Student Conservation Association (SCA) Youth Crew

The SCA has three youth community crews that will be at Mount Rainier National Park this summer. The first crew from the Pacific Northwest region just finished their two week stint at the park. They stayed in the Longmire Stewardship Campground and worked on tread issues and brushing on trails on the west side of the park. If you find yourself on the trail to Snow Lake or around Kautz Creek, know that this youth crew helped shape these trails for your enjoyment (and to protect the wildlife that lives shortly off trail). This crew was funded in part by a grant from the National Park Service's Youth Partnerships Program. Let’s send a big THANK YOU to this SCA Community Crew!

Guess Who is Coming Back?

If you guessed the Student Conservation Association's Community Crews, then you would be 100% correct!  But, why are we so excited?  Well, read on to find out...


The SCA's Community Crews have called Mount Rainier National Park home for quite a few years now.  Last year, the SCA brought eighteen 14-18 year olds into the park for two weeks of back country trails projects, front country projects, education programs, and countless interactions with Rangers from all over the park.  Completing 2160 hours of volunteer service in 2015 alone, the SCA Community Crews helped complete over 7,500 feet of trail brushing and installed 34 check steps along some popular trails, like the Skyline Trail and the Nisqually Vista Loop, as well as some lesser traveled trails, like the Snow Lake Trail and the North Puyallup Trail. 

 

 

Either setting up shop in the Longmire Stewardship Campground or spiked out to Klaspache Point, the Community Crews were always in high spirits and spent much of their free time exploring all reaches of the park.  Odds are, if you had volunteered this summer, you probably met at least one crew member.

We have recently learned that the SCA Community Crews will return to Mount Rainier, thanks special funding coming from the National Park Service's Youth Partnerships Program.  So, when you see those bright blue shirts and blaze yellow hardhats on trail this summer, make sure to stop and say "hello!" and "thank you!" to these amazing crews.

A Story About You

“This is a story about you,” read the words written on the screen of your laptop computer, and you were pleased.  You have always wanted to read about yourself on your favorite blog. 

You live in a medium sized home in a very small town.  It’s a short drive to the closest gas station where you regularly buy the essentials, like milk, eggs, bread, and occasionally a newspaper, but it is a longer drive to be able to fill your cupboards.  You usually only make that trip every few weeks.  You don’t know your new next door neighbor’s name yet.  Occasionally, she will wave to you on her way out to check the mail.  Occasionally, you will wave back. 

As the sun sets, you can see the colors changing on the peak of the volcano in the distance.  You always try to make it out around sunset to watch this show, but you sometimes forget until it is already too dark outside.  But when you do make it out to watch the spectacular show, you are elated.  After the magic is complete, you think to yourself, “I haven’t been there in years; I wonder if it has changed much since I was last there.” 

Your spouse looks at you, asking “what did you say?”  You quickly reply with “oh, nothing.”  You didn’t realize you mumbled that out loud.    

You hadn’t always lived in Washington.  In fact, your childhood home is rather far away.  “It was dryer there,” you remembered.  “And the trees were different too.”  But then you recall why you moved out here in the first place.  Sure, it may have been partially due to the job you were offered, but you really just wanted to be closer to this beautiful mountain that is nestled on the horizon.  And yet, you haven’t been there in many years. 

“This weekend, we’re going!” you shout, but in looking around, you realize that your spouse had gone inside already.  “Why didn’t I notice that?” you wonder, but not for too long. 

Once you return inside, you make sure your calendar is clear for the weekend, and you start packing your bags.  After such a dazzling display of color on the mountain, you just knew you had to go there, as soon as possible.  Today is Wednesday.  Friday, after work, you would just start to head straight to your destination for the weekend.   

Fast-forward to Friday at 4:54pm.  You are staring at your computer’s clock, waiting for the next six minutes to pass.  And then, they do.  It is 5:00pm, and you sprint out of your office and into your car.  You drop by your house to pick up your spouse, who was already waiting in the driveway.  What seem to be just a few short minutes later, you arrive at the entrance station of Mount Rainier National Park.  You purchased your annual pass at the beginning of the year, so you are waved into the park.  You drive the remaining twenty miles on the new, smooth road to get to your destination.  Paradise. 

You are surprised by how easily you found a parking space, but you are grateful.  Once you park, you immediately head over the stairs immediately behind the Jackson Visitor’s Center and you are off.  You are so excited to hike these trails again, that you don’t even pay attention to where you are going, and eventually, you admit that you are lost.  Boy, has it been too long since you have hiked these trails. 

Luckily, you find one of the Meadow Rovers out on patrol.  You recognize the familiar logo on their sleeves.  One arm has the NPS Arrowhead with the word “Volunteer” written above it, while the other is the “Meadow Rover” insignia.  Equipped with their hiking backpack full of Meadow Stomper pins and flower identification guides, this Meadow Rover was well prepared.  With their extensive knowledge, they were able to guide you back to the parking lot, where you were very easily able to find your car.   

You travel down the hill again, ready to set up camp at your spot in Cougar Rock.  You check in with the campground host, who is also wearing that same “Volunteer” patch you saw not too long ago.  You pitch your tent and your spouse starts a meal over the campstove.  You are hungry.  You haven’t eaten since Tuesday.  No.  You ate lunch today.  You just feel like you haven’t eaten since Tuesday.  The meal is your favorite one, and so is the drink you chase it down with.  You retire early to your tent, and your spouse is close to follow.   

The sun rises early the next morning, and you already have your day planned out.  After choking down a cup of cowboy coffee and eating a delicious breakfast, you are off to your first hike of the day: Comet Falls.  It was one of your favorites years ago, and you learn quickly that it still holds true today.  You notice a section of trail that appeared to have washed away when it rained a few weeks ago.  You carefully step along the trail, making sure not to slip.  Just around the corner, you notice a trails crew, all wearing blue shirts and yellow hard hats.  They are working hard on this trail, installing new check steps.  You ask about their project, and they tell you that they are working with the SCA as part of one of their Community Crews.  They have been out here for eleven days already, and they are working to repair portions of the washed out trail.  You thank them for their volunteerism, and you are on your way.

You make a few more stops while you are exploring the mountain, and along the way, you encounter more people that you assume work for the park, but are all volunteers.  You are amazed by this, and you want to learn more.  You are given the contact name some someone in the Volunteer Office at the park from yet another volunteer you meet, this time at the Longmire Museum. 

The weekend is over just as quickly as it started, and you start the drive home.  You are trying to find a radio station that comes in clearly, but to no avail.  Instead, you turn off the radio and talk about the amazing weekend you had with your spouse.  They are as equally excited as you are, and you both are very glad you made this trip.   

Tuesday morning, while in the office, you begin to daydream.  You rarely daydream, but today is an exception.  You think back to all of those people who had helped you while you were having the time of your life at Mount Rainier.  Then you remember that you have someone’s e-mail in the Volunteer Office at the park.  You hurriedly dig through your pockets to find that slip of paper (for some reason, you have it in your pocket of your work pants) and you immediately send out an e-mail. 

That afternoon, you get a response, and after a chain of e-mails sent back and forth, you will be volunteering this weekend in the park.  You sign your spouse up too, though they do not know it yet.  You are sure they will be excited.   

You were right.

 

(to be continued)

Volunteer Newsletter – August 2015

You’re invited to a picnic!

Before we get into the newsletter… this is just a reminder that the volunteer picnics are coming up very quickly at Mount Rainier, and you are invited!  This is the social semi-potluck to celebrate all of the hard work our volunteers put in throughout the year.  We will have two picnics, one on each side of the mountain.  The first will be on August 14^th at the Longmire Community Building while the second is August 15^th at the Sunrise Picnic Area.  Both events will start at 4:00pm and will go until 6:00pm, so come out and share some of your volunteer stories and a side dish or dessert with us!

Now, on with the newsletter:

July Highlights

The month of July was a hot one, yet we still had large numbers of volunteers coming through the entrance gates all over the park.  This just shows how dedicated all of our volunteers are!  Here is a recap of some of the projects that volunteers worked on throughout the month of July.

SCA Community Crew #1 – July 6^th to July 20^th

The first SCA community crew of the season came to Mount Rainier just after Independence Day this year, and spent half of their time in the park at the far end of the Westside Road at Klapatche Point.  Here they were doing some brushing and trail work on some of the backcountry trails in the area.  The remainder of their time was based out of the Longmire Stewardship Campground and traveling around the Longmire and Paradise areas, working on trails along the way.  Featuring two crew leaders from the Seattle area and 6 high school students (or recent graduates), the first community crew had an amazing experience while here at Mount Rainier.  The SCA has many opportunities for youth across the country, and even right here in the park!  For more information, visit www.thesca.org .

REI Sumner working with the Washington Trails Association – July 10^th

We were visited by the Logistics Team at the REI Distribution Center in Sumner early in the month, and they were excited to get out of the office and get their hands dirty.  They worked on a section of the Wonderland Trail heading towards Summerland in the northeastern corner of the park.  After clearing many of the drainages and making a few new ones along the trail, the crew then went on a hike led by Ranger Kevin around Sunrise and by the end of the day, their green REI Co-op t-shirts were filthy, sweaty, and covered in dust, but the group couldn’t have been any happier.  REI is a premier partner of the National Park Foundation’s “Find Your Park” campaign.  For more information, visit http://findyourpark.com/partners#rei.

Mount Rainier National Park Associates “Deveg” – July 11^th

The brave volunteers of MRNPA answered a panicked call for help and began their assault on the alien species found around the new Carbon River Ranger Station in the Northwest corner of the park.  The day was spent pulling a variety of non-native species including stinky bob and foxglove destroying the alien invaders.  Are you interested in saving the world?  Then sign up for the next work party with the Mount Rainier National Park Associates at www.mrnpa.org .

Washington’s National Park Fund – July 18^th

Nine representatives from Washington’s National Park Fund joined us for a day of trail work in Paradise (literally) in mid-July.  Their project involved widening a portion of trail immediately behind the Jackson Visitor Center to its original width.  This work was crucial because this trail will be repaved later in the season, and the group was excited to help.  Following a hot day in the sun, the group retreated to their campground to clean up before going on a hike.  That night, some members of the group joined our astro-volunteers for a detailed view of the cosmos in a way they may have never seen before.  “The Fund” is the official nonprofit partner of Mount Rainier National Park, as well as North Cascades and Olympic National Parks.  For more information on how you can help with “The Fund” visit www.wnpf.org .

Citizen Science Projects throughout the Park – All Summer Long

Hundreds of volunteers spend their time in the park working on a variety of Citizen Science Projects offered throughout the 230,000+ acres of Mount Rainier National Park.  Some of these include MeadoWatch, which studies the wide range of stages of development for many subalpine flowers and where they are found on the mountain.  With this data gathered by many volunteers, scientists at the University of Washington will be able to compare it to previous years’ data to help determine the role of global climate change in the Mount Rainier area.  Other projects around the mountain include the Cascades Butterfly Project, the Amphibian Survey, and the Cascades Carnivore Survey (a survey that tracks some of the carnivores throughout the park through careful examination of their scat).  All of these projects will be continuing throughout the summer months.

RAVENS – Around Paradise All Summer Long

If you have had any issues with your car or maybe a fall on the trail in Paradise, chances are you have met one of our RAVENS (Roadside Assistance Volunteers).  Gary and Les have been working long hours all summer to provide the safest environment possible at Paradise, and if you see them around, feel free to thank them and even give them a high five!

Meadow Rovers – All Summer Long at Paradise and Sunrise

The Meadow Rovers have been out in full force this summer, as both Paradise and Sunrise have been swamped with visitors all summer long.  Recently, Maureen had the largest group of Rovers out on the trails she has ever had, and that was lucky, because on the same day there were seemingly countless tour busses and large groups all along the trails.  Sunrise has also been quite busy, having some of their highest amounts of visitors to date, and at both locations, some Rovers have been reporting over 500 contacts in one shift.  That is amazing everyone!  It seems as though the crowds will continue to grow as long as this beautiful weather sticks around, so keep up the amazing attitudes and know that you are always welcome to come and Meadow Rove, and even bring a friend if you’d like!  Lynn and Maureen have been having new Rover orientations all summer long, and don’t want to stop!

We also want to give a special shout out to Puget Sound Energy, whose donation through Washington’s National Park Fund allowed us to purchase additional radios for our volunteers to use this summer, enhancing their effectiveness and helping to keep both them and visitors safer on the trails!

Washington Trails Association – Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Summer

The WTA has been working hard on a section of the Wonderland Trail in the northeastern corner of the park, leading to Summerland.  Every weekend, many volunteers come for a day or the entire weekend to work alongside the coordinators on projects to improve sections of the trails that have been washed out.  Much of the work has involved putting in new check steps and clearing drainages, and the trail looks beautiful now!  Additionally, the WTA has just completed their first Back Country Response Team trip to Emerald Ridge.  This small group of four volunteers spent five days in the backcountry, miles away from the Westside Road, and a two hour roundtrip walk away from the closest water source to begin work on a new section of the Wonderland Trail that was slowly falling over the edge of a cliff.  The WTA will continue work throughout the summer.  Do you want to get your hands dirty?  Then sign up for a single day, or a full weekend of trails work at www.wta.org .

And more…

These are just some of the volunteers working all over the park this summer. Interns are helping out in the visitor centers and surveying our streams and glaciers. Youth crews are repairing trails at Paradise and above Reflection Lake. Volunteer campground hosts assist visitors to our campgrounds, and other volunteers patrol backcountry trails and assist with park maintenance. If you come across our volunteers, or if you’re a volunteer yourself, send us your pictures and stories and we’ll publish them on our blog or Facebook page. Look for the volunteer patch wherever you go, and say thanks!

Looking Ahead to August

The weather is showing no signs of letting up anytime soon, which means there will be plenty of opportunities to volunteer throughout the month of August!  Here is a glimpse of some of the projects that will be going on all month and some of the groups coming in to join us.

Volunteer Picnics – August 14^th and 15^th, at Longmire and Sunrise, respectively

I think it is worth mentioning again that our volunteer picnics are just around the corner!  See the details at the top of this newsletter, and please join us!

Mount Rainier National Park Associates – August 15^th

The MRNPA will be back in action on August 15^th to help with the trail crew on a project around the Paradise area.  Following their day of hard work, they will be having their annual potluck in the Longmire Campground, and all participants in the work party that morning are invited.  Free camping will also be provided at the Longmire Stewardship Campground for anyone interested in joining for the night.  For more information, visit www.mrnpa.org .

Back Country Crews Hard at Work – Throughout the Month

The second SCA Community Crew has been in the field for a week now, and their third Crew will be coming later in the month.  In addition to the SCA, the Washington Trails Association’s Back Country Response Team number two will be out in the field at the end of the month, so if you see any of these groups deep in the woods, make sure to thank them for their great work!

Washington Trails Association – Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Summer

The WTA is a longstanding partner of Mount Rainier National Park, and every weekend they are having volunteer work parties that are designed to improve sections of trail that are commonly traveled.  For information on where their next work part is in the park and how YOU can join them, visit www.wta.org.

Starbucks Trail Crew – August 8th

Over fifty members of the Starbucks crew will be coming this weekend and will be working alongside the trails crew at Paradise for the weekend. Follow the smell of coffee and sweat!

Shadows of the Past – August 22^nd

The annual Shadows of the Past living history program will commence at dusk on the night of August 22^nd. Join us at Longmire for a one-of-a-kind tour of the Trail of the Shadows by lantern light, and meet James and Virinda Longmire, John Muir, Fay Fuller, and many other real-life characters from Mount Rainier’s past!

REI – August 24^th to 26^th

Quite possibly the largest volunteer group ever to stay in the Longmire Stewardship Campground, over 150 people representing all of REI within 250 miles of the mountain will be here for three days of stewardship. Volunteers take note, if you need camping during these three days, we will be assigning you to overflow sites in the Cougar Rock Campground.

JVIPA (Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association) – August 22^nd through September 5^th  

Our international volunteers will be back again later this month, working on a wide array of projects throughout the park.  In recent history they have built many of the picnic tables you have eaten lunch on and worked on a section of the boardwalk at the Kautz Creek trail.  Make sure you say hello and konichiwa to this group of volunteers that keep coming back year after year!

Looking ahead to September

Mark your calendars! September will include a public revegetation day at Sunrise on September 12, and National Public Lands Day on September 26. Watch our volunteer blog and this newsletter for more details!

New Face in the Volunteer Office

Hello!  My name is Ian Harvey and I am a Centennial Volunteer Ambassador through the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and the National Park Service for this upcoming year, and you’ll hopefully be seeing a lot of me!

Growing up in central Pennsylvania, I have always had a strong interest in the outdoors.  This ranges from sitting under my great-grandmother’s blue spruce, listening to the birds singing above in her backyard when I was only a few years old, to pursuing a degree in Conservation Ecology from California University of Pennsylvania.  While a student at CalU, I was involved in many volunteer projects and eventually became the President of their branch of Habitat for Humanity.

Upon graduation, I began teaching outdoor education all over the north east, including Yellow Springs, OH, Freedom, NH, Silver Bay, NY, Charlton, MA, Andover, CT, and many other locations.  I have found that by working with thousands of students over the past few years that there is a strong interest in the outdoors in many people, and an even stronger urge to want to do something to help.  That is where I am today.

As the SCA’s Centennial Volunteer Ambassador, I will be working closely with the volunteers, communities, and surrounding areas of Mt. Rainier National Park to encourage people of all backgrounds, ages, and experiences to get out and enjoy the parks through hands-on service.  I believe that it is through these types of projects that people are able to form those much more personal connections to the lands around them and pass those feelings on to future generations!

I would love to hear from you, the volunteers, about your personal connections to the park, why you volunteer, and even your favorite memories at Mt. Rainier.  I can be reached via e-mail at ian_harvey@partner.nps.gov and can’t wait to hear from you and work with you out in the field soon!

The Many Aspects of Volunteering

We often receive inquiries which say simply, "I want to volunteer at Mount Rainier National Park," and while it's wonderful to hear from people who want to participate, volunteer opportunities are as diverse as the people who apply. It is helpful if potential volunteers categorize their areas of interest. Here are just a few ways our volunteers serve the Park, selected from field projects done in 2014. (Uncredited NPS photos: Kevin Bacher)

NPS photo: Curt Jacquot

NPS photo: Lou Whiteaker

Photo: Ed Hunds

NPS photo: Crow Vecchio

Photo: Kathleen Bogaards

Of course these aren't the only ways you can volunteer. When you contact us, be sure to list your specialties and interests so we can find the right place for you!

Aiding Paradise: Volunteers are helping us understand and prepare for climate change

Volunteers make survey measurements
on the Nisqually Glacier

Many of you have already read the excellent 16-page special section in The News Tribune that came out last month called "Losing Paradise: Climate Change is Changing Mount Rainier." If you haven't done so, it's an excellent read, covering everything from the science behind climate change (both what we know and what's still uncertain) to its effects on the mountain's glaciers, rivers, plants, animals, visitors, and caretakers.

The one tiny flaw in this exceptional and comprehensive story is that nowhere are volunteers mentioned -- at least, by that title. But anyone who knows anything about Mount Rainier knows that volunteers are intimately involved in everything we do, and that is certainly true of our efforts to understand and prepare for climate change.

This mountain is one of the best places on the planet to study the local effects of changing climate, and as the article suggests, it has attracted a swarm of graduate students. Many are independent researchers, working with their universities under research permits. Others are hired as volunteers or interns by the National Park Service through programs like the Geoscientists-in-Parks program, a partnership with the Geologic Society of America (whose interns have contributed greatly to Mount Rainier over the years, and whose 2015 positions are accepting applications until February 3rd). Scott Beason, a park geologist, began his career as a "GIP" intern. John Beyeler and Rebecca Rossi, who spent the summer of 2013 gathering stream data in the Carbon River channel, and who are featured on the cover the special section in the News Tribune, sitting on an island surrounded by the rushing river, were two more such interns. Emily Knoth and John Russell, 2014 interns, are photographed conducting surveys at Longmire. Mitch Haynes, pictured mapping the Nisqually Glacier, was a 2014 summer volunteer working with park geomorphologist Paul Kennard.

MeadoWatch volunteer Karen Murante
surveys wildflowers on Mazama Ridge

Volunteers help in other ways, too. They survey sensitive animal species on our wildlife crews, and serve as Citizen Scientists, documenting the changing populations of amphibian surveys in wilderness lakes and ponds. "MeadoWatch" volunteers monitor the timing of when flowers bloom and set seed, and its Park Service and University of Washington facilitators are working with NASA satellite imagery to develop predictive snow melt models. The volunteer Cascade Butterfly Survey tracks fluctuations in butterfly populations over the years. Even casual park visitors can get involved, by submitting their geotagged photos for researchers to analyze. The deployment of volunteers gives us hundreds of data points where, if we relied solely on paid staff, we would have only dozens.

And, of course, when the rivers rise, causing damage like that of the November 2006 floods that wiped out roads, bridges, trails, and campgrounds, volunteers respond to make repairs. Miles of trail were rebuilt almost entirely by volunteers; it's no exaggeration to say that large swaths of the park would still be closed off without the help of partners like the Washington Trails Association and Student Conservation Association who helped organize work crews. Community groups representing REI, Boeing, Starbucks, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, church groups, military units, geocaching clubs, and dozens of others joined hundreds of individuals to grade and build and brush and plant.

You can make a difference! Volunteer with our MeadoWatch, Butterfly Survey, or Citizen Science programs to help gather data for researchers. Share your photos of flowering plants (how simple is that)! Work with our Trail Crews, and with our partners at the Washington Trails Association, to continue repairing and maintaining damaged trails. Support the work of other partners like Washington's National Park Fund and the National Parks Conservation Association. Join other volunteer efforts throughout the year, and encourage your employee associations, church groups, civic groups, and community organizations to contribute. Together, we can make a real difference. See you on the Mountain!

Volunteer Newsletter, August 2014

Volunteer Picnics Coming Up August 15 and 16 

Join us on Friday, August 15 at the Longmire Community Building or Saturday, August 16 at the Sunrise Picnic Area for our annual Volunteer Picnics! Both picnics begin at 4:30pm and are potluck, so bring something to share. The volunteer program will provide drinks, paper plates, glasses, and plasticware at Longmire, and will bring hamburger patties and veggie burgers at Sunrise. As in previous years, we'll be grilling at Sunrise, so if you have a portable grill to share, please let us know. Both gatherings will be an informal celebration of volunteer activities and a great opportunity to meet fellow volunteers, and are open to all park employees, as well as those interested in learning more about the volunteer program.

To give us a sense for how many people to expect, please RSVP for the Longmire Picnic to Kevin Bacher at Kevin_Bacher (at) nps.gov, and for the Sunrise Picnic to Lynn Kittridge at Lynn_Kittridge (at) partner.nps.gov. 

Who Was That Masked Postcard Donor?

In early July, a volunteer brought in a set of small Mount Rainier postcards from 1923 to the Longmire Museum, labeled "Bardell Fototone Miniatures," and wondered if we wanted them. Here's what they look like: http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTY4WDgwNg==/z/TBoAAOxyVLNS2UYy/$_35.JPG. Ranger Hayley took them and passed them on to our park Curator, Brooke Childrey, who but did not get the volunteer's name and contact information. Brooke would like to follow up with the volunteer to learn more about where the postcards came from, and to complete formal donation paperwork. If you are the one who donated the postcards, please contact her at Brooke_Childrey (at) nps.gov, or 360-569-6784. 

Mount Rainier National Park Receives 2014 America’s Best Idea Grant from the National Park Foundation to Support Student Conservation Association Youth Crews 

Mount Rainier National Park is one of 39 national parks selected to receive a 2014 America’s Best Idea grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Inspired by Ken Burns’ critically acclaimed documentary “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” this program builds partnerships between national parks and community, state, and other public organizations, and engages diverse audiences in meaningful and relevant ways with national parks and inspires participants to become stewards of our National Park System.

“The America’s Best Idea program connects people – particularly youth – to America’s national parks, often for the first time,” said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “Through meaningful and memorable in-park experiences that highlight the natural, cultural, and historical treasures in our National Park System, we are able to inspire the next generation of park-goers.”

“We want everyone to find themselves in a national park,” said Jonathan B. Jarvis, director of the National Park Service. “These National Park Foundation grants will help people acquire a better understanding of their national parks and, hopefully, of themselves, through place-based learning and recreational activities. Native Americans who will visit traditional homelands, budding scientists who will study environmental impacts, and students from Gallaudet University who will examine aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act are among the many groups which will benefit from the grants.”

At Mount Rainier, National Park Foundation funding will support three teams of youth recruited by the Student Conservation Association (SCA) from communities in Seattle, and from Joint Base Lewis-McCord (JBLM) through SCA’s “Base to Base Camp” program. Eight high school students and two crew leaders in each Community Crew will spend fifteen days working on trail maintenance projects throughout the national park, repairing trail tread and building bridges at sites like Klapatche Park and the Wonderland Trail. This is SCA’s 20th year fielding Community Crews at Mount Rainier, and the third for its Base to Base Camp program. Eleven students from JBLM joined thirteen from Seattle on last year’s crews. This year’s crews will be in the park from July 6th through August 31st.

“We are pleased to have Community Crews back at Mount Rainier this year,” said Superintendent Randy King. “These young people play an important part in the protection and care of our national parks, and they also represent the next generation of park stewards.” Many graduates of past Community Crews have gone on to serve as seasonal or career rangers with the National Park Service or other agencies.

*****
Upcoming Events

Daily: Meadow Rovers Needed!

Meadow Rovers are always needed, and this is one of our busiest times of year! We've been a little short on Rovers at Paradise especially, so if you have a day free, come on up and help out! The wildflowers are nearing their peak, and bus loads of tour groups are showing up with increasing frequency. We need rovers who can provide a welcome and reminder to groups as they arrive, and to station themselves at critical areas to remind visitors of the importance of staying on trails, even if there's a tempting patch of snow or wildflowers visible in the distance. Contact us at MORA_Meadow_Rovers (at)nps.gov to let us know when you're coming up.

Thursdays-Mondays: Star-Gazing at JVC

Join our stellar cast of volunteer astronomers outside the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center Thursday through Monday nights this summer. There will be telescopes available and knowledgeable guides to help you enjoy the wilderness of the night sky. Star-gazing will take place just after dark through at least midnight (weather permitting, subject to cancellation). Our Astronomers this summer:

Tom and Gracie Pauly of the Starryhill planetarium (starryhill.org): Yes, they have their own planetarium and observatory!  These retired teachers are top notch at helping people connect to the wonder of the night sky (Thursdays only).

Don West-Wilke: Our returning Tacoma Astronomical Society Astronomer of the Year. He annually records more visitor contacts than anyone in the park. One of the most knowledgeable and colorful astronomers in Washington. Sometimes called "the Singing Astronomer" (Saturdays only).

Pat Beatie: This Bellevue college astronomy teacher will be helping people connect to the night sky five nights a week (Thursdays through Mondays). He often also sets up a solar viewing scope during the day next to the JVC.

Fridays-Sundays: Trail Maintenance with the Washington Trails Association

WTA continues to lead trail work throughout the park every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and will do so at least through Labor Day. If you're looking for a way to help out, this is a sure-fire opportunity! Visit WTA's website at www.wta.org and click on the "Volunteer" tab at the top for a list of projects throughout the state. Look for the ones marked "Mount Rainier" to help out here! 

September 6: Planting Day

Mount Rainier's annual volunteer planting day will be on September 6 at Sunrise. The Mount Rainier National Park Associates (www.mrnpa.org) will be there, but the project is also open to anyone who wants to help. Watch our blog (rainiervolunteers.blogspot.com) for details coming soon!

September 6: Mount Rainier Volunteers Adopt-A-Highway

In partnership with the Washington State Dept. of Transportation, Mount Rainier's volunteers make litter patrols along Hwy 706 three times a year. This stretch of highway includes the Park's Tahoma Woods frontage. For more information or to sign up for our September 6 event, contact Crow at petrina_vecchio(at)partner.nps.gov.


September 27: National Public Lands Day

Mark your calendars: this year's National Public Lands Day will be Saturday September 27. We're still working out the details, but the day's project work will likely include trail maintenance and native planting, and will probably be based out of White River and Sunrise. Activities will be suitable for all ages. Save the date!

Ongoing: Amphibian Surveys

Laura Davis is looking for volunteers to help conduct surveys to document the presence or absence of amphibian species at various lakes, ponds and wetlands with an emphasis on historical Western Toad sites. The surveys will involved hiking to predetermined sites and will be concerned with finding, identifying and measuring amphibians at all stages of development. You do not need any previous experience and surveying equipment will be provided. You may volunteer once or multiple times throughout the season. If you need to stay overnight, free camping is available at Cougar Rock, White River, Ohanapecosh and Longmire campgrounds. Longmire since is the closest to the meeting point. Both day trip and overnight backpacking surveys will be done throughout the park.

If you are interested in helping with this project, please contact Laura Davis via laura_davis(at)partner.nps.gov.

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What's Been Going On

BSA, GSA, MRNPA, REI, SCA, WNPF, WTA, and Starbucks (Oh My!)


To say that July and August have been busy with volunteer groups would be a bit of an understatement! Here's a quick and incomplete sampling of those who've been working with us this month. Our eternal gratitude goes to all of our volunteers who help keep their national park running in excellent condition!

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) gathered at Camp Sheppard, north of the park, the week of August 3rd, for their annual ArrowCorps Conservation School, organized by the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scouts' leadership corps. They helped rebuild picnic tables and perform general maintenance in the Paradise Picnic Area, and completed a long stretch of brushing on the Wonderland Trail in Stevens Canyon. They were joined on the latter project by members of the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), a youth employment program that draws from local high schools.

The Girl Scouts of America (GSA) showed up with troop 52767 on July 25th, and earned their Stewardship Patches by completing 10 hours apiece of combined education and volunteer service by working with ranger Ryan Cyphers McLoughlin (ed. correction) in the Paradise meadows.

The Mount Rainier National Park Associates (MRNPA) was here on August 2nd for their annual picnic and a trail project near Narada Falls. They will be back next month on September 6, planting native plants at Sunrise.

Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) and Washington's National Park Fund (WNPF) are out in force this weekend, August 9th, doing a fundraising climb on Mount Rainier. The Fund supports projects in Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks, including our climbing, trails, and volunteer programs. More than half of our volunteer budget, in fact, comes from donations through WNPF! Learn more at www.wnpf.org.

The Student Conservation Association (SCA)'s Community Crew program is wrapping up its second of three crews this weekend. The first group of 8 students and 2 crew leaders, drawn from high schools in the Seattle area and from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), kept busy with trail work near Narada Falls in July, while the second team has been working on trail maintenance and bridge construction on the Wonderland Trail near Myrtle Falls. The third and final crew will arrive August 17 for its 15-day assignment, tentatively scheduled to be near Klapatche Point.

The Washington Trails Association (WTA) has been busy all over Mount Rainier, working on trails near and far, most recently along the scenic Skyline Trail at Paradise. They continue to lead public volunteers every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so sign up (at www.wta.org) and pitch in! You could even earn a personalized WTA work helmet!

Starbucks arrived for their annual work project on August 1st, and spent the 2nd working on the Wonderland Trail. We always welcome their energy and their donations of coffee!

Coming up, we'll be visited by volunteers from The Evergreen State College, the Sierra Club, and many others. Thanks again to everyone for your hard work and dedication!

SCA Receives the Director's Partnership Award

We're pleased to announce that the Student Conservation Association's Community Crew program, out of Seattle, has won the National Park Service Director's Partnership Award for 2014! The award will be formally presented soon at a time and venue yet to be determined. It recognizes 30 years of youth volunteerism, 20 of them at Mount Rainier National Park, and their recent initiative called "Base to Base Camp," which has engaged youth in military families from Joint Base Lewis-McCord and others.

More Radios Are a-Comin', Thanks to the Puget Sound Energy Foundation and WNPF

Partnerships are invaluable to Mount Rainier, and one of our most productive has been Washington's National Park Fund. When the Fund learned that we continue to suffer from a shortage of radios in our Meadow Rover program--tools that are critical to the safe and effective operation of our volunteers--they stepped up to find donors who would help fill the need. Now, thanks to the Puget Sound Energy Foundation, five new radios are on their way! THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this happen!

Transitions at the Longmire Campground

The Longmire Stewardship Campground remains an invaluable resource for volunteers and other park partners who need temporary camping and showers at Mount Rainier National Park. We say a fond farewell and a grateful thank you to Jim and Lorraine Cherry, who served in excellent form as our campground hosts through most of July before returning home to Indiana! We're also extremely thankful for Yonit and Leon Yogev, who filled in for a busy week at the end of July, and to Nancy Mortensen, who arrived August 1st to finish out the season. Nancy will be here through September, and will be available to receive campground reservations at Nancy_Mortensen (at) partner.nps.gov just as soon as her park e-mail is set up (hopefully in the next few days), or by telephone at 360-569-0933.

Condolences

Our sincere condolences go to John Titland and his family on the recent passing of his wife Jane. John and Jane have been volunteers for many, many years at Mount Rainier, and are founding members of one of our most dedicated group of volunteers, the Mount Rainier National Park Associates. We will always be grateful for Jane's service, dedication, and friendship.

And more...

These are only a few of the many, many ways that volunteers serve at Mount Rainier National Park every day. In almost every program, volunteers serve alongside paid staff, helping us to protect our national park and serve its visitors better than we ever could without their help. In some cases, park programs and services would not exist without volunteers. You will almost certainly cross paths with a volunteer if you visit the park. Take time to say thank you!