Mount Rainier National Park Volunteer-in-Parks Program Updated April 15, 2008.

Mount Rainier National ParkVolunteer-in-Parks Program

Updated April 15, 2008


On November 6 and 7, 2006, Mount Rainier National Park received 18 inches of rain in 36 hours.


The resulting flood devastated the park’s roads, trails, and facilities.


Roads were washed out all over the park, along with power and utility lines.


Trails and bridges were destroyed. Almost every trail in the park was damaged.

© John Chao


In some places, it was hard to tell that trails or roads had ever been there.


When the wake of the flood, volunteers responded. More than 2,000 called or wrote to offer their support!


Many of their stories were personal and specific.

I just read about the trail cleaning/maintaining done this past week at Mt. Rainier. Please add me to whatever tasks you might need done… Mt. Rainier is a special place to me since my grandmother's ashes are placed at Round Pass. I've spent my entire 60 years loving and hiking every inch of the Mt. It's time to give a little back while this old lady still has it in her!!

We are very interested in volunteering in the cleanup of Ohanapecosh Campground. Our family has enjoyed camping there for over 40 years, and would love to contribute our time in helping restore this beautiful area. Thank you for all the work you do!

I can imagine how much work is going to need to get done, and having hiked, backpacked and camped all over the park over the last 12 + years I’d like to give something back to her. I can’t even start to tell you how much this park means to myself and family. We truly are lucky to have this jewel in our backyard.


To respond to this outpouring of support, Mount Rainier formed a partnership with the Student Conservation Association.


In addition, several local non-profit organizations formed a coalition to work with the park on flood recovery efforts.

Washington’s National Park Fund

Washington Trails Association

Mount Rainier National Park

The Mountaineers

National Parks Conservation Association

Student Conservation Association


SCA and the NPS created a “Mount Rainier Recovery Corps” to coordinate and lead volunteer projects throughout the park.


In cooperation with park supervisors, they put together a calendar of volunteer projects. Members of the public could sign up online.


Some volunteers came for a single day to work on a project…


While others joined week-long projects in the backcountry, led by Recovery Corps members.

© John Chao


Many served as part of organized groups, like boy scout troops, clubs, college classes, or employee organizations.

http://www.rei.com/

http://www.campschechter.org/index.html


SCA contributed five high school crews, including two teams from their Gulf Coast Recovery Corps.


They joined more than 200 individuals who were already active as volunteers before the flood.


The Northwest Parks and Public Lands Storm Recovery Coalition organized more volunteer groups.


They helped with public information, fundraising, volunteer recruitment, political advocacy, and special events.


Volunteers worked on flood recovery projects throughout the park.


They helped with erosion and exotic species control, and collected seeds for future restoration projects.

Key Accomplishments, 2007:

• Volunteer hours totaled 84,038, compared with 43,844 for all of last year—an increase of 90%.

• 1,724 volunteers worked in the park this year, compared with 924 for all of 2006.

• Our volunteers overwhelmingly had positive experiences participating in the stewardship of their park.

• More than half of the trail work accomplished in the park this year was completed by volunteers. Volunteers helped reopen the Wonderland Trail by early August.

• More than 40 community groups have participated in our volunteer program over the past year, up from 24 last year. Many of these groups have also made financial contributions to our volunteer program or to the park’s flood recovery fund.

• 90 individuals served in the park through the Student Conservation Association.

• Partnerships with the Student Conservation Association and others will continue to benefit the park in 2008 and long into the future.


Through our partnerships, Mount Rainier’s volunteer program accomplished amazing things in 2007.

© John Chao


Flood recovery work, and our partnerships with SCA and the Storm Recovery Coalition, will continue in 2008.

© John Chao


The goal of our program is to encourage members of our community to become partners with us in stewardship of their park.


Volunteers not only make Mount Rainier great… they find their experiences personally rewarding as well.

“When I’m asked why I volunteer, I respond that I began for altruistic reasons. Having spent many rewarding days in the Park I felt that I had arrived at a good time for pay back. Doesn’t work. Like most volunteer activities, the volunteer gets more that he gives, and the harder he tries, the more he gets.”

-George Coulbourn Carbon River Patrol Volunteer

© John Chao


We’ve found partnerships to be a key factor in making a great volunteer program even better.

Mount Rainier National Park Volunteer-in-Parks Program Updated April 15, 2008.

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