Rangers volunteer too

Every year, on Earth Day, Mount Rainier National Park employees step out of their offices and volunteer. Well, not exactly volunteer, because it's all on paid work time; but instead of processing paperwork, updating budgets, and answering e-mails, it's working on projects like roadside cleanup. This year, those projects included cleaning up not only National Park Service roadsides, but litter along the Forest Service roads adjacent to the park as well. That can be considered "volunteering" for our partner agency, right?

Our cleanup crews retrieved discarded televisions, propane tanks, and plenty of beer cans along State Route 706 and Forest Service Roads 79 and 52. Good work, everyone!

Later that day, ranger Kevin Bacher visited Columbia Crest Elementary School for two dramatic performances of Dr. Seuss's story The Lorax, for the entire group of 135 students.