Federal Land Managers at Mount Rainier

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with a group of federal land managers (National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management) at Paradise to discuss our volunteer program. It was nice to hold an open-air symposium in the late afternoon autumn light, on the steps leading up into the beautiful meadows of Paradise! Here's a photo of the group.

A parade of volunteers on the Glacier Basin Trail

Student Conservation Association
members hiked the Glacier Basin
Trail to see the work done by their
volunteers and by other partners

Last week, I had the rare pleasure of taking a day out of the office, away from budgets and planning and e-mail, to see first-hand the work being done by our dedicated volunteers in the field. My hiking companions were a contingent from the Student Conservation Association, which has been a major partner of Mount Rainier for more than four decades, especially since the great floods of November 2006. SCA provides 12 week to 12 month interns in positions all over the park, from visitor services to research to trail maintenance to volunteer coordination. They also field high school crews for 15-day leadership training programs, several of which have contributed to the rebuilding of the Glacier Basin Trail.

Picking our way through a section
of trail yet to be rebuilt

We hiked all the way up to Glacier Basin, a seven mile round-trip. Along the way, we saw sections of trail that were completely obliterated by the 2006 floods. I remember responding to requests from the news media for pictures of this damaged trail, and being stymied by the fact that most of the "damaged" sections were so thoroughly wiped out that you couldn't tell a trail had ever been there, among the rocks, mud, logs, and other debris deposted by the flood.

Washington Conservation Corps at
work on the Glacier Basin Trail

We saw many of these sections of trail as we hiked along the Inter Fork of the White River--places where the old trail, below us, vanished into the river debris; and places where trail crews were still busy rerouting the trail to higher ground.

Your mission, should you choose to
accept it: turn this into a trail

Large stretches of the Glacier Basin Trail have been completely rebuilt higher up the side of the valley, to keep it out of the path of future floods. The trail is beautiful--in the words of Jay Satz, Regional Vice President of SCA, some of the best trail work he's ever seen. New trail bridges, rock walls, water bars, channels and culverts have all been installed to direct water flow. Crews are still working on some of the most challenging sections.

WTA volunteer working along the
Glacier Basin Trail

In addition to SCA, of course, many other partners have participated in the reconstruction of the Glacier Basin Trail. The Mount Rainier National Park Associates, several local Boy Scout troops, and other local volunteer groups have chipped in. The Washington Trails Association has, for two years now, coordinated public volunteer projects--including 496 people last summer (in 2009) alone. Only one WTA volunteer was on the trail the day we were there, but he was hard at work preparing a log for installation along the new route. We also encountered a crew from the Washington Conservation Corps, busy turning a steep, muddy slope perforated by seeps and springs into a world-class trail.

We finally reached our destination, at the base of the Emmons Glacier climbing route, in time to eat our lunch in a steady downpour: a typical autumn trail experience that did nothing to reduce the beauty of the setting or to dampen our enthusiasm for the work we'd seen along the trail.

Volunteers will continue working on the Glacier Basin Trail, alongside park trail crews, during this coming National Public Lands Day weekend. With their help, the rebuilt trail should finally be complete sometime early next spring. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this project happen! Your work will endure, providing access to the living heart of Mount Rainier National Park, for generations.

Do Your Part for National Parks this Saturday

From the National Parks Conservation Association in Seattle:

MEDIA ADVISORY—Public Service Opportunity

More than 170,000 Volunteers Expected to Help Clean Up National Parks, including Mount Rainier on National Public Lands Day

WHAT: Trail Maintenance work and revegitation at Mount Rainier National Park.

WHO: We urge the public to join staff and members of the National Park Conservation Association, along with the National Park Service.

WHEN: Saturday, September 25, 2010, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

WHERE: Mount Rainier National Park. Meet at Longmire Museum, 6.5 miles east of the Nisqually Entrance in the southwest corner of the park.

For directions please visit the Longmire Museum link provided above. For more information, please call NPCA’s regional office at 206.903.1444.

CONTACT: Bethany Van Etten, Administrative Coordinator—Northwest Region National Parks Conservation Association, 206.903.1444, bvanetten@npca.org

WHY: The National Parks On Saturday, September 25, 2010, more than 170,000 volunteers across the country are expected to lend a hand in cleaning up America’s public lands in recognition of the 17th annual National Public Lands Day. The nation’s leading voice for the national parks, the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) will assist in this effort and work with local volunteers at national park sites across the country, including Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. "National Public Lands Day provides volunteers an opportunity to enjoy America’s Great Outdoors and help with important restoration efforts like planting native plants, cleaning up campgrounds from storm damage, and restoring trails throughout our national parks,” said Bethany Van Etten, with NPCA’s Northwest Regional office. “The event helps bring together thousands of individuals nationwide who share an appreciation for the public lands that we so often enjoy, but many times forget to care for.”

National Public Lands Day was established in 1994 and is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands, including national parks. This year, National Public Lands Day is celebrating service and recreation on public lands and is educating volunteers about the health benefits of spending time outdoors. After the event, volunteers are encouraged to explore the wonders of the great outdoors by taking a hike, swim, or bicycle ride. National Public Lands Day is also a fee-free day for many federally managed lands, including the National Park System. Volunteers who participate are given coupons for a second free entry into their favorite federal public land areas. To learn more, visit the NPCA events page or http://www.publiclandsday.org/.

Volunteers will work on trails, planting at Mount Rainier on National Public Lands Day, September 25 – Entrance Fees to be Waived

September 21, 2010
For Immediate Release
Kevin Bacher, Volunteer and Outreach Program Manager
360-569-2211 ext. 3385, Kevin_Bacher@nps.gov

On National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 25, 2010, more than a hundred volunteers will assemble at Mount Rainier National Park to plant native plants and work on completing repairs to the Glacier Basin Trail. Volunteers will also conduct general maintenance around the Longmire Volunteer Campground in preparation for winter. The work day will cap a highly successful season in which more than a thousand volunteers have contributed to the protection of Mount Rainier National Park’s natural and cultural treasures and helped serve its visitors.

Members of the public are invited to join in the day’s work. The National Parks Conservation Association, the Washington Trails Association, Evergreen State College, and the T’Kope Kwiskwis Lodge of the Boy Scouts of America will also participate.

National Public Lands Day is an annual celebration of public involvement in the stewardship of America’s national, state, and local parks and forests. More than 120,000 individuals are expected to participate in events all over the country. In recognition of this, entrance fees will be waived at all national parks for the day. Volunteers will receive an additional coupon for free admission on a day of their choice.

National Public Lands Day volunteers will register at the Longmire Museum, on the south side of Mount Rainier National Park, by 9:00 a.m. and then continue on to Paradise. Volunteers throughout the months of September and October have been helping park crews to plant 120,000 native plants on the site of the old Jackson Visitor Center, which was replaced in 2008. Meanwhile, at White River Campground, in the northeast corner of the park, volunteers will join crew leaders at 9:00 a.m. to rebuild sections of the Glacier Basin Trail that were damaged by flooding in November 2006.

Volunteers should come prepared for cool, wet weather, with warm clothing, rain gear, sturdy footwear, and gloves. If the weather is nice, sunglasses, sunscreen, and hats are recommended. Volunteers should also bring water, snacks, and a lunch.

A coalition of nonprofit organizations and corporations has supported volunteer efforts at Mount Rainier throughout the summer. The National Parks Conservation Association coordinates National Public Lands Day and leads efforts to increase public awareness and understanding of issues facing northwest parks. Washington Trails Association members and crew leaders have led projects at Glacier Basin and elsewhere. Student Conservation Association interns and crews serve as volunteer coordinators and on trail teams. Washington’s National Park Fund supports volunteer and outreach efforts through fundraising. Corporations including REI and Starbucks have contributed with both financial and on-the-ground volunteer support. Hundreds of individuals and dozens of groups have invested their time and sweat, in partnership with park employees, to build and patrol trails, assist and educate visitors, conduct citizen science research, plant native plants, provide roadside assistance to visitors, maintain backcountry campsites, and catalogue historic records. Last year, 1,865 volunteers contributed 72,231 hours of service at Mount Rainier, an effort valued at $1.5 million.

Information about Mount Rainier National Park’s volunteer program, including a list of open positions, a calendar of activities, and pictures and videos of volunteers in action may be found on Mount Rainier National Park’s website at www.nps.gov/mora, or on its volunteer program blog at rainiervolunteers.blogspot.com.

- NPS -

The 2010 Mount Rainier Volunteer Picnic

Three Moon Bay Video has once again come through for us by donating their time, resources, and considerable talent, this time with a one-minute clip of the Volunteer Picnic on August 28. If you weren't able to attend, here's a little of what you missed! Your work is deeply appreciated, and we hope you're able to attend next time!

This video is also available in High Definition on YouTube and Vimeo.

Thank you, Three Moon Bay!

Revegetation Drop-In Week

Time to strike while the iron is hot!

In 2004, 18,000 plants were grown for restoration mostly in the Sunrise area. By continually growing our exemplary greenhouse and revegetation programs, this year we are undertaking perhaps our most ambitious restoration project by placing 120,000 plants into the fragil subalpine areas of Paradise and Sunrise. This is a testament to the dedication in preserving and restoring the esscence of Mount Rainier National Park, its subalpine meadows.

Unfortunately for these beautiful and precious areas there is a very small window in which the conditions are just right to plant and regrow the damaged meadows. Our revegetation crew will continue to work tirelessly to accomplish this huge endeavor but achieving our full potential will only be possible with the help from YOU!

Thanks to groups of students from Evergreen State College who will be working Saturday through Thursday we are inviting everyone to "drop-in" this week with the revegetation crew at Paradise.

Revegetation Drop-In
Saturday September 18th - Thursday 23rd
9:00am-4:30pm
Paradise Lower Lots
All are welcome!

Don't forget that our biggest volunteer day of the year, National Public Lands Day, is September 25th! Free entry to the park, a free entry voucher to all volunteers for use in the future, friends, family, and fun restoring the sub-alpine meadows!

Saturday September 25th

9:00am-4:30pm

Registration at Longmire Administration Building

J-VIPAs at Thompson Ranch

Mount Rainier recently hosted our 17th yearly group of volunteers from Japan aka J-VIPAs. This year 9 volunteers stayed with host families for up to two weeks working at the Thompson Ranch at what is to be the Carbon River Ranger Station on a number of projects including building this staircase!

During their time away from volunteering they attended a Seattle Mariners baseball game with several park employees. The J-VIPAs also enjoyed hiking and a tour of Mount Rainier National Park with special stops at previous year's J-VIPA projects.

A big thanks to everyone who contributes to making the J-VIPA program possible and especially to the J-VIPAs for their hard work!

National Public Lands Day is September 25th!

National Public Lands Day 2010 celebrates service and recreation on public lands while educating volunteers about the effects of climate change on our parks. NPLD engages a diverse audience of adult and youth volunteers to get to outdoors and improve their lands, whether at the grandest national park or at an urban park in their neighborhood.

NPLD inspires a new generation of volunteers committed to service on public lands. The event also encourages volunteers to explore and enjoy America's natural wonders through outdoor recreation. After working hard, volunteers can take a hike, a swim, a bicycle ride and get healthy in America's backyard.

Last year Mount Rainier received over 200 volunteers participating in revegetation, trail work and other various volunteer projects. We are trying to top last year's numbers by offering several volunteer opportunities around the park.

Volunteers should plan on meeting in front of the Administration Building in Longmire at 9:00am for the official welcome, volunteer registration, and to receive your NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS FREE ADMISSION PASS!!

Some of the volunteer projects taking place will be;

• Restoration Project with Will Arnesen at the Paradise Lower Lot
• Longmire Campground end of season cleanup
• WTA - Glacier Basin Trail work
• Trail crew cleanup

Finally, don't forget to bring your cameras! There photo contest again this year and Mount Rainier boasts a nation-wide winning photograph 2 years in a row! So let the shutters fly and send in your pictures. You can see the previous pictures from 2008 and 2009 here.

Reminder: FREE Living History training this Saturday!

In case you missed it the first time, don't miss our announcement of free Living History training at Mount Rainier National Park this Saturday, September 11, 2010! We'll spend the day working with an expert in presenting programs about history using first-person or third-person techniques. This is an exciting opportunity to make the history of Mount Rainier come alive!

The class is filling up rapidly, but there are still a few spots left, so give West District Interpreter Lee Snook a call today to reserve your space!

Will Arnesen and Josh Drown receive 2010 NCR Co-Employee of the Year Award

Please help us in congratulating Will and Josh in receiving 2010 Natural and Cultural Resources Co-Employee of the Year Award who extend their thanks to all the volunteers that contribute their valuable time and efforts to their programs.
Will Arnesen is being recognized as the Natural and Cultural Resource (NCR) Division Co-Employee of the Year for 2010. Will directs the park’s field restoration operation and takes great pride in all aspects of the vegetation restoration program. He is a very accomplished at coordinating invasive non-native plant treatments by both the crew and the EPMT, native plant salvage and maintenance, and planting of both salvage and greenhouse produced native plant materials. In October 2009 he coordinated the completion of planting approximately 100,000 greenhouse plants and 5,000 contractor grown shrubs at Paradise, and this year will plant approximately 120,000 plants at Paradise and Sunrise. He is very dedicated to protecting the ecosystems of the park and maintenance of the salvage and greenhouse plantings through scheduling regular watering by the crew after initial planting. He has proven to be an excellent supervisor of a crew that is composed of personnel from various sources including seasonal hires, student hires, SCA’s, YCC’s and Japanese VIP’s. He also incorporates the efforts of various volunteer groups on weekends and specials events, including training for the ongoing efforts of volunteer meadow rovers. On National Public Lands Day he coordinated the efforts of over 150 volunteers in that one day. Since the previous restoration lead went on extended detail, Will has assumed leadership of the vegetation restoration crew without missing a beat. He purchases supplies and materials needed to support the operation, and documents those purchases to support management of the numerous accounts that fund the operation, including Paradise restoration, Sunrise restoration and several Federal Highways projects. Will also routinely presents vegetation of the park and restoration program information to both internal and external groups, such as seasonal interpreters and Elderhostel.

Josh Drown is being recognized as the Natural and Cultural Resource (NCR) Division Co-Employee of the Year for 2010. Josh manages the park’s horticultural operation and takes great pride in the production of native plants for the vegetation restoration program. He is a very accomplished at coordinating seed collection and cleaning, stratification and propagation, care of containerized plants and subsequent transplanting. In October 2009 he completed production and delivery of approximately 100,000 greenhouse plants to the Paradise restoration site, and this year is in process of production of another 120,000 plants: 80,000 plants for Paradise and 40,000 plants for Sunrise. He is very dedicated to the nurturing of the seedlings and plants by tending to the watering and climate control of the greenhouse. He will come in on weekends or holidays before seasonal staff have come on duty or when they are otherwise unavailable to provide plant care and facility maintenance. Since the retirement of the previous horticulturist, Josh has assumed management of the greenhouse without missing a beat. He purchases supplies and materials needed to support the operation and maintain the facilities, and documents those purchases to support management of the numerous accounts that fund the operation, including Paradise restoration, Sunrise restoration and several Federal Highways projects. Josh routinely assists other staff in the operation of the park’s air quality monitoring station at Tahoma Woods, and directs the mowing of the meadows adjacent to the greenhouse to reduce the potential of invasive plants to contaminate the native plant materials used for restoration.

Will and Josh are hard-working employees and well respected by their staff, peers and all NCR personnel. Will and Josh are to be commended for their excellent technical skills and dedication to resource protection. Their work in the vegetation restoration program compliments each other and they are both very deserving of this award.