Starting in 2009, Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher (an avid geocacher) has hosted an annual "spring cleaning" of the Longmire Stewardship Campground, supported largely by members of the geocaching community and their friends. This year, we have a much larger project on the roster, so we are reaching out to all our volunteers, inviting them (YOU!) to join us in celebrating National Trails Day by helping with the construction of 15 old-style wooden picnic tables and erection of the platform tents.
We will meet at the campground hosts' residence at the back of the
Community Building at the north end of the Longmire Campground at 9:30
AM on Saturday, June 7. To find the project
location, turn at the Longmire Museum and drive across the historic
wooden suspension bridge. The Community Building will be on your left, approximately two-tenths of a mile from the bridge. There is plenty of parking out front.
Camping is available at Longmire at no charge for volunteers,
and if we get the platform tents built, you'll even be able to rest off
the cold ground! Tents and small RVs (ideally 24 feet max) are also
welcome. There are no hookups, but we'll have access to hot showers in
the bath house. Please RSVP to kevin_bacher@nps.gov if you plan to camp, and let us know what
kind of site you need. Entrance fees will be waived for volunteers participating on this project.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
National Trails Day - Longmire Campground Volunteer Event
Monday, May 26, 2014
Correction on Interpretive Training!!!
If you are interested in attending any of the interpretive training sessions listed in the previous blog, please request your spot through Volunteer Coordinator Kevin_Bacher@nps.gov or Meadow Rover Coordinator Maureen_McLean@nps.gov. We will verify whether or not there is room for you to attend.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Interpretive Training - Volunteers Welcome!
Four sessions of interpretive training will be open to volunteers in early June. Space is limited, however, so if you are interested in any of these topics, contact Lee Snook lee_snook(at)nps.gov at your earliest convenience!All sessions begin at 8:30 AM and run until approximately 4:30 PM.
Tuesday, June 3 - Tahoma Woods Ed Center - Mount Rainier Geology 101 (Tom Sisson), Glaciers of Mount Rainier (Carolyn Driedger), Aggradation (Scott Beason), PNW Geology (Tom Sisson), Volcano Hazards (Carolyn Driedger), Latest Research (Paul Kennard and Scott Beason).
Wednesday, June 4 - Geology Field Trip
Thursday, June 5 - Tahoma Woods Ed Center - Human History at Mount Rainier (Greg Burtchard), Mount Rainier Wilderness (Kraig Snure), Wilderness Facilitated Dialog (Lee Snook and Curt Jacquot), Concessions and Special Use Permits (Mary Wysong), Law Enforcement, Photo Library (Kristyn Loving), Navigating MORA Sharepoint (Curt Jacquot), Permits
Friday June 6 - Longmire Community Building - Climbing (Stefan Lofgren), Fees and Special Use Permits (Jeff DeMorris), Discover Your Northwest (Sherry Paul), Nisqually Road Project (Mimi Gorman), Foxes and Fishers (Mason Reid), Mount Rainier Ecology (Regina Rochefort), Climate Change and MORA Forests (Janneke Hille Ris Lambers), Climate Change and MORA (Kevin Ford), MeadoWatch, Ecology Panel
Again, please note that space is limited, particularly for the sessions being held in the Ed Center. You must RSVP and have received a confirmation from Lee Snook to attend.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Adopt-a-Highway June Patrol
WANTED: A few dedicated volunteers who are willing to commit a couple of hours (or less) picking up the litter along SR 706 as part of the Volunteer Program's contract with the Dept. of Transportation's Adopt-a-Highway Program.
Our designated patrol area is from Milepost 2 to Milepost 4, a stretch of highway which encompasses the Park's Tahoma Woods headquarters frontage and Columbia Crest School to the east and Park Junction (the railroad tracks) to the west.
If you are capable of
walking at least one mile and are interested in participating in this public service project, we have ten spots
available. Sign up soon! The date is Saturday, June 14, and we will begin at 10 AM, rain or shine.
Gloves, "long-armed grabbers" and a short orientation will be
provided. To sign up, contact Volunteer Coordinator Crow Vecchio at
petrina_vecchio(at)partner.nps.gov no later than June 6.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Meadow Rover Coordinator Maureen McLean Returns!
Greetings, Meadow Rovers!
I’m back and looking forward to seeing each of you back on The Mountain. The Meadow Rover program is up and running as fast as I can read through all of the e-mails, plan the training programs, and find our supplies. Meadow Rover training is scheduled for June 21st and 22d. Saturday the 21st, we will be meeting at the Education Center at Park Headquarters following the morning training for the MeadoWatch program. Saturday’s afternoon session will be primarily for new Meadow Rovers but all are welcome. On Sunday June 22d, we will be meeting in the Community Building at Longmire for the Advanced Training sessions. Training on this day will be for old hands along with our new volunteers. I will have more information for you as I finalize plans. It would be most helpful if you would e-mail me your plans to attend at MORA_MEADOW_ROVERS(at)nps.gov. Camping will be available at the Longmire campground, but you will need to reserve a spot. Use the above e-mail to make your reservation.
Last summer, several of our Meadow Rovers also volunteered with the MeadoWatch program and easily combined both programs on the same day. For more information on this program, see MeadoWatch Program. As of today, the MeadoWatch training is full for the 21st, but there are two additional opportunities on June 5 or June 7 at the University of Washington. For more information, contact MeadoWatch.org.
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
HELP! We need as many of our trained Meadow/Snow Rovers to help at Paradise this holiday weekend. If you are able, please e-mail me at either MORA_MEADOW_ROVERS(at)nps.gov or Maureen_Mclean(at)nps.gov . Sledding is finished for the year, but that doesn’t mean the general public is aware of the potential damage to themselves or the environment. Tree wells are gaining in size and small trees are starting to work their way out of the snow. Snow covered rocks and streams are also dangerous. It will be a weekend of education, so come on up!
Maureen McLean
Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers
MVP Crow Vecchio
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| Crow in one of her field offices at Sunrise |
Crow got interested in volunteering at Mt. Rainier when she was a young child. Her uncle was a Ranger at Lake James who took her with him (with the superintendent’s permission, of course) on a tour of duty. “I fell in love with Carbon River right then. I always knew I wanted to work in the Park.”
She officially started volunteering in the Park in the late 70s. Prior to that, she has a history of helping any visitors planning hikes or needing help with plant identification. She worked at the Carbon River Entrance/Mowich winter and summer for three years, and the winter duty was the “most glorious assignment” she ever had. She would snowshoe in to her cabin assignment for 10 days at a shot where the temperature inside was usually colder than outdoors. She would take a chair outside in the snow, all bundled up, and sit there in the sun reading in temperatures as low as 17 degrees!
These days she is busier than ever working in the Volunteer office, and is also a member of the Park’s Safety Committee. She writes a regular column on the Park’s Facebook page as well as blogging on the Volunteer blog. Crow has edited material for handbooks and handouts, plus she has written some of the material. She is very involved in the cleanup and restoration of the Longmire Stewardship Campground and leads the Mt. Rainier Volunteer crew Adopt a Highway Litter Patrol! One of her most interesting assignments was to find a “lost” hydroelectric dam on the Paradise River so that it could be taken off the Federal Register. Yes, she found it! According to Crow, she will turn down no assignment except plumbing! She did enough of it at Carbon River and claims she will NEVER do plumbing again!
What satisfies her most is working for “my Mountain”. “If I have a purpose it is to make people aware of Nature any way I can, whether that’s with photos and descriptions of lichens, talking to them about the Wonderland Trail” … all part of the legacy she hopes to leave behind!
Crow also volunteers in other nature programs such as the Nisqually Land Trust and the Invasive Plant Council.
When she is not volunteering she is an avid kayaker, bicyclist, hiker, Angry Birds fan, Trekkie, mom to two cats and has studied crows and ravens all her life, hence the nickname Crow.
On a special note, as a volunteer she participated in the Park’s Winter Fitness Challenge, packing in 1514.5 aerobic-equivalent miles from January 7 to March 30! This earned her the title of “Iron Ranger” as she outpaced National Park employees from throughout Washington State!
- Jean Millan
Friday, May 9, 2014
MRNPA May 17 Project - Grove of the Patriarchs
Per John Titland, the May 17th Mount Rainier National Park Associates volunteer trails work party will be at the Grove of the Patriarchs and on the Eastside Trail.
Highway 410 across Cayuse Pass and Highway 123 south along the east side of the Park to Ohanapecosh are scheduled to open on Friday, May 16th, so you will be able to drive to the work party on Highway 410 through Enumclaw and across Cayuse Pass. Be sure to add some extra drive time as this route always takes longer than it seems like it should.
Participants should meet at the Grove of the Patriarchs parking lot at 8:30 AM and will be ready to roll up the trail at 9:00. It is a short walk to the work site. Bring your lunch and rain gear!
If you haven't signed up yet, please contact John at volunteer(at)mrnpa.org.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Erratum and MeadoWatch Update
The contact address for MeadoWatch should be mwatch(at)uw.edu. This information has been updated in our May 2 and May 5 posts. We apologize for any inconvenience the erroneous address may have caused.
The training session to be held at Tahoma Woods is now booked to capacity, but if you would still like to attend a training session, two more will be offered at the University of Washington's Hitchcock Hall. The dates are Thursday, June 5th from 7pm-9pm and June 7th from 9:30am to 11:30am. For further details, please contact Anna Wilson at mwatch(at)uw.edu.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Volunteer Newsletter - May 2014
Warmer temperatures are pushing the snow back, urging visitors and volunteers alike to come out of winter hibernation. We have some exciting projects planned for this year, including a reprise of MeadoWatch, the phenology program which was so popular in 2013. If you're looking for a new volunteer opportunity or want to continue in your former capacity, there's something here for every taste. Watch our blog (http://rainiervolunteers.
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Upcoming Events
Saturday, May 10, 9-11 AM - Volunteer Brunch
Every year, the Tacoma Mountaineers host a brunch for volunteers at their Tacoma Program Center. Join us to meet other volunteers and learn about this summer's volunteer opportunities! Returning, new, and potential volunteers are ALL welcome!
Saturday, May 17 - MRNPA Trails project
Join the Mount Rainier National Park Associates for a volunteer project at Mount Rainier National Park! This will be a trail maintenance project at a site to be determined as the date draws closer and we have a better sense of where the greatest needs are. Visit http://mrnpa.org for details, and write to John Titland at volunteer(at)mrnpa.org to sign up.
Saturday, June 7 - Longmire Campground Project
The details are still being worked out, but will include setting up the campground for the season and building picnic tables. Stay tuned for more details!
Saturday, June 7 - National Trails Day
Our partnership with the Washington Trails Association resumes in June! Watch WTA's website at http://www.wta.org for a schedule of projects (usually posted about two weeks in advance), and sign up online for the days you're interested in.
Saturday, June 14 - MRNPA Trails project
This will be a trail maintenance project at a site to be determined as the date draws closer and we have a better sense of where the greatest needs are. Visit http://mrnpa.org for details, and write to John Titland at volunteer(at)mrnpa.org to sign up.
Saturday, June 14 - Adopt-a-Highway Litter Patrol
Mount Rainier's volunteers partner with the Washington State Dept. of Transportation to make litter patrols along Hwy 706 three times a year. For more information or to sign up, contact Crow at petrina_vecchio(at)partner.
Saturday, June 21 - MeadoWatch and Meadow Rover Training
Details will be coming soon, but put the date on your calendar now! Basic orientation will be at Mount Rainier's Education Center, located at Park Headquarters (55210 238th Avenue East, Ashford, WA 98304). MeadoWatch training will begin the day, followed by Meadow Rover training. Volunteers are welcome to attend either one, or stay for both.
Sunday, June 22 - Advanced Meadow Rover Training
Details will be coming soon. The Advanced Training will be held at the Longmire Community Building. Basic orientation is a prerequisite.
And that's just for starters! Come on out and volunteer!
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What's Been Going On
JVIPA Chosen for Pacific West Region George Hartzog Award
During the summer of 2013, 24 students from Waseda University in Tokyo came to Mount Rainier to participate in a project organized by the Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association (J-VIPA). This year’s volunteer effort marks the final year of a 20-year partnership with J-VIPA that began in 1994. Since that time, a total of 386 individual program participants have contributed 23,040 hours of service to the park. The J-VIPA program is one of the largest and most enduring international volunteer partnerships in the National Park Service. After 20 years, J-VIPA is retiring its partnership with Mount Rainier to focus on volunteer efforts closer to home, especially in the wake of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami in 2011. This unique partnership has created enduring friendships and good will. As a result of this volunteer group, 15 people from Mount Rainier’s staff and surrounding community flew to Japan in March 2014 for a week-long cultural exchange which was arranged between Mount Rainier National Park and the Japanese Ministry of Environment. J-VIPA was chosen to receive the Hartzog Volunteer Group Award for the Pacific West Region.
SCA Community Program Nominated for Director's Partnership Award
Mount Rainier National Park has nominated the Seattle office of the Student Conservation Association for a "Director's Partnership Award," recognizing 30 years of youth outreach through its Community Crew program, including 20 years at Mount Rainier.
Since 1984, the community program has engaged Seattle-area youth in local conservation activities. In 1994, the program began bringing crews to Mount Rainier for 15-day leadership projects, mostly building and repairing trails. Over the past two decades more than 750 young people have contributed more than 50,000 hours of service at the park.
Eva Meassick Retires
A Park Volunteer since 1987, Eva Meassick has announced her retirement. Eva and her husband Joe conducted wilderness patrols on the east side as well as frontcountry patrols out of Sunrise until Joe passed away in 2002. The Meassicks also staffed Sunrise, assisting visitors in many capacities, including issuing permits, providing information and offering roadside assistance. They also made winter ski patrols from the north boundary to Chinook Pass, as well as assisting in other volunteer projects and SARs.
In 2003, Eva received the Superintendent's Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, she was invited to Washington, D.C. to receive the George B. Hartzog Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service on behalf of Mount Rainier's volunteer program. Eva and Joe were well-known for their cheerful demeanors and exceptional stewardship of the Park as well as their ability to handle difficult situations.
Upon her retirement, Eva Meassick has a total of 12,496 hours of volunteer service on record. We would like to thank her for her amazing contribution of time and service.
MVP - Monthly Volunteer Profile
We are pleased to announce a new feature on the Park blog: the Monthly Volunteer Profile. Jean Millan, former campground host at Longmire, will be digging into the files to find people with stories to share: stories about visitor contacts, backcountry adventures or simply why an individual chose to be a volunteer. She will be interviewing people who work in a variety of positions, bringing to light many of the behind-the-scene jobs which help keep the Park operating smoothly and efficiently. If Jean contacts you and you are willing to participate, YOU may be featured in our new Monthly Volunteer Profile!
Read about last month's MVP, Pete Sabin, on our volunteer blog.
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Putting a Value on Volunteers
Independent Sector specializes in crunching numbers in order to put a monetary value on volunteer hours. In a recent report, they say that the value of one hour of volunteer service is $22.55 nationally, and in the state of Washington, $26.72.
Friday, May 2, 2014
MeadoWatch 2014
MeadoWatch is looking to recruit volunteers for the 2014 wildflower season! This program was a big hit in the Park last year with volunteers gathering phenologic data on the occurrence of specific species in selected areas.
This year, observers will monitor ten different wildflower species at nine locations along a system of trails which run north to south across approximately 2000 feet (600 meters) of elevation. The 5.5 mile round-trip hike consists of the east branch of the Lakes Trail to the Skyline Trail and finally to the Paradise Glacier trail. This hike can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours depending on trail conditions, the volunteers' plant identification experience and how fast each person hikes. As a token of appreciation for collecting valuable phenological data, project volunteers may enter the park for free on the day that they will be surveying, and will also have the option to camp within the park for free.
Sign for MeadoWatch or learn more about the project through their website MeadoWatch.org
If you would like to be involved in a citizen science project studying phenology on Mt. Rainier through the collection of photographs from across the entire mountain, please read the details regarding Photo Collection here.
MeadoWatch staff will be holding a training session at the Tahoma Woods Education Center on June 21, 9:00 AM to approximately noon. Contact Anna Wilson mwatch(at)uw.edu for more information.
