Adopt-a-Highway Volunteers Wanted!

It's time for our first Adopt-a-Highway litter patrol of 2016, and Crow is looking for a crew of a dozen to help clean up the trash which has accumulated along SR706 over the winter. We will be patrolling the two-mile section which includes the Park's Tahoma Woods property on Sunday, April 10. The work party begins at 10 and goes until we're done, generally by 1 PM depending on the number of volunteers who turn out for this community service. Gloves, long-armed grabbers and safety vests will be provided. If you'd like to be part of our picker-upper team, contact Crow at petrina_vecchio@nps.partner.gov no later than April 1.

Adopt-a-Highway Volunteers Pick It Up!

A record crew of litter pickers showed up at Tahoma Woods at 10 AM this morning to patrol the two-mile stretch of SR706 between mileposts 2 and 4, a strip which includes the Park's Tahoma Woods frontage. In partnership with the Washington State Dept. of Transportation, Mount Rainier's fabulous volunteers contract to make three litter pickups each year, a detail which generally lasts two to three hours on each date. Quite a few of today's crew were new volunteers, eager to involve themselves in a project which benefits the community as well as the Park. The team of 13 brought in a total of 10 bags of litter. Former campground host Jean Millan provided a variety of munchie packs to each participant. Future patrols will be held in June and September.

Didn't We Just Do That?

 
Yes, you did! But litter is an ongoing problem, and we want to have our gateway to the Mountain looking nice for our Fourth of July visitors. Mount Rainier's wonderful Volunteers have adopted the two-mile stretch of SR 706 which includes our Tahoma Woods property, and we'll be conducting another litter patrol as part of our partnership with the state Dept. of Transportation's Adopt-a-Highway program. They limit us to twelve participants, so if you're interested, sign up soon! Gloves, safety vests, bags and "long-armed grabbers" will be provided. Hard hats are optional, so if you want to wear one, bring your own.

Volunteers for this project MUST watch the DoT's five-minute training video featuring goofy (and much younger) Bill Nye the Science Guy. By the way, our Volunteers are featured on the front page of the Adopt-a-Highway site this month!

Contact Crow at Petrina_Vecchio@partner.nps.gov to reserve your spot. We will be staging at Tahoma Woods in the Administration Building parking lot at 9 AM on Saturday, June 29.

NPS Litter Team, Earth Day 2013

Photo credit: NPS, Crow Vecchio

In anticipation of Earth Day (Monday, April 22), Mount Rainier National Park sent out a team comprised of volunteers, paid employees and their family members to complete a litter patrol covering two miles of SR 706, the main access to the Park. In three hours, the group of twelve collected eleven bags of trash as part of their contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation's "Adopt-a-Highway" program. I had the honor of supervising this great crew, and couldn't have asked for a cheerier and efficient lot. Thank you so much, gang, for helping keep the Road to Paradise clean and tidy!

Volunteers Wanted for Litter Patrol!

As of this writing, only about half of the vacancies have been filled for our April 20th Adopt-a-Highway litter patrol and the litter along State Route 706 is multiplying daily! Please join us in tidying up for Earth Day and the summer season! Contact Petrina_Vecchio@partner.nps.gov to reserve your spot.

We will be staging at Tahoma Woods (approximately three miles east of Elbe) at 9 AM. There will be a brief orientation before the patrol begins.

Volunteers Pick It Up!

Mount Rainier's Volunteers teamed up with the Department of Transportation last fall to adopt the stretch of State Route 706 between Milepost 2 and Milepost 4. We have contracted with them to perform three litter patrols annually. Following our first pickup, the DoT posted signs acknowledging our service at both ends of the designated area. Look for them as you drive up to the Park!

It's time to start thinking about our next patrol which is slated for Saturday, April 20. The date was selected to coincide with Earth Day, April 22. Volunteer Coordinator Crow is looking for eight to ten "litter pickers" who can devote a couple of hours to help out. We will be staging at Tahoma Woods at 9 AM. Following a brief orientation, teams will be dispatched with bags and grabbers. If you would like to participate in this community service come rain or shine, please email Crow at Petrina_Vecchio@partner.nps.gov.

NPLD Litter Pickers

One professor, nine Evergreen State College students and two local residents made short work of litter along SR 706 as Mount Rainier Volunteers participating in an Adopt-A-Highway cleanup patrol. Seventeen bags of litter were collected along the two-mile stretch of roadway which encompasses the Park's Tahoma Woods property and the best view of Mount Rainier from this scenic highway. Passing motorists often honked their approval or waved to the group in acknowledgement of the service they were providing.
Similar patrols will be conducted in April in conjunction with Earth Day and again in June just prior to the Fourth of July when Park visitation is at a peak. Participation is limited to twelve individuals per the Dept. of Transportation, so if you are interested in taking part, please contact Crow Vecchio or Kevin Bacher at ext. 6567. Volunteers like you can make a huge difference in our visitors' experiences both inside and outside the Park!

Adopt-A-Highway on National Public Lands Day

On September 29 (National Public Lands Day), a crew of twelve volunteers will be participating in litter pickup along SR 706 from milepost 2 to milepost 4 as part of our recent agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation under their "Adopt-A-Highway" program. Our designated section of roadway includes Mount Rainier's Tahoma Woods property frontage. Similar pickups will be conducted in April and late June. In recognition of the valuable community service we will be providing, signs acknowledging Mount Rainier Volunteers will be placed at either end of our patrol area. What a great way to show visitors we care about the community as well as our own Park!