Mt. Adams Institute Mt. Adams Institute
  • About Us
    • Programs
      • Overview
      • VetsWork Environment
      • VetsWork GreenCorps
      • Education Programs
      • Public Lands Stewards
    • About
      • Our Mission
      • Our Impact
      • Our Staff
      • The Board
      • DEI Commitment
      • Lodging
      • Program Partners
    • Our Interns
      • VetsWork Environment Interns
      • VetsWork GreenCorps Interns
      • Public Lands Stewards Interns
    • Contact Us
      • Reach HQ
      • Live & Social
      • Staff Employment
  • Internships
    • VetsWork Environment
    • VetsWork Greencorps
    • Public Lands Stewards
  • Summer Camps
  • Sense of Place
    • Lecture Series
    • Hear in the Gorge
    • Community Workshops
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Gift A Scholarship
    • Sense of Place Lecture Series Sponsorship
    • Capital Campaign
    • Volunteer
Close
  • About Us
    • Programs
      • Overview
      • VetsWork Environment
      • VetsWork GreenCorps
      • Education Programs
      • Public Lands Stewards
    • About
      • Our Mission
      • Our Impact
      • Our Staff
      • The Board
      • DEI Commitment
      • Lodging
      • Program Partners
    • Our Interns
      • VetsWork Environment Interns
      • VetsWork GreenCorps Interns
      • Public Lands Stewards Interns
    • Contact Us
      • Reach HQ
      • Live & Social
      • Staff Employment
  • Internships
    • VetsWork Environment
    • VetsWork Greencorps
    • Public Lands Stewards
  • Summer Camps
  • Sense of Place
    • Lecture Series
    • Hear in the Gorge
    • Community Workshops
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Gift A Scholarship
    • Sense of Place Lecture Series Sponsorship
    • Capital Campaign
    • Volunteer

 

Ryan is part of the VetsWork expansion to the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri

Ryan is part of the VetsWork expansion to the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri

My name is Ryan McCourtney. I was born in St. Louis, MO but lived my whole life in Potosi, MO. I spent most of my time outdoors playing sports and riding motorcycles/four-wheelers. I went in to the Air Force about a year after high school. I was a member of the 820th RED HORSE Squadron stationed at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV for 6 years as a combat engineer. I spent 2 and a half years there instructing asphalt and concrete batch plant operations. I deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. After spending so much time in a desert I decided that life wasn’t for me being from an area so different. I needed trees, lakes, and streams. I missed seeing the farms and livestock. I was a late entry in to this program and I probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Lisa Essmeyer and Bill Andersen. They sought me out . I am truly thankful to them and MAI for expanding the program to Missouri. I met with Bill and he explained the duties of a Recreation Technician and it sounded like a perfect fit for me. You mean I get to do what I enjoy and possibly make a career out of it? Sign me up! I love where I’m from and I feel like who could possibly care more about the Mark Twain National Forest than someone who grew up there and spent tons of time there?  This forest is a part of me and my childhood and I want it to be a part of my kids life and the lives of others. I feel like people are disconnected from their own families and camping or hiking could bring people closer together. During my internship I will be maintaining rec facilities, coordinating volunteers, and educating youth. I just hope that I can make an impact on the people that use these lands and spark the interest of people looking for recreation opportunities. I would also hope that this could end up providing me with my forever career.

Share

FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest

Leave a Reply / Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Join Our Mailing List

Be sure to add your name to the roster, so we can send you latest news, jobs, events and resources.

Make a Donation

Make a Donation

Recent Posts

  • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Taylor Payton
  • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Samuel Kauffman
  • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Robert Alwood
  • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Lupe Zavala
  • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Donald Hollingsworth

Categories

  • Bulletin
  • Cascade Mountain School
  • Fun & Miscellaneous
  • Mountain Talk
  • Public Lands Stewards
  • VetsWork Environment
  • VetsWork Greencorps

Check Out Instagram

View

Aug 9

Open
We visited many places in the trout lake valley area to gather fresh ingredients for our outdoor cooking, here the Mt. Chef campers picked fresh vegetables and seasonings for our dumplings! 
#outdoored #outdoorcooking #cooking #troutlakeabbey #fresh #picking #cascademountainschool #mtadamsinstitute
18 0

View

Jul 23

Open
Mask making with Primitive Skills Camp!  #primitiveskills #cascademountainschool #summer #mtadamsinstitute
21 2

View

Jul 22

Open
Our Secret Life of Water camp had a great first day exploring BZ falls, they all had a chance to test the water quality using equipment that scientists use! 
#cascademountainschool #outdoored #hike #pnw #bzfalls #water #quality #summercamp #mtadamsinstitute
26 4

View

Jun 1

Open
#throwbackthursday to Cascade Mountain School's 2016 Nature Art Camp! This year, CMS is offering a similar camp called Recycled Art where students will work with recycled and repurposed material to make beautiful works of art! This camp will inspire artistic spirit while gaining an appreciation for the things we throw away. Students will get the opportunity to feel like real artists in a local Trout Lake art studio as they create their magical masterpieces. Registration is open at cascademountainschool.org! #mtadamsinstitute #cascademountainschool #recycledart #summercamp #registernow #tbt
29 2

View

Mar 29

Open
#tbt to the Community Contra Dance we hosted earlier this month in support of our Cascade Mountain School program! #mtadamsinstitute #cascademountainschool #contradance #community
26 0
Load More
  • Back to Blog
  • Prev
  • Next



© Copyright 2021 Mt. Adams Institute. All rights reserved.
Mt. Adams Institute is an equal opportunity employer.
contact us | partnership inquiries | site by Greta Rose Agency