Per John Titland, May 18th's MRNPA work party will be on the Mine Trail. This trail begins approximately 1.25 miles from the entrance on the Carbon River Hike and Bike Trail. Now that the Carbon River Road is closed to vehicle traffic, this trail is more easily accessible to visitors and could use some improvement to handle the higher foot traffic. The Mine Trail is a .26 mile trail leading to an old mine once owned by Washington Mining and Milling Co. These days the mine is closed off, but the history remains. Trail work will include maintenance to sections of a 49-foot swamp bridge and widening and smoothing the trail tread.
MRNPA volunteers will meet at the Carbon River Entrance to Mount Rainier NP at about 8:30 AM. Be ready to move out by 9:00. Park inside the gate, and please don't block the parking spaces available to the public. Be prepared for a hike the 1.25 miles to the work site. Bring your lunch and plenty of fluids to drink, work gloves and safety glasses and a full set of rain gear. During May, it is common to have rain or wet snow falling at Mount Rainier, so bring warm clothing too.
There are safety equipment requirements for all MRNPA trail work volunteers. Anyone using an aggressive tool (Pulaski, ax, shovel, etc.) or anyone working near someone using them is required to wear a hard hat and safety glasses. People working with or near a less aggressive tools are not required to wear a hard hat, but are encouraged to do so. Please bring your own hard hat if you have one. If you do not have a hard hat, MRNPA and the NPS have hard hats you may use for the day.
Wearing safety glasses is encouraged at all times. Not all safety glasses are comfortable for everyone and some will not fit over eye glasses. Because of cleanliness issues, some people don’t like wearing safety glasses that have been worn by other people. For these reasons and others, please provide yourself with a pair of personal safety glasses for your own use. A serviceable pair or safety glasses will cost about $10, and are available at hardware stores and other sources. Be advised that shatterproof eye glasses do not meet the requirement for safety glasses. Safety glasses all have side protection which eyeglasses do not.
If you plan to attend and have not yet contacted John Titland, please
drop him a note at volunteer@mrnpa.org to indicate that you are coming
and tell him how many volunteers you are bringing with you.
Monday, May 13, 2013
MRNPA Work Party, May 18
Friday, January 28, 2000
Backcountry Maintenance
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.
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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
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Historic Landscape Restoration Team
Type: Intermittent individual volunteers
Dates: June to October
Status: Now recruiting
Quick summary: Throughout the park, historic rock walls were built by WPA crews in the 1920s to line roads, trails, and viewpoints. Many of these are now crumbling, as the mortar that held them together is chipped away by roots, moss, and cycles of freezing and thawing. With the help of this summer's Maintenance Volunteer Coordinator, a team of individuals will be trained to stabilize these walls along the Westside Road, to buy time until they can be fully restored by Park Service stone masons.
For more information: Carpenter Mitch Anderson, 360-569-2211 ext. 3347
Apply online
Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association Hosts
Type: Local individuals or families
Dates: late August to early September
Status: Now seeking volunteer hosts near Ashford or Eatonville
Quick summary: Every year since 1994, the Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association (J-VIPA) has brought a team of students to Mount Rainier from Waseda University in Japan to conduct volunteer work through the park's maintenance program. To reduce costs and facilitate visas, the students stay with host families in the community.
For more information, or to participate in this great international exchange opportunity by hosting a student or assisting with the group, contact J-VIPA Coordinator Mika Moore at 360-569-2211 ext. 2379
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Job Shadow
Type: Short-term individuals
Dates: Year-round
Status: Open to proposals
Quick summary: An uncommon but significant volunteer opportunity, "job shadow" projects allow students a chance to see what it's like to be a park ranger by following one around for a day. While some jobs are not suitable for these opportunities due to safety concerns, students have, in the past, enjoyed days in the park's visitor centers or helping with winter snow play. Other options include the park's campgrounds or entrance stations, or the maintenance, education, or volunteer programs.
For further information or to propose a job shadow experience: Contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385.
Maintenance Volunteer Coordinator Internship
Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: 16 weeks beginning about May 17
Status: Now hiring through the Student Conservation Association
Quick summary: Have some skills in maintenance (especially carpentry)? Like to get out into the backcountry? Like to work with people? Then consider our new Maintenance Volunteer Coordinator internship! This individual will help recruit, train, and lead public volunteers on projects including backcountry construction, wilderness cleanup, campground opening, and historic restoration.
For further information: Carpenter Mitch Anderson, 360-569-2211 ext. 3347; or Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Apply online
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.
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Roadside Cleanup
Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: June to early September
Status: No current openings
Quick summary: As you drive along the park roads during the summer, you may see a few volunteers in safety vests along the side, collecting the bits of trash that accumulate there over time. These faithful volunteers keep the park looking like a park, and protect it from the effects of non-biodegradable trash. Over the years they've found amazing things in the ditches and ravines along the roads: even a washing machine once!
For further information: Maintenance Foreman Dale Harvard, 360-569-2211 ext. 3388
To apply: At present, the park does not have a need for additional volunteers.
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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
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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
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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
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