Jocelyn Akins knows her audience. “Wanna bust your balls all day in the field with me tomorrow slinging frozen beaver?” This is the text I receive. Entirely out of the blue. Entirely unsurprising, given who it’s coming from. Jocelyn Akins (Dr. Akins if we want to get official; Jos, if we want to...
This year has been more than I ever thought it could be and then some serving with the Mount Adams Institute and the Forest Service. Between all the hard work, amazing sights, and just as amazing people to work with, what more could a guy ask for? In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what to expect on...
Coming into the Mt Adams Institute Land Stewards Program after fulfilling a previous AmeriCorps Internship I was very excited to see where this position would take me. Not only would I be doing my mainstay of Forest Service work as a Wilderness Ranger, but I would also be learning and honing other...
The following three haiku are a reflection of my experience so far. They are meant to come one after another, with no more separation than the physical indentation that is between them. tossing and turning the storm wants to chat... maybe for an hour my head in my hands, I wept on this...
I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of different jobs in the Forest Service here at Cle Elum. The season began with a lot of trail work. I was also able to shadow the botany team and help them prevent beetle infestation. I worked with the heavy equipment operators, observing them use the...
What an incredible three months this has been for me, when I first started this program, I really didn’t know what to expect, was I going to love it or hate it? Are the other interns and forest service employees going to be good people? Can I handle living away from my parents? After three months...
My first summer on the west coast has been filled with adventures both professional and personal. I’ve explored Mt Hood National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge, as well as Portland, all the while really getting to know the Timberline lodge inside and out. My tours of the lodge were shaky at...
I am so excited to be serving an Americorps internship with the US Forest Service through the Mt. Adams Institute’s Public Lands Stewards program! I have been working as a wilderness ranger at Mt. Adams Ranger District for about 10 weeks now and already have been able to learn so much about...
The first week I was at my internship I went on a walk around the wetlands by myself with the goal of learning the names of 5 flowers and 3 insects. I had just downloaded the app Seek by recommendation from my boss. Seek is an app (that I also now recommend to everyone) that has you scan plants,...
I have been an avid outdoorsman my entire life. Hiking and exploring the bountiful forests of Washington State has been a favorite summer pastime for me, but it was never something that I thought I’d actually be paid to do. My AmeriCorps internship with the Entiat Ranger District has allowed me to...
Jocelyn Akins knows her audience. “Wanna bust your balls all day in the field with me tomorrow slinging frozen beaver?” This is the text I receive. Entirely out of the blue. Entirely unsurprising, given who it’s coming from. Jocelyn Akins (Dr. Akins if we want to get...
Trout Lake, WA - Mt. Adams Institute has received a $1,149,768 grant from AmeriCorps the federal agency responsible for national service and community volunteerism. This funding will support up to 74 AmeriCorps members across the country participating in Mt. Adams...
Sense of Place is returning to live, in-person lectures. Join us on March 9th at 7 p.m. at the Columbia Center for the Arts to learn about Rajneeshees in Oregon with Les Zaitz. This event will have limited in-person ticket sales, but will also be live-streamed so...
What a year this has been so far! Throughout my internship, I have been exposed to so many new learning opportunities. My position had a slow start, but as my qualifications began stacking up, so did the availability of work I was able to do. A large majority of what...
Trout Lake, Wash. (Oct. 3, 2021) — Mt. Adams Institute (MAI) received a $75,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for facility construction and renovation on MAI’s campus. This includes final additions to the new pavilion, replacement of bunkhouse...
After spending the past ten years as the Executive Director of the Mt. Adams Institute (MAI), I have decided to step away from the organization.. . . AND that’s a good thing! Let me tell you why. In the beginning, MAI was just an idea that stemmed from finding myself...
Mt. Adams Institute (MAI) is recruiting a new executive director. Current leader, Brendan Norman, announced his resignation effective May 1, 2022. Norman, along with MAI’s founding board of directors, created the organization in 2011. MAI, a nonprofit organization...
The Umatilla National Forest (UNF) recently restricted access to the public due to unfavorable fire conditions. The unprecedented heatwave that washed over the Pacific Northwest in June set record-breaking high temperatures causing fire season to come early. Until the...
Congratulations to former Public Lands Stewards (PLS) Intern Robyn Reeder! She is the new Biotechnician at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Our Outreach Coordinator Trevor was lucky enough to sit down and talk with Robyn about her new position and how PLS helped...
In honor of Great Outdoors Month, our AmeriCorps Program Director Aaron Stanton shared this thrilling story of his rescue on the river. "In 2018 I had the good fortune to raft and kayak the Grand Canyon. The trip did not end the way I would have liked, but it still...