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What is the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center?
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Henry Klein Partnership
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The North Cascades Environmental Learning Center (NCELC) is a residential education facility located on the shore of Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park.
The Learning Center is one of the central elements of the 1995 federal re-licensing of Seattle City Light's Skagit River dams. This project and others are designed to mitigate the impact of hydroelectric projects on the Skagit River environment.
The environmental programs offered will help people of all ages learn, enjoy and understand more about the Skagit River and the North Cascades.
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The center has been open to the public since June 2005.
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Who planned and built it?
The North Cascades Environmental Learning Center is a partnership project of Seattle City Light, the National Park Service and North Cascades Institute.
Each partner has unique responsibilities:
- Seattle City Light funded the design and construction of the facility, own the buildings, and are leasing them to North Cascades Institute.
- The National Park Service dedicated land for the Learning Center within the Ross Lake National Recreation Area of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. The National Park Service also provides services such as water, sewer, fire management and educational support.
- North Cascades Institute is a non-profit organization based in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. It operates the Learning Center and provide environmental education programs for all ages and backgrounds.
What facilities does it have?
Embodying principles of sustainability and respect for the natural setting, facilities include:
- Multimedia classrooms, a research library and outdoor learning shelters.
- Lakeside dining hall and amphitheater.
- Overnight accommodations for 46 participants, 12 staff and graduate students.
- Access to a network of park trails that lead deep into the surrounding wilderness.
What kind of Programs are being offered?
North Cascades Institute provides all of the Learning Center's environmental education programs, serving children and adults from the Skagit and Methow Valleys, the Puget Sound region and beyond. The Learning Center reaches more than 10,000 people each year in a wide variety of field-based and overnight programs. Scholarships are available. Programs include:
- Field-based natural and cultural history seminars for adults
- Professional development experiences for teachers
- Mountain School and watershed education for local school districts
- Youth summer experiences such as Mountain Camp and Discovery Canoe Camp
- Volunteer stewardship programs in wilderness, wildlife and watersheds
- Environmental education internships
- Graduate program: Master of Education in Natural Science/Science Education
Where is the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center?
To learn more:
About construction and Seattle City Light:
Tom Pulford
, Senior Capital Projects Coordinator
Seattle City Light
206-684-3422
Janice Boman
, Strategic Advisor-Public Relations
Seattle City Light
206-684-3026
About North Cascades National Park operations:
Tim Manns,
Chief of Interpretation
North Cascades National Park
360-856-5700 ext. 365
About North Cascades Institute and Center Programs:
Deb Martin
, Registrar
North Cascades Institute
360-856-5700 ext. 213
Jeff Muse, Center Director
North Cascades Institute
360-856-5700 ext. 204
About Sustainable Building
Thor Peterson
, Chair, Green Building Team
Seattle Public Utilities Sustainable Building Program
206-684-4643
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