I grew up in Texas but moved to Carnation, WA during the latter half of my childhood. I have many siblings and soon began experiencing the beauty of the PNW with my family - mostly my father and brothers. During adulthood, I have continued to visit wilderness regions but have done so mostly in...
My name is Tanner Blake and I love being outside. I grew up in Renton, Washington, riding mountain bikes, and when I was 13 my family moved to Cle Elum. While living in Cle Elum I learned that I really enjoyed hiking, backpacking, and nature photography, so when it came time to graduate from high...
I grew up in northern Wisconsin, on the south shore of Lake Superior where I was able to explore and foster a passion for the outdoors. I spent a lot of my free time on the water and in the forest with my younger brother, which made me realize how much I value the land and life around me. This...
I realized pretty quickly after graduating from the University of Missouri - Columbia that an office job just wasn’t going to do it for me. Languishing inside during the most beautiful days of the year was just too painful for me to continue with. Then I found the perfect opportunity to get...
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 forest closure, I was working...
When the pandemic hit, I was living in Minneapolis, MN and working as a corporate copywriter in the healthcare industry. I slowly realized that I needed a change. A year and a half later, my life could not be more different. I never thought I’d be working in the outdoor education industry with...
During the last day of the eight- to twelve-year-old camp, Outdoor Explores, we took the Campers to the Ice Caves nearby campus. Taking a large group of this age group into a pitch-black cave with slippery ice as flooring, meant we had to be absolutely positive that everyone had all the necessary...
This summer I truly feel like I’m the lucky one - I get to go to camp all summer long!After a very isolating past year filled with many uncertainties, I feel very grateful to be constantly surrounded and supported by a cohort of fantastic co-educators and campers. Getting to temporarily call Trout...
Although this is my second year serving as an AmeriCorps intern at Mt. Adams institute, this is my first experience working here at the camp, in-person with the campers and fellow counselors. I began my time with the program last summer, right in the middle of the pandemic. In-person summer camp...
The WREN office is located in the West Eugene Wetlands and a large part of our curriculum focuses on wetland ecology. Over the last few months, I have learned about the importance of wetlands: they improve water quality through filtering sediments and pollutants, they act as a natural flood...
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...
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...
This is my second Americorps position, and there are many reasons why I decided to serve another term after my first one. My position title is Wilderness Backcountry Ranger and I currently serve in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the Entiat Ranger District....
Every job has its ups and downs. Being a backcountry wilderness ranger is no different. Today is a down day. I have a bit of a migraine, and our original trip plans to work our way up the Prince Creek Trail doing logout have been thwarted by the fact that the river...
One can engage in few activities more rewarding than meaningful labor done willingly. That is the core of public lands stewardship. I grew up playing in the woods and creeks of western Pennsylvania, but sometime in my teenage years, I lost my connection to the land....
Conboy National Wildlife Refuge As a Public Lands Steward with AmeriCorps, I’m stationed at the Conboy National Wildlife Refuge in Glenwood, Washington. Conboy is a refuge hosting various waterfowl, elk, reptiles, amphibians, and many species of birds. The most...
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...
Taran Snyder; a VetsWork intern Abstract VetsWork intern Taran Snyder, shares a couple of the stories and fun pictures of his first few scientific adventures out to the surrounding environments in southeast Alaska. The primary focus of these trips to the...
Deb Mumm-Hill is joining the Mt. Adams Institute (MAI) as the new Executive Director. Mumm-Hill is excited to support MAI’s mission of connecting people to the natural world through education, service, career development, and research. Throughout her career, she has...
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...