this year as well, bringing new work opportunities for upriver communities.

We are successfully running unique programs in the upper mountain communities. Recently, I came across community testimony in the Congressional Record from 1994 about the struggle of timber communities to find support and adapt. It reminded me of our struggle today, only that our poverty is higher and our median household income is lower relative to the greater Puget Sound. We are the only program rooted in our upriver communities that is investing in environmental education for rural youth. To handle the grants, agreements, insurance, vehicles, support logistics, and development of a new organization we are having to develop a new model, unique to the communities of the Cascade Mountains.

Our Fundraiser on May 11 celebrates the spring of GPI and our community, while also providing the energy to break forth and support a system for our over 400 programs, 160 work days for youth, and community development. We look forward to you joining us to help propagate the seeds of the next generation of stewards, community, and ecosystems.

– Oak Rankin, Executive Director

Join Us for our Annual Spring Fundraiser!

Join us for our Seventh Annual Spring Fundraiser in Seattle at The Mountaineers on the evening of May 11! Click the image above to register or head here: https://paybee.io/hybrid-event/glacierpeak/3

Our fundraiser is essential to our work of empowering the next generation through outdoor learning. Be a part of our mission and come support GPI on May 11! This year, our event will be held again in a hybrid in-person/virtual format and will feature musical entertainment, food and drink, and a silent auction with many exciting items up for grabs.

We're looking forward to seeing you there!

GPI in Concrete

Painting tree cookies with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County

Big news! Glacier Peak Institute is now serving Concrete Elementary School with hour-long outdoor science lessons for grades 1-6. During the month of March, we are teaching Concrete students about everything from salmon to space using their school yard as a classroom. Leading the initiative is Bailey Huff, our Program Support Coordinator for Concrete, and Julie Stone, our new Outdoor Education Curriculum Manager.

Julie and Bailey are also providing outdoor activities to the Concrete Boys and Girls Club and enriching the labs for Concrete High School Environmental Science classes. Come April, we are planning to get the little ones in Concrete outside by serving the Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes. Bailey and Julie will also be staffing service work projects in North Cascades National Park, at the Concrete Community Garden, and on the Concrete School District grounds for high school students on Saturdays throughout April and May. Our team in Concrete is busy and excited to be sharing Glacier Peak Institute's outdoor expertise with a new district this spring! 

– Julie Stone, Outdoor Education Curriculum Manager, and Bailey Huff, Washington Service Corps Program Support Coordinator

GPI in Darrington

1st graders learn about penguin adaptions while playing an arctic variation of red light, green light

Forest lessons have been a hoot and a holler. Walking out to the archery range is one of our favorite things to do, mainly because we can tell our students love it too! It's been a joy getting to know the students in each class and watching them learn and grow as the end of the school year draws steadily closer. Some recent highlights have been teaching our energetic 3rd graders how to identify native trees and teaching our enthusiastic 4th graders about the wonders of fungi. Watching the grins spread on our students' faces as we hike under the lofty fir trees reminds us why we love to teach and why we love GPI. 

– Dan Dusenberry, Washington Service Corps Program Support Coordinator

Snowshoeing in the Mt. Baker Ski Area with students from Darrington High School

The chill of the winter months has brought a host of unique challenges, opportunities, and moments of joy. Our afterschool programming continues to cover a broad range of outdoor experiences: survival skills, snow sports, bird watching, nature poetry, geocaching, nutrient enhancement, hiking, and more.

Some of the most rewarding programs this quarter have been the ones where youth experience “firsts”. First time writing a poem. First time using an ax – nutrient enhancement involves chopping the tails off of salmon carcasses that we receive from the Whitehorse Hatchery. First time exploring a new trail. After observing fields of snow geese with the Skagit Audubon Society, one youth said he would be asking for a pair of binoculars next Christmas. Another recent program focused on sledding and fire building. After building a runner sled as a team, one youth got to try sledding for the first time ever. He loved it. To top it all off, GPI had the pleasure of working with Gavin Gladsjo’s Outdoor Club to facilitate a winter camping trip for a group of high school students. That trip was full of firsts (downhill skiing, snowshoeing, avalanche safety, shivering in our sleeping bags, etc) and every single participant said they would do it again. One experience can be all it takes to inspire passion. It’s been a privilege to provide our youth with the opportunity to find that passion. 

– Hannah Dreesbach, Washington Service Corps Program Support Coordinator

Glacier Peak Institute in the News!


Earlier this month, The Everett Herald featured an article about Glacier Peak Institute and our Darrington community! Titled “Darrington nonprofit puts kids in touch with timber town’s roots", the article highlights our work in the Darrington Elementary School, 2023 gear drive, and big plans for the future – give it a read!

Volunteer Day at the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe

In recent months, our greenhouse and garden programming has been focused on both continuing to cultivate the plants that we nurture and also sustaining partnerships. One partnership that has been instrumental to our relationship to the surrounding communities is the Food Sustainability Project, which is a joint partnership between the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, North Cascades National Park, and Glacier Peak Institute - funded by the Washington National Park Fund.

For the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, an essential part of creating food sustainability and food sovereignty has been working within the partnership to construct a greenhouse and garden on tribal land. Beginning in January with a ground-breaking ceremony, and continuing through winter and now into spring, the Sauk Suiattle Tribe, North Cascades National Park, and Glacier Peak Institute have been collaborating to install the greenhouse at the tribe behind their health center. On Friday, March 24th, (from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm), we all plan to continue these efforts at the tribe. We will be installing the panels and placing finishing touches on the greenhouse with guidance from tribal members leading the project.

We encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering to attend. This is an incredible opportunity to show your support for not only Glacier Peak Institute, but also our local, state, and tribal partners.

Interested volunteers may contact Dalton Meister at Dalton@glacierpeakinstitute.org to learn more.

Get Involved!

Interested in volunteering with us? Want to support GPI programs and events? Email us at info@glacierpeakinstitute.org or click here for more information!

Winter Solstice Newsletter

 
 

Happy Winter Solstice!


Thank you for being a part of GPI! As a result of your help, we are adding the 8th ring of growth! With thewinterdarkness, tree growth slows and the dark rings are formed. In summer months, trees form light rings as there is more sunlight available. Abundance of resources (light, water, nutrients) and threats (disease, insects, fires) determine the size of rings. We have been steadily growing and adding new programs as resources are available (funding, gear, access, staffing). Withwinter, we are using this time to run programs in the snow while also planning for our future growth. This past year, we have added more outdoor programs (350 outings), more workforce opportunities (80 days), and more trainings to have a broad impact.

In 2023, we will be expanding our workforce programs, recreation programs for youth, and school programs with new support in the Darrington and Concrete School Districts. In order to support this growth, our roots are reaching out to establish ourselves. We will be adding our first additional permanent staff (besides myself), with at least 3 more positions in outdoor education, workforce development , and recreation!  We have been successful due to your support. In this next phase, your continued partnership is vital to our continued success as we work to connect youth to theit community ecosystems.

Thank you and wishing you a wonderful 2023! 

– Oak Rankin, Executive Director

Glacier Peak Institute's Year in Review

GPI had a great year! We wanted to reflect on all of the good times spent with youth in the outdoors this year, so we put together this video with some highlights. We hope you'll enjoy reflecting on 2022 with us!

Working With Concrete School District

We have partnered with the Concrete School District for another year of outdoor education programs! This quarter, we assisted the Concrete Science Teachers to facilitate a lesson on diversity and abundance of fungi in the forest and fields surrounding the Concrete Schools by utilizing quadrats. After the lessons, the teachers exclaimed “we absolutely could not have done these lessons without GPI staff and are extremely grateful.” Over the next few months, GPI will be increasing programs led in Concrete by facilitating in-school lessons with the elementary school in addition to the high school, and will be implementing weekly after school programs for youth.

– Kim Zemel, Outdoor Education Manager

Programming Updates

With the days growing shorter, GPI helped light up the local library with an afterschool luminary decorating program. Following some snowy shenanigans at the Sauk Avenue greenhouse, we walked over to the Darrington Sno-Isle Library and got to work creating colorful, nature-themed designs. Thank you very much to the Skagit Watershed Council for sponsoring this program by provide the wonderful art supplies! Using tissue paper and glue, youth worked to cover their luminaries while reflecting on favorite memories, places, people, and activities in the outdoors.

As our luminaries dried, our friends at the library showed youth what they had access to through their student accounts: books, movies, audiobooks, homework help, and more! We wrapped up by placing lights in each luminary and taking a moment to appreciate them with the lights off. Notably, as we were heading out, one youth commented that we were leaving “heaven”. 

– Hannah Dreesbach, Program Support Coordinator AmeriCorps

As we have been spending more time with classes at Darrington Elementary, it has been wonderful to observe the students as they continue to learn and grow. Their excitement as they line up before each forest lesson is infectious, it reminds me each day what a privilege it is to be able to share with them the infinite ways the natural world is connected to our own. 

As the year comes to a close, our in-school programs have been going better than ever. Some highlights have been building beaver dams with 4th graders, conducting experiments using snow with 2nd graders, and making “bird feathers” out of paper with 1st graders. 

The snow has been a big topic of interest for our outdoor forest lessons in the past few weeks. While there have certainly been a number of distractions brought by the snow, it has also provided us with unique opportunities for teaching. One such example was building igloos with one class in order to learn about insulation after a day of particularly heavy snowfall. The lesson also served as an important lesson in teamwork and cooperation, students took to various roles collecting supplies, laying blocks of snow, and communicating their design strategies and ideas. 

– Dan Dussenberry, Program Support Coordinator AmeriCorps

Currently, we are working in collaboration with educators here in the region to develop and implement an educational curriculum that is community-centered and trauma-informed for the Darrington School District. These efforts have supported the continued implementation of the school-based gardening program that Glacier Peak Institute provides to the Darrington School District through their greenhouse.

Our efforts in the district are an incredible opportunity to engage with Darrington youth in their context, as this fall, we reached over 220 students - ranging from pre-K to 5th grade. We are also integrating our findings into our broader programmatic strategy at GPI, which provides place-based education for young children in the region, while also focusing more broadly on science, technology, recreation, engineering, art, mathematics, and skill-building (STrEaMs).

Through our efforts, we’ve had the opportunity to create empowering and encouraging learning experiences together that use trauma-informed strategies to support children’s relationship to food, while also creating a foundation to support food sovereignty in the region for generations to come.

– Dalton Meister, Greenhouse and Nutrition Coordinator AmeriCorps

We are Hiring!

Are you passionate about the outdoors and youth empowerment? Do you want to live in a welcoming community located in the heart of the North Cascades? Apply to work with Glacier Peak Institute!

We are currently hiring for a number of roles:

You can view all of our open positions on our website here!

Get Involved!

Interested in volunteering with us? Want to support GPI programs and events? Email us at info@glacierpeakinstitute.org or click here for more information!

Autumn Equinox Newsletter

 
 

Happy Equinox!

Thank you for your support and being a part of the community! As the joy of the summer programs and kids' laughter in rivers, lakes and oceans transition to our Fall programs at schools and exploring forests, I would like to congratulate you for your belief in Glacier Peak Institute. In the last year we have offered 360 programs, up from 214 the year before. Wow!

We are looking forward to running even more programs in the years to come as we expand programs in Darrington, mirroring programs in Concrete, and growing to support new organizations such as a camp with the Korean Community Service Center, hikes with Project Girl and outings with Kulshan Creek in Mount Vernon. Our workforce programs have grown from 68 to 84 days. The National Forest Foundation, Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, and WSU Snohomish County Extension have supported our workforce programs for the past 5 years. This past year, we have developed new partnerships with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (restoration), the Snohomish County Conservation District (clean air and fire safety), and The Wilderness Society (park access) that we are excited to use to support career and workforce development in the community. These opportunities did not exist before GPI. We are grateful for you. We have achieved what is possible due to community and partners. This is true for the volunteers who have invested in us.

As we look to the future, GPI is looking to grow from 1 full time permanent staff to 4 in the coming year. To accomplish this next step, volunteers on a development team are needed to help us increase our resources. We also need volunteers to help on programs, construction (of steps and platforms), electrical, gear maintenance and more! This will require 100s of hours more of work. If you are able to give a few hours of this, please consider reaching out to Oak@glacierpeakinstitute.org

– Oak Rankin, Executive Director

GPI News and Upcoming Events

  • Wild Wednesdays are back! Check the schedule below for our October offerings. Parents and guardians – make sure to fill in a waiver form for the new school year so that your child can attend!

  • Glacier Peak Institute is happy to once again be running the Cash for Cones program in partnership with Silvaseed. You can earn $30 for a bushel of Douglas Fir cones – $60 for a whole sack! To pick up some sacks and get a permit to pick on Forest Service land, come by the GPI office Monday-Friday anytime between 9:00 am and 5:30 pm.

  • Join Glacier Peak Institute for our Fall Partnership Breakfast in Marysville on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. We'll be sharing updates on our summer programs and plans for the school year alongside a delicious buffet breakfast featuring upriver ingredients prepared by local Darrington chef Amy Belknap! Click here to get tickets to attend!

Looking forward to the school year

After a fun-filled summer, GPI is looking forward to returning to the classroom! Continuing from last year, every class at the Darrington Elementary School will participate in a combination of forest and greenhouse programs. On top of that, we will be continuing our partnership with North Cascades National Park in providing a field trip for the fifth grade class and high schoolers.

In our first week of classes, students shared what they enjoyed from last year, and what they are looking forward to this year. Learning with the students is a joy, and we cannot wait to see all we discover this school year.

Darrington Elementary School youth participate in one of our in-school class activities last spring. We're looking forward to working with the teachers of Darrington to provide great outdoors education for our local youth.

New faces at GPI

Lauren Evans, AmeriCorps VISTA Economic Strategist

Dalton Meister, Washington Service Corps Greenhouse and Nutrition Coordinator

In the last month, the Glacier Peak Institute team welcomed two new members – Lauren and Dalton! Be sure to say hi if you see them around!

Dalton will be working to implement programs in the Darrington School District - both in the greenhouse and the classroom. He has a background in social work and is passionate about trauma-informed care and empowering youth to lead happy and fulfilled lives.

Lauren will be helping out with Glacier Peak Institute's grant seeking and fundraising efforts to make sure that all of our programming and projects are sustainable over the long term. She has a background in history and loves to learn about new places and tell a good story.

To get to know them a bit better, we asked Lauren and Dalton a couple of questions about their time with GPI –

What are you most looking forward to during your time with Glacier Peak Institute?
Dalton: I am excited to learn about creative ways to center the needs of the youth in our community in our programming, while remaining mindful of the relationship between the youth and the environment in which they live and learn.
Lauren: I am looking forward to learning about the unique needs and perspectives of rural communities and how to become an effective advocate for them in the nonprofit ecosystem.

What's been your favorite part of working with Glacier Peak Institute so far?
Dalton: My favorite part of working at GPI so far has been the opportunity to learn from members of the communities we serve about topics and issues important to each community. As someone who is new to this region, their insight and perspective has been invaluable for me.
Lauren: I have loved being able to get outdoors and appreciate the beauty of Darrington and its surroundings.

Wrapping up the summer season


As summer turns over into fall, we wanted to take this space to reflect on all of the amazing local partners and youth that we were lucky enough to work with this summer. Thank you to all of our volunteers, staff, supporters, and everyone else who helped to make this summer a blast!

Glacier Peak Institute was happy to once again host our summer Forestry Institute Crew. Here is what participant Taylor Ledford had to say about her time this summer –

"This past summer I worked with the Forestry Crew and my favorite project that we did was clearing out the picnic table areas at the Whitechuck overlook. We cut down new small growth trees and used a pole pruner for the hard to reach limbs for a better view of Whitechuck from the road. My favorite part of working with the Forestry Crew was the beautiful views that we got to experience while working. We got the opportunity to brush the Circle Peak trail and all the way up was such amazing views, we were able to see all of the mountains that surrounded Darrington. Something I learned from working was how to work with a group of people to restore hiking trails for generations to come."

Crabbing in the Puget Sound with members of the Korean Community Service Center of southern Snohomish County.

Hiking with youth from Project Girl of Lynwood – another great organization that GPI was proud to partner with!

At Glacier Peak Institute are lucky to have so many great partners across Washington! Here are some pictures from two of the many partner programs that we hosted this summer. Introducing new communities to the outdoors is part of GPI's mission and we hope to continue to maintain and grow our partnerships in the coming year.

This summer, Glacier Peak Institute launch the new Trailhead Ambassador program in partnership with the Forest Service. The goal of this program is to meet people at the trailheads and provide them with information about responsible recreation. Our summer Ambassador Steven Colson shared some reflections on the work that he and our volunteers performed this summer –

"With the onset of COVID, countless people took to the outdoors to escape cabin fever. This introduced many to the beauty of the natural world. Mountain Loop Highway and its recreational opportunities have experienced heightened traffic as a result of this. The Trailhead Ambassador Program was established this summer with the hope of teaching the new people on Mountain Loop Highway how to respect our wilderness, as well as how to be safe and prepared for what they might encounter while outdoors.

We worked with the Forest Service, Washington Trails Association, National Forest Foundation, and many volunteers to kick this project off. Throughout the summer, I met a volunteer from the Mountaineers, and through them, even more volunteers were available for the program. We reached over a thousand people at the Lake 22 Trailhead, and learned a lot for future years."

Marathoners and Half-Marathoners line up at the start/finish line at the second annual GPI Trail Race Fundraiser.

GPI Board Treasurer Kat Haywood crosses the 12k finish line! Thank you to all of our racers who made the day a success!

The Glacier Peak Institute Trail Race returned this August to the White Chuck Bench Trail in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. We were happy to welcome dozens of racers to this annual outdoors fundraiser for youth empowerment and education. Thank you to all who participated and helped to make this event a success, particularly our wonderful volunteers!

Campers get ready to enjoy some kayaking in the Cornet Bay of Deception Pass State Park.

In July, Glacier Peak Institute held our second annual Military Teen Adventure Camp (MTAC) – a two-week summer camp for youth from military families held in partnership with Washington State University Extension. GPI camp staff Dan had this to say about our time with campers this summer:

"Being involved with MTAC again this summer was great! We had a lot of returning people from 2021 and it was great to see how much they had all grown since last year. It was wonderful to be able to connect with all of our returning volunteers too. Chef Amy cooked delicious meals as always! We were lucky to hold the camp at the Cornet Bay Retreat Center which is the site of an old Civilian Conservation Corps camp from the 1930s. Overall, the camp was a great success and we're already looking forward to next year!"

On this hike through the Boulder River trail, youth were able to learn about plant identification.

GPI staff helped youth to hone their mountain biking skills on the North Mountain Skills Park this summer.

This summer we were able to offer many programs for Darrington youth both in town and in surrounding areas! All of our summer programs tie into Glacier Peak Institute's STrEaMs (Science, Technology, recreation, Engineering, art, Mathematics, and skill-building) curriculum. Teaching youth valuable skills and exposing them to new places and experiences outside of school is incredibly rewarding work, and we are already excited for next summer!

Get Involved!

Interested in volunteering with us? Want to support programs and GPI events? Email us at info@glacierpeakinstitute.org or click here for more information!

Forestry Crew Week Seven and Final Goodbyes

Our Forestry Crew completed the last week of hitch for the season at Circle Peak. We enjoyed breathtaking 360º views of the Cascades while working our way together through the trail! The wildflowers and berries were in full bloom, and the sun beamed through the tree canopy all week long. Everyday, we worked hard in the heat, brushing the meadow and lopping foliage that was taking over the trail. We also had fun using water filters to collect river water near the beginning of the trail. It was a much-needed break from the elevation of the hike; the water cooled us down from the intense heat! The crew mentioned that this was one of the most beautiful hikes they’ve ever done. Circle Peak was the perfect trail to end our season!

 

While we greatly missed our Forestry Crew Intern Keathley this week, we were lucky enough to be accompanied by Steven, the GPI Trail Ambassador, on hitch. He helped us brush up on our Leave No Trace (LNT) guidelines and Recreate Responsibly principles all week long. He was full of great information, and he was the perfect boost to morale when the heat and the elevation got intense on the trail. Steven mentioned, “my favorite part of the week was walking down the freshly tidied trail, while seeing the great North Cascades”.

 

This week was full of so much joy in the outdoors, however, we sadly had to say goodbye to the crew as our time together came to an end. We laughed and reminisced about the long season together while huddled around the stove cooking our last few dinners. Each crew member brought their own unique interests, perspectives, and stories this season, and I am going to miss each one of them as our time together concluded. Two crew members, Taylor and Gabe, shared something valuable they learned, and their favorite part of the season:

Crew member Taylor Ledford

Taylor: “I learned that it’s important to always have fun while you’re working so you don’t get bored. My favorite part of the season was when we hiked up to circle peak to see the amazing views of Glacier Peak”.

Crew member Gabe Blanco

Gabe: “I learned that the view is always worth it. My favorite part was the reactions at the summit of Circle Peak”.

As for me, this season taught me about patience, resilience, and to never take for granted how incredible it is to work in the outdoors. I loved watching each crew member flourish into hard workers and citizen scientists. I am very excited to see the great things each member will accomplish as their school year begins! I am grateful for everyone who made this season successful and enjoyable.

 

Alyssa Clifton, Forestry Crew Lead

Forestry Crew Weeks Five and Six

            The Forestry Crew just wrapped up our fifth and sixth weeks of hitch, and they were ones for the books! Our fifth week took us back to the Seed Orchard, where we continued clearing the Douglas fir stand. Returning to the Seed Orchard gave us a deeper appreciation for the work we had already put into the project, and we spent time reminiscing on where we started all those weeks ago. We cleared several rows that had once been so thick with saplings and brush that we couldn’t walk between the trees. Now, visitors can enjoy wide open spaces. Hopefully, the USFS can restart operations in the Seed Orchard soon and our hard work will go toward planting new trees.

            For our sixth week, we transitioned into a hiking-centric hitch with a trip to Crystal Lake. After maneuvering our way up the rough road, we set up camp near the trailhead and spent our days hiking and clearing brush. Due to a bridge blowout several years ago, the Crystal Lake trail has become severely overgrown, so we had our work cut out for us. With a steady and determined pace, we cleared several miles of trail, although some brushy sections remain.

            On Wednesday, we took a break from lopping, sawing, and brushing to hike to the lake and take in the trail’s crowning views. The upper section of the trail was steep and unforgiving, but we took it slow and arrived in the sprawling meadows and lakeshore that afternoon.

            Taking in the alpine scenery—wildflowers dotting the grass, boulders and streams lacing the landscape, and a clear lake sitting serenely at the base of forested hills—gave us all renewed energy. While it was at times an adventure to navigate the brush and intense hills, we agreed that the lake was well worth the hike.

            For the Crew, next week at Circle Peak will be their final hitch. For myself, this past week was my last with GPI, and it proved to be a great one with its jaw-dropping views, good company, fascinating educational programs from the Crew, and countless memories. Send the Crew well wishes for their final week, and thanks for reading!

Crew members discovering a school of tadpoles in Crystal Lake’s shallow water.

 Keathley P.B., Forestry Crew Intern

Forestry Crew Week Four

            Heat waves dominated the fourth week of hitch, but the Forestry Crew still made great progress on this week’s sites! Due to the heat, we didn’t camp this week to let Crew members cool off more easily in the evenings. We stuck to locations near Darrington, starting at the Old Sauk trail, then moving to Beaver Lake, White Chuck Overlook, a dispersed camping site, and the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest sign on Mountain Loop Highway. Going to several locations allowed us to switch up the scenery and chase the shade as temperatures ticked close to 100°F!

            Brushing the Old Sauk trail gave us a break from hand sawing and lopping, which had defined our last week at the Seed Orchard. It provided us with beautiful views of the river, which was so blue it looked like it had been peeled straight from the pages of a travel magazine. Our second day of work also took place alongside the river on the Beaver Lake trail. We brushed the sides of the trail as we hiked, admiring views of the mountains and sparkling water.

            To wrap up our week, we fell back on our hand sawing and lopping skills to clear out the White Chuck Overlook. Before we began, the trees, salal, and huckleberries were so overgrown that visitors couldn’t make out the view from the parking lot. After clearing out saplings, using a pole saw to prune larger branches, and removing thick underbrush, White Chuck rises tall and proud across the valley. As we finished up at the Overlook on Thursday, we had a few people stop by and enjoy the view.

            Highlights from the week included learning how to use a pole saw and working together to reach tall branches, cooling off at the White Chuck Boat Launch, seeing wildlife (a snake and a salamander!), learning how to play Contact, and completing a successful work week despite intense conditions. We’re all looking forward to the cooler temperatures next week when we return to the Seed Orchard!

Keathley P.B., Forestry Crew Intern

Forestry Crew Weeks Two and Three

            The Forestry Crew is back with a second blog post! Over the past two weeks, we traveled to Goat Lake and the Seed Orchard, camping at each location. Goat Lake was our first week of camping, and we got off to a strong start with a beautiful spot on the riverbank. For three days, we hiked the Goat Lake trail, cutting back brush and debris as we went. Our second day took us to the top of the trail, where we enjoyed a scenic lunch with views of the lake and the snowy mountains rising around its shore. We also spent half a day moving the backcountry toilet located halfway up the trail, giving us a break from brushing and a chance to learn more about backcountry bathrooms and LNT principles. If you’re ever able to make it out to the Goat Lake trail (which we all highly recommend), we hope you enjoy the freshly brushed trails and handy toilet!

            The Seed Orchard offered a reprieve for our legs, which had clocked close to ten miles every day during our Goat Lake hitch. However, the Seed Orchard provided challenges of its own as we managed high temperatures and long days of removing volunteer trees and underbrush. The US Forest Service manages the Seed Orchard and is currently restoring it in order to harvest valuable seeds, which Forest Service Rangers can then plant in deforested areas. This is especially important as wildfires become more common and wipe out larger tracts of forest. We appreciate the opportunity to return the Seed Orchard to its original state and found satisfaction on the last day when we looked at the progress we had made. We cleared out several rows, and will be back in two weeks to continue our efforts.

            In addition to work, the Crew spent the evenings chatting around campfires, cooking delicious meals, participating in educational programs, and playing the guitar. Camping allowed us to immerse ourselves in each location and grow closer as a Crew. We cannot wait for more adventures over the course of the season!

Keathley P.B., Forestry Crew Intern

Forestry Crew Week One

          Three weeks ago, GPI’s Forestry Crew kicked off the season with four days at the Suiattle Guard Station, a historic cabin built in 1913 for the US Forest Service. With the goal of workforce development, the Forestry Crew provides local high schoolers with a job, new skills and science education, and a rich connection to the outdoors. The Guard Station ended up being the perfect location to get started and learn and work together!

            After more than a century, the Guard Station needs to be restored before transforming into its next role: an Airbnb rental. The Forestry Crew had the opportunity to fix up the site with our work on the outhouse and grounds. Tasks included brushing around the property, mowing, scraping old paint from the outhouse before repainting it, building new trails and a fire pit, and moving wood piles for easier burning.

            Some of the highlights from the week took place in the car as we drove to and from the Guard Station each day. We saw a black bear run across the road, which paired perfectly with our conversations about local wildlife. One of my roles in the Forestry Crew is as an educator, but I have also learned so much from the youth; one of our Crew members has a wealth of knowledge about fishing, hunting, and the local geography, and he shared several interesting facts, such as the temperaments of different salmon species.

            Spending our days at a picturesque cabin and seeing our work pay off was another highlight. The yard and outhouse look brand new, and we’re excited to have played a part in restoring this fascinating piece of local history! We will not, however, miss the mosquitoes, which followed us in swarms each day. In the end, the bugs were worth it, and we’re excited for our future hitches. Stay tuned for more updates from the Forestry Crew as we travel around the North Cascades!

Keathley P.B., Forestry Crew Intern