Howdy! My name is Eli VanDeHey, I grew up in Trout Lake, Washington, right at the base of Mt. Adams where MAI is headquartered. My love for the outdoors really stems from growing up in and around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, camping and hiking with my family and climbing and bushwhacking with my friends. I love to explore places I’ve never been and finding amazing hidden spots. I am a student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia where I study public lands management and natural resource stewardship. I was drawn to this field because my time living so near the Gifford Pinchot has shown me how important of a resource our public lands are.
I decided to become a MAI Land Stewards Intern because I can’t imagine a more fulfilling job than to improve and protect the places I love the most. I’m really excited to see new places and things I haven’t seen before. I’m excited to be able to work for an organization that I find so valuable to our community. I’m hoping to get a more in depth perspective of public lands management and a foot in the door in the field.