North Cascades Fall Naturalist Seminar
Event Details
Taking care of the world, whether we call it conservation, stewardship, or sustainability, depends on the accurate portraits of places, processes, and organisms provided by natural history.
— Thomas L. Fleischner
As summer yields to autumn, hone your skills as a naturalist with expert tracker and educator Chris Byrd. We’ll gather at the Environmental Learning Center on the shores of Diablo Lake in the heart of the North Cascades to explore a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, along with discussions focusing on geology, climate, conservation biology, and biogeography.
The fall is a great time to focus on mushrooms, lichens, and mammals, and to contemplate the intricacies of avian migration!
Black bear scat from feeding on Pacific crab apple; photo by Chris Byrd
On Saturday, we’ll travel together towards the “dry side” of the Cascades in search of wildlife in locations known for the Cascade Frog, dragonflies and mammals. Stops may include mountain passes, meadows, and wetlands.
Columbia lily; photo by Chris Byrd
On Sunday. we'll explore sites around the Skagit River and learn about westside fungi, salmon and other freshwater fish.
Our locations and routes will depend upon scouting leading up to the course by our instructor Chris Byrd, who has been studying natural history along the West Coast for almost two decades and is currently a PhD candidate in Environmental Studies and Conservation Biology at Antioch University.
Northern alligator lizard; photo by Chris Byrd
In this course, you’ll develop a strong foundation in regional geology, climate, ecology, and wildlife, and gain hands-on experience with naturalist tools and techniques such as camera trapping, optics, and tracking. Don’t miss this comprehensive primer on North Cascades natural history!
Black bear cambium feeding; photo by Chris Byrd
Activity Level & Logistics: Expect up to 2.5 miles of walking with elevation gains of up to 500 feet, sometimes on uneven terrain or off-trail.
Scholarships and Student, Military and Disability discounts are available for most in-person programs. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Call (360) 854-2599 for more info!
Top image: beaver killed by cougar; photo by Chris Byrd