Mountain Talk

Meet New VetsWork Coordinator, Rebekah Rafferty!

“I knew I wanted to work in natural resources when I was 15 and my mother took my little sister and me on a trip to a guest ranch in Moose, Wyoming. The landscape, it’s wildlife, and it’s people hit me as hard as anything ever has. My life from then on was always going to be about natural resources and I’ve never looked back.

Public Lands Stewards: Wilderness is Important and Necessary for the Future

I was laying in my hammock reading “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond, when finally it clicked. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: The End of a Chapter at Conboy Lake

Winter has come… It is now October; the grass is icy and the air crisp. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts

With AmeriCorps graduation approaching, I’ve been wrapping up my work with WREN and filling out end of term paperwork. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: Last Week at Camp

By this point in the summer, I think I have a good grasp of how the flow of each day goes. Wake up, get ready for camp, drink a lot of tea, set out materials, wait for the shuttle to show up with the kids. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: Avoiding Danger as a Wilderness Ranger

The following are potential hazards that a wilderness backcountry ranger on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest might face on a daily basis. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: You’ve Only Got But One Life, So Live It

The purpose of this blog is to inspire anyone who is interested in a Public Lands Stewards AmeriCorps position with the Mt. Adams Institute (MAI), but has yet to fully commit. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: Butterflies, Lilies, and Violets, Oh My!

While writing this post I was able to reflect on the last four months and all the experiences therein. This season seems like it has flown by, but so many things have happened in this tiny amount of time. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: Wapato, Great Blue Herons, and Animal Scat

Going into this field season with previous experience in plant monitoring, I thought I knew what to expect. But my time as a Public Lands Steward at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge has far surpassed any expectations I had; Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: Turn and Fall

Turn and Fall

Fog hangs heavy

In the valley

Animals find solace Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: Wilderness Enriches the Soul

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, …” – Wilderness Ranger, quietly muttering to himself.

Public Lands Stewards: Where Did the Summer Go?

My one person tent and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness have become my home and I am not ready to let either of them go. Continue Reading…

AmeriCorps Turns 25!

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of AmeriCorps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Continue Reading…

VetsWork: A Sense of Belonging

Hello everyone. The amount of projects, people, and friends I have met and made in Tillamook County because of Mt. Adams Institute’s VetsWork AmeriCorps program has been extraordinary. Continue Reading…

Public Lands Stewards: Bridge Project in the Wilderness

Upper Lyman lakes in the Glacier Peak Wilderness area is a truly sublime glimpse into Washington’s high alpine. As little as one hundred years ago, these lakes were nonexistent, and instead were covered by the Lyman glacier, now almost completely receded onto the side of Red Mountain. Continue Reading…

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