Bulletin Board

Skagit River, Fishtown and poetry special events, May 15 and 20

Tim McNulty reading Robert Sund in Bellingham, May 15

Join North Cascades Institute at Village Books' Reading Gallery (1200 11th Street, Bellingham) on May 15 at 7 pm for a free reading from the new book Notes from Disappearing Lake: The River Journals of Robert Sund. Edited by Sund's close friends Tim McNulty and Glenn Hughes, this volume assembles poem-like journal entries by the esteemed Pacific Northwest poet from his shack on the Skagit River estuary. With freshness and immediacy, these pieces reveal the poet's ongoing artistic discipline based on close attention to the natural world -- as well as his spiritual insight, humor and love for all that lifts the heart -- in one of the Northwest’s most mystically beautiful landscapes.

More details at http://ncascades.org/signup/programs/special-events.

The Poetry and Culture of Fishtown : A Canoe Voyage on the Skagit River

Join artist and former Fishtown resident Bo Miller and poet Tim McNulty on a voyage down the Skagit River’s Swinomish Channel in the North Cascades Institute’s 36-foot Salish-style canoe. Paddling together, Bo will share stories illuminating the natural and cultural significance of the area and Tim will share poems from Robert Sund and other Fishtown poets and lead us in a simple writing exercise in the landscape that inspired them. We’ll stop along the way for refreshments, visit Robert Sund’s cabin at “Disappearing Lake” and end the adventure at Pioneer Park in La Conner for dinner and a panel discussion.

$175 ticket includes canoe voyage, refreshments, barbeque dinner and Pioneer Park activities.  Register at www.ncascades.org/signup/programs/poetry-and-culture-of-fishtown or (360) 854-2599.

Pioneer Park Barbeque and Fishtown discussion

Join us for the closing festivities for the Skagit River Poetry Festival with a gathering and party from 5 – 9 pm in La Conner-- we’ll enjoy delicious barbeque made with local ingredients and a lively panel discussion on the poetry and art of Fishtown and the Lower Skagit. Poet Tim McNulty, former Fishtown resident Bo Miller, poet Bob Rose, Museum of Northwest Art curator Kathleen Moles and filmmaker Pat Ford will discuss the art and community of Fishtown in the 1970s and 80s and the flowering of culture and place that emerged there.

$30 ticket includes dinner and panel discussion and are avail­able through Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpaper­tickets.com/event/236971 or “at the door.”

January 1, 2012

Accountability, transparency and results

North Cascades Institute, a conservation non-profit based in Skagit and Whatcom counties, received its eighth consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for its sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. Charity Navigator, the premier charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of over 5,500 of America's largest charities.

"Only one percent of the charities we rate have received at least eight consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that North Cascades Institute outperforms most other charities in America," explains Ken Berger, president & chief executive officer of Charity Navigator. "This 'exceptional' designation from Charity Navigator differentiates North Cascades Institute from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust."

People interested in making a tax-deductible donation to support the Institute's work are encouraged to visit www.ncascades.org/give or contact Amy Wilcox at (360) 854-2596.

"This is an endorsement that we are successfully achieving long-term change from America's most trusted independent charity evaluator," said Institute development director Amy Wilcox. "The Institute was compared against thousands of other nonprofit organizations and received the highest overall rating for sustainability and efficiency -- donors' dollars go to programs and the people we serve, not expensive overhead."

As the nonprofit sector continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, savvy donors are demanding more accountability, transparency and quantifiable results from the charities they choose to support with their hard-earned dollars. In this competitive philanthropic marketplace, Charity Navigator, America's most-used charity evaluator, highlights the work of efficient charities and provides donors with essential information needed to give them greater confidence in the charitable choices they make.

North Cascades Institute is a non-profit organization based in northwestern Washington whose mission is to conserve and restore Northwest ecosystems through education. Earlier this year, the Institute was lauded by the National Park Service with a "Certificate for Outstanding Partnership Achievement." The Institute's award-winning programs include Mountain School, Cascades Climate Challenge, North Cascades Wild and dozens of classes and retreats focused on the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest. They operate the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park in partnership with NPS and Seattle City Light.

The Institute's online Charity Navigator evaluation is posted at www.charitynavigator.org.