Hello, everyone. It’s been quite awhile since the last Newsletter was published, over two months, and a lot has happened since then. Indeed, I think we’re due for a new newsletter. Well wait no more, volunteers, I present without further ado the May 2009 Newsletter.
Longmire Campground
I want to start off by officially welcoming our new Longmire Campground hosts, Jean and Harry Millan. They have graciously volunteered their summer to act as Campground Manager for the historic Longmire Campground. The Longmire Campground is being restored specifically for the use of volunteers and the Millan’s will help organize and oversee its restoration and use this summer.
Volunteer Coordinators
We mentioned in the last newsletter a number of wonderful volunteer opportunities available. We still have open several great long term volunteer opportunities.
- Botany Volunteer Coordinator
Your job will be to coordinate projects in the park's Natural and Cultural Resources programs! Mount Rainier is looking for an engaging and energetic individual to recruit, coordinate, train, and lead citizen volunteers to assist with projects including greenhouse management, seed collection, revegetation, and exotic species control. We are looking for someone with leadership skills and, ideally, some experience in botany. This is a unique, exciting, and brand new program. Come be an important part of our volunteer management team at Mount Rainier National Park!
- Maintenance Volunteer Coordinator
You will recruit, coordinate, train, and lead citizen volunteers to assist with projects including back country maintenance, the rehabilitation of historic WPA-era rock walls, wilderness cleanup, spring snow shoveling, campground opening, wayside installation and removal, and restoration of the historic Longmire Campground.
Volunteer Teams
We also have a number of volunteer teams that we are hiring for the summer. These teams require a much shorter commitment of time, sometimes only a day. So even if you can’t afford to volunteer for months at a time, contact us about getting on the mailing list for one of our volunteer teams. You can contact Kevin Bacher at kevin_bacher@nps.gov or nicholas_abel@partner.nps.gov if you’re interested. Teams include…
- Citizen Science Team: Be a scientist! As a Citizen Science Team member you will conduct field surveys and research throughout the park. Tasks may include monitoring amphibian species, soundscapes, wetlands, or archaeological resources.
- Historic Landscape Retoration Team: Help maintain and restore our beautiful WPA-era rock walls and other historic structures in the park.
- Historic (Costumed) Interpretations: Be part of this exciting program in which volunteers in historical consumes interact with park visitors, acting out the parts of historic figures from the parks past. It'll be a blast (from the past)!
If any of these sound interesting contact Kevin Bacher or Nick Abel at kevin_bacher@nps.gov or nicholas_abel@partner.nps.gov.
Recent and Upcoming Events
Kevin and I attended just last Saturday the very successful Meadow Rovers Breakfast, hosted by The Mountaineers at their Tacoma clubhouse. We had a wonderful turn out, and almost as many new volunteers as we did returnees. Things are already shaping up well for the 2009 summer season.
This Saturday, May 16, a Geocaching group is coming in for their Cache-In-Trash-Out (CITO) event. They will be the first group this spring to come and help restore the Longmire campground, preparing it for the influx of volunteers these coming months. They will be helping build the platform tents that the volunteers will be staying in, digging out areas for the platforms and constructing the canvas tent assemblies.
May and Early June
May 30, 31 - WTA Glacier Basin Work Party
A Washington Trails Associates work party being help on Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31. You will help to restore the Glacier Basin trail. For more information and how to sign up go to this link.
June 2-6 – Interpretation Training
From June 2-6 we are holding an Interpretation Training event. Details and updates are being posted as they become available. A draft schedule is available here.
June 5, 6, 7 – WTA Glacier Basin Work Party
The Washington Trails Associates are holding a work party on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 5, 6 and 7. For information on the event and how to sign up go to http://old.wta.org/~wta/cgi-bin.dev/wtaweb.pl?6+sm+17083+WP.
June 6 – National Tails Day
A variety of projects, many still to be announced, will be available for volunteers on this day. Keep checking the volunteer blog for more info.
June 13 – Trails Project by MRNPA
The Mount Rainier National Park Associates are hosting a trails project on Saturday, June 13th, for more info visit http://www.mount-rainier.org/index.php?action=projects.
June 27 – Meadow Rover Training
Training for Meadow Rovers will be held on Saturday, June 27. More details will be coming soon on the Rainier Volunteers blog.
Future Work
May-June: Campground opening projects for Cougar Rock, Ohanapecosh, and White River.
May-October: Maintenance and cleanup of new property adjacent to Carbon River.
June-July: Spring trail marking at Paradise and Sunrise.
June-July: Snow shoveling at Sunrise and/or Cougar Rock Campground.
June-July: Wayside exhibit installation at Paradise and Sunrise.
As you can see, we have a lot planned, and not a lot of specifics right now. Keep checking back to the Rainier Volunteer blog for current and updated information, and keep up the good work!
Till next time,
Assistant Volunteer Coordinator
Nicholas Abel
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