We opened the MAI photo archives and immediately lost track of time. 📸

There are photos of the moments you’d expect to find: graduations, trainings, service projects, events, staff photos, and groups gathered together to celebrate a job well done.

But some of our favorites are the ones in between.
The muddy field days. The packed vans. The goofy group shots. The gear scattered everywhere. The candid moments nobody knew would eventually become part of the MAI archives.

Not every memory comes with a big milestone attached to it. Sometimes it’s just a photo that immediately takes you back to a particular place, person, or day.

So today, no big history lesson. We’re just flipping through the old photo album.

See someone you know? Tag them. And if you know the story behind one of these photos, we’d love to hear it. 👇

#landstewardship #forestranger #giffordpinchot

How well do you know Mt. Adams Institute? 👀

Over the years, a lot has happened under the MAI name. Programs have grown and changed, members have served in communities and on public lands across the country, and thousands of hours have been spent learning, working, teaching, restoring, exploring, and getting very, very muddy.

Some parts of that history are easy to remember. Others are tucked away in old photos, reports, stories, and memories from the people who were there.

As we look back on MAI’s story, we wanted to pull out a few of those details. The surprising ones, the interesting ones, and the ones that show just how much this organization has done over the years.

Swipe through for a few things you might not know about MAI.

And longtime MAI friends and alumni, what would you add to the list?

#giffordpinchot #landstewardship #troutlakewa #pnw

Sometimes, all it takes is one open door to completely change where you’re headed.

In 2022, Alexander Golman was working as a landscape designer in Chicago and feeling unsure about what he wanted to do next. He describes himself at the time as “rudderless,” throwing applications at the wall to see what might stick.

One of them did.

Alexander joined Mt. Adams Institute as a Public Lands Intern, working as a Wilderness Ranger on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Cle Elum. The experience ended up changing the course of his career.

Today, Alexander is a permanent, full-time employee with the U.S. Forest Service.

“MAI opened a door I haven’t been able to shut.”
And the impact didn’t end with the internship. Alexander still keeps in touch with interns and coworkers he met during his time in Cle Elum.

As MAI prepares to close this chapter, his story is a reminder that the work continues through the people who were part of it.

In Alexander’s words, “Even though MAI is closing, the spirit continues on through us.”

Thank you, Alexander, for sharing your story and for being part of ours. 💚

#landstewardship #nationalforests #pnw