Junior Ranger Program volunteers needed at Ohanapecosh

Volunteers needed to help with Junior Ranger Programs at Ohanapecosh

Volunteers are needed to help provide hour-long children's activities on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. throughout the summer. Assistance is also needed on weekends at the same time, but the greatest need is for Mondays and Tuesdays.

Housing is not available, so this opportunity is only open to those within commuting distance, though free camping is available in association with your days of volunteering. Volunteers should be willing to undergo a background check. This opportunity is open to both new and existing volunteers!

If you're available and interested, please contact Julia Pinnix by e-mail or by phone at 360-569-6048, or submit an online application.

National service, volunteer vacations, and Junior Rangers

Several items caught my eye in the news this morning:

First, President Obama plans to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act this afternoon, tripling the size of Americorps and setting a broad bipartisan priority for volunteerism in the coming years.

Second, an interesting article on MSNBC.com about "volunteer vacations," a growing trend among people who want to contribute in a positive way as part of their time away from work. Here at Mount Rainier, the Washington Trails Association's volunteer vacations are wildly popular each year, and our own volunteer program is working to develop regularly scheduled volunteer projects that would better lend themselves to people who want to plan ahead to participate.

And finally, an article about Junior Rangers, also in MSNBC. Not directly related to volunteerism, perhaps... but watch later today for a volunteer recruitment notice for someone to help with our own Junior Ranger programs here at Mount Rainier!

Meanwhile, from the recent mailbag:

• Articles about efforts to increase "green" practices and sustainability at Mount Rainier and other local parks, in WTA's Signpost Blog and The News Tribune;
• Word from the National Parks Traveler blog that the next Director of the National Park Service will be Jon Jarvis, currently the Pacific West Regional Director and previously Superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park; and
• Several volunteer positions being advertised in local national forests, including base camp managers and experiential education apprenticeships.