Type: Short-term groups or intermittent individuals
Dates: June to October
Status: Now planning for summer projects
Quick summary: With the addition (hopefully) of a Maintenance Volunteer Coordinator this summer, there should be more opportunities than ever for backcountry maintenance projects. Possibilities for groups include wilderness cleanup (removing old telephone cables) and "sherpa projects" (delivering supplies and materials to backcountry locations). Individuals with carpentry skills may help restore or re-roof backcountry cabins, shelters, or fire lookouts, on projects lasting a single day or multiple weeks.
For more information, or to offer the services of yourself or your group, contact Carpenter Mitch Anderson at 360-569-2211 ext. 3347, or Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385.
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
More photos of this job
Friday, January 28, 2000
Backcountry Maintenance
Citizen Science Team
Type: Intermittent individual volunteers
Dates: late June through September
Status: Now recruiting
Quick summary: Help gather baseline data about Mount Rainier National Park's natural resources, including amphibian populations and wetland resources. Some projects require simple day-trips off park roads, while others may occur deep in the park's wilderness and involve multiple days in the backcountry. (On rare occasions, front-country projects may be suitable for organized groups.)
For further information: Biologist Barbara Samora, 360-569-2211 ext. 3372
Apply online
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Exotic Plant Removal
Type: Short-term groups
Dates: May to August
Status: Now recruiting groups
Quick summary: Mount Rainier is very fortunate not to have huge fields of thistle, oxeye daisy, or other exotic species to contend with. Keeping that from happening, however, requires constant vigilance. Volunteer groups can help during the growing season to "weed out" the problem. Scheduling a project requires flexibility, as the exact dates depend on many factors that influence the plants' growing season.
For further information: Restoration Specialist Will Arnesen, 360-569-2211 ext. 3374
To inquire about volunteering your group: contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Financial Support
Type: Individuals and groups
Dates: Year-round
Status: Now accepting donations
Quick summary: In addition to supporting Mount Rainier through the investment of time and energy, that is, participating in volunteer projects, both individuals and groups can also support the park through financial contributions. Contributions facilitate volunteer projects by providing for supplies, housing, uniforms, and other incidental needs that supplement the donated labor. Over the years, our program has been supported by both individual donors and donations from larger groups. REI, Boeing, and many others have been instrumental in keeping our program running strong.
For further information: Volunteer and Outreach Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
To contribute: While contributions can be received directly by the volunteer program, it's easier to give through Mount Rainier's partners, especially Washington's National Park Fund, which has a full list online of projects it supports. A complete list of partners that receive donations on behalf of the park is on Mount Rainier's website.
Blog entries about this opportunity
Historic Campground Restoration
Type: Short-term groups and individuals (appropriate for youth and families)
Dates: mid-May to early October
Status: Groups may schedule now
Quick summary: The historic Longmire Campground has been partially restored for use by volunteers and other groups. It is maintained almost entirely by volunteers, who help set up platform tents in the spring, clean up storm debris, service the bath house, and prepare the campground for winter. In addition, restoration work is ongoing, and includes recovery of historic rockwork, construction of new campsites, installation of fire circles, and construction of picnic tables. Sponsors are needed to provide or fund materials for these projects.
For further information and to schedule a project: Contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Keep Wildlife Wild
Type: Short-term groups and individuals
Dates: A date TBD in July or August
Status: Now in development for 2010
Quick summary: Last year, Mount Rainier hosted the first annual "Keep Wildlife Wild" day, intended as a day to bring focus to the problem of wildlife feeding throughout the park. Volunteers roved trails, waypoints, and campgrounds, talking to visitors and handing out brochures about the dangers of wildlife feeding, both to the animals and to individuals.
For further information: Wildlife biologist Alyssa Herr, 360-569-2211 ext. 3318
To participate: Watch for updates about this program on the blog and volunteer calendar.
Blog entries about this opportunity
National Public Lands Day
Type: Short-term individuals or groups
Dates: Last saturday in September (September 25, 2010)
Status: Scheduled for 2010
Quick summary: Every year, Mount Rainier National Park brings its summer volunteer program to a close with a massive volunteer day, offering volunteer opportunities throughout the park. Last year, with the help of partners like the Washington Trails Association, National Parks Conservation Association, and Student Conservation Association, more than 200 people participated on projects ranging from trail maintenance to revegetation!
For further information: Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
To participate: Watch this blog and the volunteer calendar for announcements about this year's Public Lands Day.
Blog entries about this opportunity
Photos of this opportunity
More photos of NPLD
National Trails Day
Type: Short-term individuals or groups
Dates: First Saturday in June (June 5, 2010)
Status: Now planning projects
Quick summary: One of the regularly-scheduled volunteer days at Mount Rainier is National Trails Day. In cooperation with the Washington Trails Association, Mount Rainier offers trail maintenance projects throughout the park, ranging from simple trail brushing to advanced trail construction.
For further information: Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
To apply: Watch this volunteer blog and project calendar for the announcement of 2010's National Trails Day, or send an e-mail asking to be added to our mailing list.
Blog entries about this opportunity
Photos of National Trails Day
More Photos from National Trails Day
Revegetation Projects
Type: Short-term groups and sometimes individuals; suitable for youth
Dates: summer; mostly September
Status: Now recruiting groups
Volunteers are critical to complete restoration projects around the park, planting native vegetation in areas disturbed by construction or other human activity. Last fall, volunteers helped plant 130,000 plants in one month at Paradise! The work is usually done by groups, but once scheduled, individual volunteers can usually join in; and there are often "drop-in" days scheduled as well.
For more information: Restoration Specialist Will Arnesen, 360-569-2211 ext. 3374
To apply: Watch this blog and the volunteer calendar for these opportunities, or call Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385 to set up a visit by your group.
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Seed Collection
Type: Intermittent individuals or small groups
Dates: mid to late Summer
Status: Now recruiting interested individuals and groups
Quick summary: All of the plants planted by restoration crews in Mount Rainier National Park were either salvaged from another location in the park or grown from seeds collected near the site of the restoration. Volunteers play an important role in gathering these valuable seeds. Due to the sensitivity of subalpine meadows, groups must be kept small; and because seeds must be collected when they are mature, but before they are scattered by natural processes, volunteers must be flexible in the dates they are available.
For further information or to apply: If you'd like to participate as an individual, contact Restoration Specialist Will Arnesen at 360-569-2211 ext. 3374. If you represent a small group, contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385.
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Sherpa Projects
Type: Short-term groups
Dates: Spring and summer
Status: Now accepting proposals from volunteer groups
Quick summary: "Sherpa Projects" are one of Mount Rainier's more unique volunteer opportunities. "Sherpa" volunteers pack supplies into backcountry settings for use by trail maintenance, wilderness patrol, revegetation, or backcountry maintenance crews. They can save the Park Service thousands of dollars in helicopter fees, while enjoying a strenuous physical workout in a beautiful wilderness setting!
For further information: Good contacts for answering questions are Trails Foreman Carl Fabiani, 360-569-2211 ext. 3351, or Carpenter Mitch Anderson, 360-569-2211 ext. 3347
To schedule your group: Contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Blog entries about this job
Spring Campground Opening
Type: Short-term groups (appropriate for youth)
Dates: mid to late May
Status: Now accepting proposals for group projects
Quick summary: Getting Mount Rainier's three public campgrounds ready to open in the spring is a huge project. Groups can help by cleaning up storm debris, shoveling snow away from critical facilities, and performing minor maintenance.
For further information or to volunteer your group: Contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Spring Opening (a.k.a. Snow Shoveling)
Type: Short-term volunteer groups
Dates: late May (depending on weather)
Status: Now recruiting groups
Quick summary: Volunteers are a major asset in helping us to open the high elevation facilities at Sunrise in the spring. While snow plows and other heavy equipment do most of the work, the final job of shoveling out walkways, fire hydrants, WPA-era rock walls, and other delicate features of the landscape can most effectively by done by hand. It makes a great spring work party, usually before the general public has access to the area. The exact dates are difficult to predict well in advance, since they are dependent on winter snowfall and spring meltout.
For more information, or to volunteer your group for this opportunity, contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Spring Trail Opening
Type: Short-term and intermittent individuals and groups
Dates: May to early July
Status: Now recruiting
Quick summary: In Mount Rainier's high elevations, deep snow lingers, in most years, well into July. Long before then, crowds of visitors arrive to hike the trails, and wander across the snow at random, uncertain where the trails are hidden underneath. When they do find a bare patch, it may be yards away from where the trail should be, and the resultant trampling causes major damage to the fragile subalpine meadows. The solution: mark the trail trail routes with wands, ropes, and shoveled steps, and keep these routes updated so that as the snow melts visitors find themselves on the trails where they should be. These are great volunteer opportunities for both groups and individuals.
For more information and to apply: Contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385, to arrange a project day for your group; or contact West District Interpreter Lee Snook, 360-569-6043, or East District Interpreter Christine Czazasty, 360-569-6047, to participate as an individual.
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Trail Maintenance
Type: Short-term individuals and groups
Dates: May through September
Status: Now recruiting groups and individuals
Quick summary: There are few volunteer opportunities more critical to Mount Rainier National Park than trail maintenance. The park has a large trail crew of its own, of course; but in 2007, after the previous winter's devastating storms, more than half of the park's trail work was completed by volunteers. Much of the park's volunteer trail work is also accomplished in partnership with the Washington Trails Association.
For further information: Trails Foreman Carl Fabiani, 360-569-2211 ext. 3351
To apply: Contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385, or Carl Fabiani (above) to arrange a group project. For individual opportunities, watch the Washington Trails Association's project calendar for projects beginning in June.
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job
Unique Opportunities
Type: Short-term and long-term individuals and groups
Dates: Year-round, but mostly summer
Status: Not currently hiring
Quick summary: The list of positions on this website is never all-inclusive of all of the possibilities. In fact, there have been many volunteer positions over the years that have existed for a time, and then gone away when the need was met; or whose jobs are currently being performed by paid staff. Sometimes the need is ephemeral, lasting only a single instance, but these volunteers are no less important. Here's a list of examples:
- Accessibility assessment
- Administrative assistant
- Carbon River property cleanup
- Climate change intern
- CPR/First aid trainer
- Culvert clearing
- Engineering design
- Exhibit installation
- Flood documentation
- Gardener
- GIS specialist
- Historical research
- Japanese interpreter
- Lakes/Aquatics/Fish crew
- Librarian
- Management planning
- Moving assistance (e.g. between the old and new visitor centers)
- Natural resources field office assistant
- Oral history interviews
- Painter
- Poster mailing
- Snow play ranger
- Stream surveys
To apply: Why include a list of obsolete positions? To make the point that there are always new opportunities cropping up, often with little notice. Watch this blog for announcements of new opportunities, or write to have your name added to our mailing list.
Blog entries about volunteer opportunities
Photos of unique volunteer opportunties
Washington Trails Association
Type: Short-term individuals and groups
Dates: June to Labor Day
Status: Now planning projects for 2010
Quick summary: Following the great floods of November 2006, Mount Rainier National Park formed a partnership with the Washington Trails Association to recruit and lead volunteer trail projects, especially on the Glacier Basin Trail. Since then, hundreds of volunteers have almost completely rebuilt that trail, which had been almost entirely destroyed by the flood. In additional to individual project days, WTA also schedules wonderful week-long "volunteer vacations" at locations throughout Washington state, including Mount Rainier.
For further information: Contact Trails Foreman Carl Fabiani, 360-569-2211 ext. 3351, and visit the website of the Washington Trails Association
To apply: Watch for work days to be announced on WTA's online project calendar, starting in June. WTA's "Volunteer Vacation" schedule will be announced online February 8, and these fill very rapidly.
Blog entries about this opportunity
