Backcountry Patrol

Type: Long-term and intermittent individuals
Dates: Year-round
Status: Not currently recruiting, but open to inquiries; may hire interns this summer through the Student Conservation Association if funding permits

Quick summary: Mount Rainier's wilderness backcountry is extensive. A small team of volunteers supplements seasonal park staff to patrol the park's hundreds of miles of trails, assisting visitors, checking backcountry permits, and performing minor trail and campsite maintenance. These additional eyes and ears are especially helpful during the busy summer, and in remote parts of the park like Carbon River.

For more information: While the park is not currently recruiting additional volunteers in this area, inquiries are welcome. Direct them to West District Ranger Daniel Camiccia at 360-569-2211 ext. 3419; East District Ranger Geoff Walker at 360-569-6031; or Carbon River Ranger Jim Hull at 360-829-9639.
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Camping Adventures Assistant

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: 12-weeks, beginning about June 7
Status: Now hiring through the Student Conservation Association

Quick summary: The "Camping Adventures with My Parents" (CAMP) program is an exciting new program offered by Mount Rainier National Park, which provides introductory camping experiences to diverse families from the Seattle and Tacoma urban areas. The Camping Adventures intern will help lead five of these intensive 3-day program over the course of the summer.

For further information: Kevin Bacher, Volunteer and Outreach Program Manager, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Apply online
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job

Conservation Leadership Corps

Type: Long-term high school-age individuals
Dates: July and August
Status: Currently recruiting through the Student Conservation Association, pending funding

Quick summary: The Student Conservation Association recruits teams of high school age students, usually from urban populations like Seattle, to participate in guided outdoor leadership-building experiences, culminating with a 15-day volunteer project at a setting like Mount Rainier. While these programs are expensive for us to work with, we consider them a priority because they provide unique opportunities for young people from diverse communities to connect with their national parks and to gain experience that often leads to careers in resource stewardship. We hope to work with three CLC crews at the park this summer. Most crews work on trail maintenance or construction projects, but others have also served on the park's restoration crew.

For more information: Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385, or the Student Conservation Association
To apply: Contact the Student Conservation Association
Blog entries about this opportunity
Photos of youth volunteers

Environmental Education Internship

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: March 22 to September 20
Status: Now hiring through the Student Conservation Association

Quick summary: This six-month position will help with visiting school groups in the spring and early fall, as well as teacher training programs and curriculum development throughout the summer.

For further information: Education Specialist Fawn Bauer, 360-569-6037
Apply online

Geoscientist-in-Parks Internship

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: May 24 to August 16
Status: Application deadline February 1

Quick summary: Every year, Mount Rainier hires interns through the Geological Society of America to work alongside other interpreters assisting visitors in the park's visitor centers, leading guided walks, and presenting programs. Our geomorphology program sometimes hires an additional intern to help with field research. These positions are specifically targeted to students or educators in the field of geology.

For more information: District interpreter Lee Snook, 360-569-6043
Apply online

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

Meadow Rover Coordinator Internship

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: April 19 to October 18
Status: Proposed through the Student Conservation Association, but unlikely to be filled due to lack of fundnig

Quick summary: The Meadow Rover program has gotten large enough to merit a full-time manager helping to coordinate and train volunteers. In addition, projects throughout the spring and fall at Paradise will be coordinated by the intern, including spring trail marking and the placement of wayside exhibits.

For more information: District Interpreter Lee Snook, 360-569-6043
Apply online
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job

Mount Rainier National Park Associates

Type: Intermittent individual volunteers
Dates: April 24 to October 2
Status: Now recruiting volunteers

Quick summary: The Mount Rainier National Park Associates is an independent group of individuals who work in partnership with park staff to complete volunteer projects, usually in the areas of native plants or trail maintenance. They have scheduled exotics removal and planting projects for this summer on July 10 and September 11; and trail projects on April 24 May 22, June 12, August 7, and October 2.
 
For further information on how to participate, contact the group directly through their website at http://www.mount-rainier.org/.
Blog Entries about this partner
Photos of MRNPA in action

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

Nordic Patrol

Type: Intermittent individual volunteers
Dates: December to April
Status: Now accepting new members of the Washington Ski Touring Club

Quick summary: One of the few active volunteer opportunities during Mount Rainier's snowy winter season is our Nordic Patrol. These valuable volunteers assist visitors, patrol trails on skis, mark routes, and help with emergencies. Rather than working with individual volunteers, the park has partnered with the Washington Ski Touring Club to provide its members for the winter ski patrol.

For further information about ski patrol activities at Mount Rainier, contact District Ranger Daniel Camiccia at 360-569-2211 ext. 3419
To apply: Contact the Washington Ski Touring Club directly through their website.
Blog entries about this job

Preventative Search and Rescue Internship

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: 16 weeks beginning May 23
Status: Now hiring through the Student Conservation Association, conditional on funding

Quick summary: Mount Rainier's climbing program this year has proposed hiring two 16-week interns to patrol the lower portions of the route to Camp Muir. These individuals will assist visitors and make sure that they are prepared for the challenging conditions on the Muir Snowfield, and will educate hikers about ways of protecting the fragile subalpine meadows.

For further information: Lead Climbing Ranger Stefan Lofgren, 360-569-6010
Apply online

Research Partnerships

Type: Intermittent or long-term individuals
Dates: Year-round
Status: Always open to proposals

Quick summary: Over the years, Mount Rainier National Park has benefited greatly from partnerships with graduate students and researchers from universities far and wide. There's no formal program for these arrangements, but if your educational or research goals run parallel to our own, they may lead to a volunteer assignment or even internship sponsored at least in part by the park. Successful partnerships in the past have included the fields of archeology, geomorphology, aquatic ecology, and interpretation.

For further information: If you have a proposal, contact Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385.
Blog entries about this job

Restoration Internship

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: June 7 to August 30
Status: Now hiring through the Student Conservation Association (conditional on funding)

Quick summary: Mount Rainier employs a combination of seasonal employees and interns to serve on its restoration team. This group plants native vegetation in areas that have been disturbed by construction, flooding, or people hiking off trail, especially in the park's fragile subalpine environments.

For further information: Restoration Specialist Will Arnesen, 360-569-2211 ext. 3374
Apply Online
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job

Search and Rescue

Type: Intermittent group volunteers
Dates: Year-round
Status: Not recruiting beyond existing partnerships

Quick summary: Mount Rainier National Park's initial response to emergencies is with its own employees. However, larger or longer incidents often require help from outside, and in these cases, we call on a wide range of existing partners, including local Search and Rescue teams like Tacoma Mountain Rescue, volunteer search dogs, and Fort Lewis.

For more information: Chief Ranger Chuck Young, 360-569-2211 ext. 3300
To apply: Mount Rainier does not work with individual search and rescue volunteers. If you'd like to help out in the event of emergencies, contact your local Search and Rescue unit and volunteer your services there.
Blog entries about this opportunity
Photos of SAR volunteers

Student Internships

Type: Long-term individuals, primarily but not exclusively youth
Dates: Year-round, but mostly summer
Status: Now hiring!

Quick summary: Mount Rainier National Park offers many, many opportunities for student internships. The majority are through the Student Conservation Association, which recruits primarily but not exclusively for high school and college age youth. A few interns every year are also hired through the Geologic Society of America's Geoscientist-in-Parks program. Interns have also been hired occassionally through partnerships with local universities such as Evergreen State College.

For further information: Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385.
To apply: Review a complete list of current internships, and follow the links to apply to the one(s) you're interested in. Application procedures vary according to the sponsor of the position.
Blog entries about these positions
Photos of youth volunteer programs

Trails Volunteer Coordinator Internship

Type: Long-term individual volunteers
Dates: May 17 to September 6
Status: Now hiring through the Student Conservation Association

Quick summary: Work with the park's trail crew to repair and rebuild trails all over the park, and help recruit, train, and lead volunteer groups to help. Past volunteer work crews have included employee organizations, church groups, Boy Scouts, and environmental clubs.

For further information: Trails Foreman Carl Fabiani, 360-569-2211 ext. 3351
Apply online
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job

Urban Outreach Internship

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: early March through late September
Status: Hiring has been completed for 2010

Quick summary: Mount Rainier's Outreach program seeks to improve opportunities for ethnically and economically diverse urban audiences to visit and connect with their national parks. The Urban Outreach intern will work with the Student Conservation Association to recruit participants for the new "Camping Adventures with My Parents" program, and to organize and lead five overnight visits to the park over the course of the summer. They will also assist other outreach programs, including presentations in the community and the development of new partnerships.

For further information: Kevin Bacher, Volunteer and Outreach Program Manager, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Apply online
Blog entries about this job
Photos of this job

Visitor Services Interns and Volunteers

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: May 24 to August 16 (or longer)
Status: Now hiring through the Student Conservation Association

Quick summary: Twelve-week summer interns work alongside other interpretive rangers at both Paradise and Ohanapecosh, assisting visitors in the visitor centers and presenting programs on the trails. We also hire volunteers (not through SCA) for summer-long positions at Paradise, Ohanapecosh, and Sunrise, though none of these positions are currently vacant.
 
For further information: District Interpreters Lee Snook (Paradise), 360-569-6043; or Christine Czazasty (Ohanapecosh and Sunrise), 360-569-6047
Apply online: Paradise or Ohanapecosh
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Volunteer Coordinator Internship

Type: Long-term individuals
Dates: May 3 to October 31
Status: Hiring has been completed for 2010

Quick summary: Assist in managing Mount Rainier's exciting and rapidly growing volunteer program! Recruit volunteers, schedule and coordinate projects, assist supervisors, write blog entries, lead volunteer groups, plan and manage events, and help process all of the paperwork that goes along with 1800 volunteers.

For further information: Volunteer Program Manager Kevin Bacher, 360-569-2211 ext. 3385
Apply online
Blog entries about this job

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