North Cascades Environmental Learning Center
The North Cascades Environmental Learning Center is a campus for fi eld classes situated on Diablo Lake. Located on the south slope of Sourdough Mountain in the heart of the North Cascades, the Learning Center has access to abundant wilderness. Overnight accommodations are available for forty participants and 12 staff members. The Center features an Administration Building, Lodges, Classrooms & Library, Staff Housing, Amphitheater, and Dock. Trails from the Learning Center lead to outdoor learning shelters as well as into the back country of the National Park. Direct access to Diablo and Ross Lakes will also enable waterborne journeys to begin at the center.
The Learning Center was designed for the partnership of Seattle City Light, National Park Service, and North Cascades Institute. The partnership is committed to insuring that the development of this pristine site is executed with the least amount of detrimental disturbance. The goal is not only to demonstrate the utmost stewardship towards the natural resources, but to serve as a working model of sustainable practices to educate all the visitors to the site. The Learning Center was one of the first LEED Silver projects in the state of Washington.
Dormitories
Existing disturbed areas were reused and significant efforts were made to maintain the vegetation and natural features of this beautiful scenic environment, including efforts to collect native seeds and cuttings from the site, propagate it off-site and replanting over 20,000 specimens at the end of the project by teams of volunteers.
Named “Top Three Spots in the North Cascades” by The Seattle Times and “Top Ten Great Getaways” by ParentMap Magazine, the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center is a hub of discovery for all ages in one of the wildest, most biologically diverse landscapes in North America.
Activities include school and youth programs, family camps, boat tours, photography and art retreats, and conferences and group retreats, drawing visitors from all over the state, country, and globe.
Campus Buildings clustered along an exterior “stream-street” for indoor/outdoor classwork
Dormitories overlooking the Main Service Buildings
Library
Classroom
Wet Lab
Library
