Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Through the Rain, Sleet and Snow


The volunteers of Mount Rainier National Park are still arriving this 2013 season to dedicate time and energy to Mount Rainier National Park. For the past 20 years groups of students from the MEAD Alternative Learning School in Spokane, WA have been coming to Mount Rainier to offer services that contribute to the revitalization of the park. From storm debris removal in the 2006 flood, Restoration of the parking lot around Paradise Inn and the Jackson Visitor Center, and this week, planting along the Steven Canyons Road.

“We want to create an opportunity for these kids to be exposed to a National Park and understand the purpose that the parks represent,” says Carole Allen the group’s leader. “How an idea and a attitude towards preserving such wonderful places can be experienced by these kids, so when they bring their children back, they will have an understanding to educate them on why they should take care of these special places.”

From all of us here in the National Parks we want to thank all the volunteers that have contributed to the preservation of Mount Rainier National Park. We also want to express an appreciation to groups like the MEAD Alternative Learning School that invoke a purpose of stewardship in the next generation.

We will be finishing out the season with various volunteer projects in the park on Saturday September 28th for National Public Lands Day. The Nation’s largest, single day volunteer effort for public lands.

This year’s event will take place on the west side of the park, with registration by the National Parks Conservation Association beginning at Longmire at 8:00am and the day’s work kicking off at 9:00.

If there are those who are interested in volunteering, but need to stay closer to home, you can find opportunities at http://www.publiclandsday.org/ to find something in your area.




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