Weekly Programming

July & August - Mountain Arts and Sciences for Youth programs invite youth (and enthusiastic parents or caregivers) to join artists, naturalists, and scientists for a series of  workshops for kids designed to connect them with the natural world around them. Program Director Lara Applebaum.

June-August - Summer Arts & Lectures Series promotes the arts and sciences as integral and necessary components of an educated and enlightened existence. This program is organized to inspire personal discovery, creativity, and intellectual inquiry and to sustain an inclusive community by presenting relevant, unique, entertaining, and diverse events including performances, films, and lectures in the Kennicott Valley. Most of our lectures and arts presentations are free to members and highlight the incredible talent housed in or drawn to this small mountain community. This series is sponsored in part by the National Park Service. Please check back for an expanding list of specific dates and times.

Scheduled Programs and Events

Meg Hunt Residency Program: Artists and writers of all genres and stages in their career are encouraged to apply for one of several two-week residencies. The WMC will make selections through a competitive admissions process. We hope to encourage emerging and mid-level career voices as well as mature professionals.

College Field Studies Program- Learn about the natural and human forces that come together to shape one of the most spectacular, unique, and wild landscapes in North America. Explore cutting-edge research questions in a remote field setting as you work, while earning semester’s worth of credits with our world-class faculty. Develop new skills, from collecting and analyzing field data on glaciers and alpine tundra organisms, to solar panel maintenance, gardening, and cooking at our sustainable off-grid campus, to backpacking through the wilderness of the largest national park in the United States. Our field studies program is a collaboration between the Wrangell Mountains Center and The Evergreen State College.

Spring Break Up Party & Fundraiser in Anchorage- Join us to kick off the season with food, drink, a silent auction, and live music.

Memorial Day Weekend Community Work Party - The Wrangell Mountains Center invites neighbors, alumni, and other volunteers to join us anytime from 10am-4pm during our facility and garden work party. Swing by for a few minutes or a few hours. There will be plenty of opportunities for some laughs, meals, and old fashioned manual labor directed toward a good cause. Open to anyone and everyone looking for a good time at the Old Hardware Store and Porphyry Place!

Spring Bird Walk with Mark Vail - Meet in front of the Old Hardware Store. Coffee and tea will be served. $5 suggested donation.

Community Meditation Day, Porphyry Place, downtown McCarthy- with Michelle Latvala from Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Come for a day of meditation and mindfulness practices, grounded in the wilderness surrounding us and the Buddhist teachings. Beginners/all levels are welcome!  Meet at Porphyry place from 10am-4pm, light hot yummy lunch included provided by Wrangell Mountain Center. Chairs and some sitting props are available; if you have a meditation cushion, you are welcome to bring it. Dress comfortably as we will be offering a mix of sitting and walking meditation throughout the day, indoor and outdoor. Sliding scale donations requested to cover WMC operational costs: $ 10-15 for members, $ 15-20 for non members.

Sustainable Agriculture and Composting Workshop-with Arlene Rosenkrans - Learn about sustainable agriculture and how to grow crops organically for your climate.Discover how to create a successful garden plan, learn about soil health, water management, pest/disease control as well as seed propagation and transplanting,

Kids Making History- Meet at 1:00pm at the McCarthy-Kennicott Historical Museum. For the 9th year running, the WMC will partner with the McCarthy-Kennicott Historical Museum for this afternoon event. We’ll start at the Museum for a look at what kids did back when McCarthy was an active mining town. This year's guest historian will lead the group on a walking tour of downtown with an emphasis on what it was like to be a kid in McCarthy years ago. Back at the WMC, the group will then document their own stories. This information will be archived at the museum--helping to create a living document of today’s Kennecott Kids.  All ages of children are welcome to join us in learning about McCarthy while also documenting their own moments in history! Learn more about youth programs.

Family Music Camp- At the McCarthy Family Music Camp, all family members get to enjoy learning and playing music with others, accompanied by the melodies of some of Alaska’s biggest glaciers and most inspiring mountain scenery. During our tune-filled, action-packed folk music camp, families will engage in multiple instructor-led group sessions and classes. Family members will have opportunities to play together, as well as with individualized peer sessions.

Youth Geology Camp- As a part of the Mountain Science for Youth programs, the WMC and the Wrangell Institute for Science & Environment (WISE) are teaming up to offer the fourth annual Youth Geology Camp, for youth ages 12-18. Kids will explore and learn about natural formations, milling history, and wilderness camping on the banks of McCarthy Creek and the hillsides of Kennecott. Contact stef@wrangells.org to learn more.

The Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop presents Riversong- The Wrangell Mountains Writing Workshop is pleased to partner with McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters to host a seven-day, six-night adventure in the fabulous Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Explore the ways wilderness can help inspire songs, stories, poems, and essays. Activities include an opening reading/performance and craft sessions in the comfort of the Wrangell Mountains Center’s facility in McCarthy, followed by three nights and four days of creative inquiry along the Kennicott, Nizina, Chitina, and Copper Rivers. Space is limited to nine student writers/songwriters.

Tall Tales Storytelling Contest and Silent Auction: Our annual fall storytelling contest returns! Bring your best story (or most compelling lies) and join us for this entertaining evening showcasing the creativity of local residents and visitors at the New Golden Saloon.

McCarthy Half Marathon and 5 Mile Runs: Race starts at Glacier View Campground (Mile 59 of the McCarthy Road). $30 per person registration; $15 under 16. Proceeds benefit the WMC. Register online or at the starting line from 12:45-1:45 pm.

Stay tuned for more summer programs and events! You can check out past programs and events here.