Farewells

It's been an emotional week for this humble volunteer program manager. While there's still a good month of decent weather left for trail building and other projects, school is starting and many of our summer volunteers are heading for home. We say good bye this week to many of our interpretive volunteers, for instance. James "Longmire" Anderson spent the summer working with our interpretive staff as a Student Conservation Association Intern. Rachel Landman rounds out her term as an intern through the Geologic Society of America. Ruth Graves completes a difficult summer that began with personal tragedy and ends in a triumph of perseverance and dedication.

This morning, five members of our Mount Rainier Recovery Corps left for the airport, after a hard working summer helping to rebuild trails and serve as crew leaders for public volunteers. I've worked closely with these guys, and they've earned both my friendship and respect. When we came up with the idea for the Recovery Corps last winter in partnership with the Student Conservation Association, none of us knew what shape it would take, nor how productive it would turn out to be, nor how successfully these kids would reach out to the park's neighbors and welcome them as partners in the park's reconstruction. It's like handing chisels to fourteen people and setting them to work on a block of marble, recruiting five hundred helpers to assist them, and coming back four months later to see that they've all crafted Michelangelo's "David." It's like watching your son grow up to do things you never dreamed he was capable of. Nine members of the Corps remain, with projects already scheduled for hundreds more people to help with, and plenty of room for more.

I also said farewell today to ten members of the Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association (J-VIPA), a group that has been bringing students from Waseda University in Tokyo to help with volunteer projects since 1994. I've worked with this remarkable group before, but this year was special, because for the first time my family and I hosted one of the students in our home, a young woman named Naoko Inoue. She arrived last Sunday and left today, yet in that short time, she became part of our family, fascinating my two sons with stories about Japan, language lessons, and demonstrations of traditional clothing. On Wednesday we all went to watch the Mariners play at Safeco Field. Oh, and she and the other students in her Study Tour also did a lot of work in the park, pulling hundreds of weeds in the greenhouse, building two dozen picnic tables, and setting up and dedicating a "bio toilet" in the Cougar Rock Campground that had been donated by a Japanese environmental non-profit group.

Many extraordinary people pass through our volunteer program every year, from throughout the Puget Sound, across the country, and around the world. We build friendships, share experiences, and get some work done. Saying good bye is always hard. And yet, the friendships continue, and over the years those of us who stick around accumulate quite a widespread group of friends, and the planet keeps getting a little smaller.

Many more volunteers remain, and return week after week, month after month, or year after year. I have come to know people through the volunteer program who have become close personal friends, people I love and trust and respect. They are the strong beating heart of our volunteer program. I'm grateful that they live close by, and aren't going anywhere any time soon.

Meanwhile, to my friends who are departing this week: Arigato.

SCA/Nature Valley - Mt. Rainier Recovery

It’s volunteers on YouTube! Check out a video of students volunteering to rebuild trails at Mount Rainier, through SCA’s Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative and sponsored by Nature Valley (the granola bar company).

New bio-toilet dedicated

Superintendent Ubueruaga and representatives from Groundwork Mishima and the Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association (J-VIPA) dedicate a new "bio toilet" at Cougar Rock Campground, donated by Groundwork and installed by J-VIPA volunteers.

Bio Toilet Donated by Japanese Group to be Dedicated at Mount Rainier

For immediate release

Representatives from Mount Rainier National Park and the Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association (J-VIPA) will dedicate a new “bio toilet” at Cougar Rock Campground at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 30.

The toilet was donated to the park by the Japanese non-profit organization Groundwork Mishima, which works with citizens, local governments, and businesses to address environmental issues and promote volunteerism in Japan. The donation to Mount Rainier came about through the park’s 13-year partnership with J-VIPA, and through a “Sister Park” relationship with Mount Fuji in Japan, where Groundwork Mishima has been active. The donated toilet is valued at $70,000.

Seventeen students and five instructors from J-VIPA and Waseda University in Tokyo are working on volunteer projects in Mount Rainier National Park this summer, including setting up the bio toilet and building its walls, doors, and roof. The toilet’s modern, high-tech design uses cedar chips and natural composting techniques to operate efficiently with very little water and with no odor.

Due to the short season remaining at Cougar Rock Campground, the toilet will not be operated until next year. Its dedication on Thursday will acknowledge the students from Japan, now visiting the park, who helped to make the donation and installation of the bio toilet possible.

-NPS-

Starbucks Staff and Friends Support Rainier

....I'm one of four leads for the Starbucks Hiking and Mountaineering Club, and I off-handedly, several months ago said, "You know what? We really need to go do something at Mount Rainier." Leslie took it and ran with it, found [SCA], and the next thing you know we're planning this thing!

Read more of this interview with Stacey Long, a Starbucks employee who helped plan a recent staff volunteer day at Mount Rainier, on SCA’s website.

Volunteers’ Efforts Repair, Reopen Entire Wonderland Trail

....Last fall's and winter's storms wiped out large sections of the trail, but thanks to staff and a flood of volunteers, the entire trail is now open. New steel bridges are in three locations and some parts of the trail have been relocated. Work, however, continues.

Read the whole story by Sharon Wootton on HeraldNet!

Another day in Paradise

From Greg Carstens, Paradise Meadow Rover:

It is always totally amazing what comes up, when I make my way on the trails at Paradise. On August 23rd I worked a grand total of 3 hours and meadow roved from Nisqually Vista to Myrtle Falls.

I always say to everyone I am partial to the Nisqually Vista trail because of my deep interest in meteorology and the fact that the Paradise Weather Station is also on this trail, but it always allows me to express my deep love of that science to many visitors in the park as well. Yesterday was no different. I met some nice ladies at the Vista Point from London and explained and taught them a little bit about glaciology without trying to be too technical. They were totally amazed about my knowledge of glaciers and climate. I told them also that I always try to make it down the Vista trail to check the glacier's current position and also the amount of snow on the ground when there is snow at the weather station.

A little after that I went back up the trail and looked at things in miniature. I noticed colorful butterflies and also the many tadpoles in the pond on the Vista Trail. I looked all around me and noticed that the flower season seemed to have peaked. I was a little dismayed that I had missed many lupines this year which will always be my favorite flower on The Mountain.

After making a stop at the Jackson Visitor Center I returned to the trail to Myrtle Falls. I hiked a bit further up and didn't see really any problems or great concerns in the Golden Gate Cirque below the Skyline Trail so I headed back to the falls and noticed a man leaving the bridge and by the time I got there noticed he was standing nearly at the top of the waterfall. I did not hesitate to get his attention and bring him back onto the bridge with me to tell him it was very dangerous to be standing where he was. I then told him how he could see more waterfalls in the park but also made him realize that there were many unfortunate mishaps in the past in the park when leaving the trail like he did just to get what some think might be a better perspective. All in all, I had no idea what the man was thinking and he seemed to have a adventurous spirit but I probably also saved the rangers probably from doing a recovery effort of some sort as well.

I returned toward the Jackson Visitor Center and made my way along the Waterfall trail and met a man with his daughter as I was headed back. This man told me that he had skied at Paradise before World War II. I am always totally fascinated to meet seniors who have been coming to Mount Rainier for many years because sometimes they are willing to share some of their own history that may not be written into any Park records. I find this kind of information so invaluable.

Once I had returned to the Jackson Visitor Center I saw it was still only 3:30 PM and figured oh what the heck, one more short walk up the Dead Horse Creek Trail. Oh was I sure glad I did this. I was not but probably 50 feet onto the Dead Horse Creek Trail when I noticed a couple of nice ladies sun bathing with a blanket spread out next to a rock and smashing down countless grasses and young huckleberry plants. They were a little surprised to see me, but I also smiled and said, "Ladies? I need to speak with a few moments. I need to let you know that off-trail meadow sun bathing does not help the plants grow in their short 3-month growing season up here." They quickly got up and moved and said they were sorry. I said "That's ok, that is what I am here for. To teach and let everyone know why it is so important to stay on the trails." I said, "There are also many small log benches along the trail as well if you want to sit and read and take in The Mountain as well," and told them "Have a great day and I appreciate your cooperation." After this I headed a little further up the trail and noticed a log out of place next to the creek. It was standing straight up like someone picked it up and stood it next to the culvert. I took this log and place it over an area next to the trail where a social trail had been well established. After this I headed back and my day was basically done after just three hours.

All in all I made about 25 contacts in just 3 hours and was a really big help to all the staff in the park. I always feel so rewarded for my efforts, and usually, like I did on this day, I stopped at National Park Inn for a bite to eat and thought while I was there how satisfied I felt after being able to help out in a big way in just a short time.

Just another day in Paradise.

Thank you and looking ahead to next year

Even though the summer is not over yet, the NW storm recovery coalition and federal agencies such as the National Park Service are already looking toward next year and the flood restoration work that remains to be done. It's almost hard to believe it’s been almost a year since we all were all stunned to learn of the devastation from last fall's storms. Since then the public has turned out by the thousands to repair miles of trail have been repaired, restore countless bridges and clean up campgrounds and picnic areas. Yet, there will be much left to do next year.

Read more on the NorthwestParks and Public Lands Storm Recovery Blog!

The fifth issue of this summer's volunteer newsletter is now available! In this issue:

• Planning begins for next year's volunteer program.
• Volunteers are needed to help at the Puyallup Fair.
• Save the date! National Public Lands Day, and our end-of-season celebration, will be September 29.
• Featured volunteer Scott Hart designs bridges for Mount Rainier.
• Thank you, volunteers! Long-time volunteers are recognized for their service.
• Calendar of projects: more ways to help rebuild Rainier!

Public Can Say 'Thanks a Million' to Park Volunteers

There is little doubt this year how important the work of volunteers is at Mount Rainier National Park. People by the hundreds have been giving their time and effort to help the park recover from the damage done by storms late in 2006....

Read more in an article by Jeff Mayor on the website of the News Tribune.

A meadow rover at Mount Fremont

Photo by Marilyn Darling
A trail patrol volunteer takes a break at Fremont Lookout, which is under repair from last winter's storms.

New Media!

New media are available on this website! Check out dozens of new pictures of volunteers in action--meadow roving at Sunrise, building trails, and helping with flood recovery efforts. You can also download and view two video interviews recorded by Communication Intern Susan Newman: One of Barry and Hunter Brown, trail repair volunteers (6.54 Mb), talking about their experiences and motivations for volunteering; and one of me--Kevin Bacher, Volunteer Program Manager (9.30 Mb)--summing up the volunteer program so far this year and our partnership with SCA. Enjoy!

Good stories

On Saturday evening, Mount Rainier National Park hosted a small gathering of some of our longest-running volunteers. We baked a few pounds of lasagna, and served it with potluck salads, deserts, and stories from the trail.

The stories are what I enjoy the most. Our volunteers have such amazing experiences out on the trail, from the interesting people they meet, to the wildlife they see, to the adventures they have along the way. Some of our volunteers keep meticulous notes about the flowers and glaciers along their routes, which will be invaluable for future naturalist and historians interested in the changing patterns of wildflower blooms and melting glaciers.

I hear great stories from the supervisors, too. There’s the group from REI last week, 16 people, who pulled 15,860 invasive weeds in a day’s work (which would be extremely helpful in my own yard, though much less critical!). Then there’s the group from Starbucks the weekend before that, who finished their trail project early and decided to pack in the decking for a new trail bridge in Stevens Canyon. Our trail crew was considering the use of a helicopter to fly the materials in to the work site, an efficient but expensive alternative; our two dozen volunteers accomplished it in an afternoon, at no cost! (Just what kind of coffee were they drinking, anyway?!) One of our individual volunteers, Scott Hart, has been designing trail bridges to replace the ones washed out by winter storms, and his donated engineering expertise has saved the park thousands of dollars.

The best part is that these stories are invariably told with great relish and enthusiasm, and an obvious anticipation of the next adventure!

We’re at 1,359 volunteers so far this year, and counting, with loads of work yet to go. Thank you, to all of you, for your efforts, and your stories.

"Thank You" from Superintendent Dave Uberuaga

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

A great time of celebration was enjoyed Saturday evening at the Longmire Community Building for the annual Volunteer Recognition Picnic. Current Mount Rainier volunteers, Student Conservation Association, Conservation Land Corps and the newly-arrived Japanese Volunteers-in-Parks Association (JVIPA), were recognized for their contributions to the park and joined park staff to enjoy a great potluck dinner. The JVIPA group will spend the next three weeks helping with campground construction and revegetation projects in the park.

Special Volunteer Service Awards were presented to the following Mount Rainier Volunteers:

• 10 Year Service Award: Myra Leicester, a Patrol Ranger at Sunrise with 2,329 hours of service.
• 15 Year Service Awards: Dinni Fabiani, a Trails Assistant with 762 hours of service; and Jack Leicester, a Patrol Ranger at Sunrise with 4878 hours of service.
• 25 Year Service Award: Jeanne Friend, who’s served in many capacities over the years since 1983, most recently conducting historical research, with 7,439 hours of service.
• 500 Hour Service Award: Robert McRae, Meadow Rover at Sunrise since 2001.
• 1,000 Hour Service Award: Arlington Ashby, climbing ranger since 2006; Darlene Chauvin, Campground Host at Ohanapecosh since 2002; Peter Jewell, Climbing Ranger since 2005; Eileen Kruegal, Meadow Rover at Sunrise since 2001; Carol Miltimore, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 2006; Jim Miltimore, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 2005; and Sam Wick, Climbing Ranger since 2006.
• 2,000 Hour Service Award: David Minzel, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 2002.
• 3,000 Hour Service Award: Tyler Chilman, Carbon River Patrol Ranger since 1997.
• 5,000 Hour Service Award: Jack Leicester, Sunrise Patrol Ranger since 1993.
• 9,000 Hour Service Award: Flash Parlini, Carbon River Patrol Ranger since 1991.
• Take Pride in America Secretarial Volunteer Service Awards (for 3000 volunteer hours): Tyler Chilman and Phil Winn, Eastside Wilderness Ranger since 1995.
• Take Pride in America Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (for 4000 hours of service): George Coulbourn, Carbon River Patrol Ranger since 1997; Jack Leicester; and Bob and Jeri Shaffer, Westside Wilderness Rangers since 1991.
• Volunteer Passes (for 500 hours of service beginning January 1, 2007) were presented to: James Anderson, Paradise Interpreter and Student Conservation Association intern; Arlington Ashby, Climbing Ranger; Karl Brummert, Education Assistant; Christina Gooch, Sunrise Interpreter and Geoscientist-in-Park through the Geologic Society of America; Ruth Graves, Paradise Interpreter; Rachel Landman, Paradise Interpreter and Geoscientist-in-Park; Michael Powell, Geographic Information Specialist and Student Conservation Association intern; and Sam Wick, Climbing Ranger.

When you add all these hours together, the totals are amazing and we are so fortunate to have all of these great folks at Mount Rainier. Plus there many more park volunteers working every day or every weekend in the park, who have not quite reached these totals yet, but are on their way. And this year we have the additional help from the Student Conservation Association, Conservation Land Corps, Washington Trails Association, REI and many other new volunteers who have come to help us with our flood recovery.

We appreciate all the work you have done and continue to do. Thank You!!

Field Notes

When I was given the opportunity to serve full time as Mount Rainier’s volunteer program manager, rather than just part-time, I thought, great! Now I won't be so insanely busy during the summer! What wishful thinking!

This year I've been busier than ever—but for all the right reasons. The volunteer program is running smoothly, and if anything, the number of people signing up for volunteer projects has gone up a bit. (For complete details, download SCA's Progress Report in pdf format.) Thank you to all of you who are helping out! There is still lots of work to get done before the end of the year. Check out our calendar of public projects, or download this flyer; or, give Project Manager Jill Baum at call at 360-569-2211 ext. 3414 if you have a group that would like to contribute.

I spent Monday afternoon hiking from Longmire to Kautz Creek on the Wonderland Trail with Mike Lanza of Backpacker Magazine, who is researching a story on the park's flood damage and our efforts to rebuild with the help of volunteers. He was definitely impressed by the outpouring of support we've received, and I'm sure that sentiment will be featured prominently in his article. I hadn't been out to Kautz Creek since the flood, and I was amazed all over again by the extent of the trail damage there, and how raw it still looks. That's one of the many places that are now "passable" but still need a lot of work to bring back to the trail standards we were used to before the storm. This sentiment is echoed on the Washington Trails Association’s Storm Damage Map, which still shows an awful lot of red and yellow "damage" markers in comparison to the blue "repair" symbols.

Volunteer patrol ranger George Coulbourn ran into a high school trail crew at Carbon River last Saturday. He reports, "Kudos to the Carbon SCA team. These High School incoming and outgoing seniors worked hard, and left our trail in as good shape as I've ever seen. I met with them numerous times and complimented them on their work frequently. Yesterday, I made a point of thanking each one individually and telling them how proud they should be of what they had done this summer." I've heard similar comments about every one of the volunteer crews we've had out this year.

In other news, planning continues for next year's volunteer program, and we have lots of exciting ideas about how to make the banner success of this year's effort even better. We welcome your ideas, too, so if you have a brainstorm in the shower, please share it with me! Next month, the local community of Ashford is celebrating its sixth annual Rainier Mountain Festival, which will involve several days of fun activities and special guests, as well as a volunteer project in the park and a raffle to raise funds for trail restoration. Plans are also developing for National Public Lands Day, coming up on September 29, which will be a day of volunteer activities followed by a celebration of the role volunteers have played this summer at Mount Rainier. Mark your calendars and watch this space for further details. I hope to get another newsletter out next week, with more stories and photos, and to post more pictures of volunteers in action on our photo page.

Finally, a great big thank you has to go to Susan Newman of SCA, who has helped out tremendously this summer by photodocumenting the Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative and is now returning to college at Cornell University, and to Marilyn Darling, who always seems to show up, like a super hero, when my need is most dire and my paperwork and correspondence have gotten most out of hand!

Check out the news clippings that follow, as well. There's been a lot going on, and a lot of really fine people are helping to make it happen.

A Meadow Rover Report from Paradise

From John Walsh, Paradise Meadow Rover:

Headed up to Paradise Sunday (12th). The following is my report: Weather was not exactly "pleasant," heavy clouds, cool and rain later in the day. Still nice on the mountain though and was rewarded with seeing a number of baby marmots (pretty funny, "cartoonish" characters) and seeing the meadows with remaining flowers. Before the rain started the mist was heavy enough to coat each plant in a coat of moisture, encapsulating the flower so each looked like a jewel. It is one of those "small" things that make the meadows special. Wish there was some way to "capture" the image but don’t know if I could do it. Was sitting at Pan Point just resting a minute and I felt something scramble up my back and turning my head slightly noted a rather large, fat chipmunk sitting on my shoulder. He just sort of sat there for about 5 minutes, tucked into my neck, and then casually walked down my arm and left! I was not eating anything so I guess he needed a "friend" for a couple of minutes or needed to warm up!

Volunteers Hit the Trail: Park Maintenance Backlog Worsens Each Year

….Washington Trails Association volunteers will rack up more than 80,000 hours of brushing, clearing, repairing and extending trails by the end of the year — breaking the record of 74,941 hours set in 2006, according to Lauren Braden, spokeswoman for the Seattle-based nonprofit. “There’s quite a bit of damage out there,” Braden said. “Hikers want to do what they can to help.” Many of those helping hands have gone to Mount Rainier National Park, which suffered particularly heavy damage….

Read the whole article, about volunteer efforts on National Forest land as well as in the National Parks, in an article by Kie Relyea on the website of The Bellingham Herald.

More Beauty Than Devastation

When I picked up the paper on the morning of November 5th, 2006, I almost forgot to breathe. My mountain – the mountain – Western Washington’s Mount Rainier had been hit, hard, by the record-setting rain of the day before.... The storm was terrible. But its aftermath could hold more beauty than devastation. This is an opportunity for every citizen of the mountain, anyone who sees it on a daily commute, anyone who has admired it from afar or up close, to experience the profoundly rewarding act of "giving back" to the land....

Read more by intern Laura Bogar on SCA's blog, "Conservation Nation."

Going Above and Beyond: Stewardship in the National Parks National Parks

A recent commenter made sure to point out the distinction between the national park system and the National Park Service.... The management role the National Park Service plays in our parks cannot be understated, but the responsibility of protecting the parks does not lie with them alone. You and I have the same responsibility to pass the resources of our park system to future generations, just as it was passed to us by preceding generations. For those wishing to get involved, volunteering is one way to preserve the gift of the parks.

Read the entire, thoughtful article on the National Parks Conservation Association's blog, "National Parks Traveler."

Park News

On the weekend of August 3-5 the MRNPA had its annual workparty/campout event. There were several who camped Friday night. They were joined Saturday morning by several more for trail work along the Wonderland Trail reroute between Longmire and Cougar Rock....

Read more, with a link to pictures, on the Mount Rainier National Park Associates website.

Rebuilding Rainier 2.4

The fourth issue of this summer's volunteer newsletter is now available! It features some great pictures, lots of good news about progress being made on flood recovery, and more opportunities to get involved yourself. Also, learn about a new Interagency Volunteer Pass, developed to reward the cummulative efforts of those who volunteer on our public lands.

Mount Rainier Park Briskly Recovering from Storms

Unprecedented numbers of volunteers are helping paid contractors rebuild trails, campgrounds, and roads in Mount Rainier National Park. Storm damage closed the iconic park for six months this past winter and spring. Now, the pace of recovery is delightfully brisk. Correspondent Tom Banse reports.

Read the full story, or listen to the broadcast, by Tom Banse of National Public Radio, on the website of KUOW in Seattle!

You can now hike all the Wonderland Trail

The Park Service reports that the Wonderland Trail is now hikeable in its entirety. The trail was severely damaged by rains this past November. New footlogs and temporary bridges are in place, and you can now complete a hike of the 93-mile trail, although it does require a detour on a stretch of the Stevens Canyon Road…. This is fantastic news, and a huge thank you is due to the National Park Service, plus committed volunteers from Student Conservation Association and Washington Trails Association. There's still much work to be done….

Read the whole article on WTA's Signposts Blog.

SCA Alumni Work Together at Mount Rainier

The first Rainier SCA alumni event took place without much fanfare but with much enthusiasm and hard work....

Read more on SCA's Rainier News blog.

Field Notes

Lots of news to report! I’ve been out of the office most of the past week, and it’s nice to return to reports of positive things happening all over the park. Here are a few highlights from the e-mails and phone messages scattered across my desk:

The Wonderland Trail is open! Steve Klump, our Wilderness Supervisor, sent this e-mail to our park staff late yesterday afternoon: "Thanks to the great work by trail crew, the Wonderland Trail is essentially open. All the main creek crossings have bridges in place. There remains temporary reroutes in some sections, a road bypass in Stevens Canyon, and a few closed camps. However, permits can begin to be issued for the entire loop. We will start accepting reservations for complete Wonderland itineraries. The public website and trail conditions report will be updated shortly." Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen!

Statistics: Speaking of which, our total number of volunteers for the year has now exceeded 1,000! That includes almost 300 individual volunteers, 359 who’ve volunteered through work parties led by SCA’s Mount Rainier Recovery Corps, well over 200 who’ve participated in WTA projects by now, and more than 150 others who’ve joined other group efforts. We had 924 volunteers in all of last year, so with two months to go in the fiscal year reporting period, we are well positioned to shatter all previous records for volunteer participation!

That being said, there is still a lot of work to be done before the snow flies! Keep us on your calendar, and let’s get as much done as possible this year!

Coming up on NPR: Tune your radios to NPR on Monday morning, August 6th, for a special report by Tom Banse on the volunteer efforts to rebuild Mount Rainier’s trails. In addition, I’ll link to the report as soon as it appears on KPLU’s website. The live broadcast is tentatively scheduled to be part of Morning Edition throughout Washington State.

Former Volunteer Makes Good: Brian Landau was a Geoscientist-in-Parks volunteer at Sunrise last year, while on sabbatical from the King County Department of Natural Resources. He has had an abstract accepted for presentation by the Geologic Society of America based on his experience here, entitled "Sunrise, Sunsets, and Mudflows: Lessons Learned from a Summer Experience as a Geologic Interpreter at Mt. Rainier National Park." You can hear his report live at the GSA’s annual meeting in Denver, and in the meantime, read his interesting abstract online!

Coming Up: A new issue of our newsletter will be out shortly, probably early next week. Meanwhile, there are still lots of projects on our calendar for the coming months, including trail repairs, meadow roving, and backpacking trips. Further out, mark your calendars for September 29, when we will commemorate National Public Lands Day with a suite of projects and a major celebration of the role volunteers have played in Mount Rainier’s recovery efforts. Details will be announced soon! Even further out, we’re already planning for next year’s volunteer program. When did it become August already?!

Petersburg, Alaska #5

Building trails is
Understanding it's Feng Shui....

I just had to share this great poem by Katie Sobalsky, an SCA intern in Alaska. Check out the whole poem on SCA's Conservation Nation blog!

Rainier's Wonderland Trail ready for hikers

Here's a sign things are getting back to normal at Mount Rainier: Repairs to the Wonderland Trail have made it possible for hikers to take to the 93-mile-long Wonderland Trail that wraps Rainier....

Read more on the National Parks Conservation Association's website.

Off to Indian Henry's

Volunteers Charlie Devine, Taylor Barbrack, and David Barbrack join Mount Rainier Recovery Corps members Sam Keller, Hannah O'Connell, and Susan Simpson as they prepare for five days of trail repairs near Indian Henry's Hunting Ground starting August 1st.