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
      • Lodging
      • Program Partners
    • Our Members
      • VetsWork Environment Members
      • VetsWork GreenCorps Members
      • Public Lands Stewards Members
    • 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 Podcast
    • Dear Neighbor Project
    • Community Workshops
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Gift A Scholarship
    • 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
      • Lodging
      • Program Partners
    • Our Members
      • VetsWork Environment Members
      • VetsWork GreenCorps Members
      • Public Lands Stewards Members
    • 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 Podcast
    • Dear Neighbor Project
    • Community Workshops
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Gift A Scholarship
    • Capital Campaign
    • Volunteer

In August, I was tagged in a Facebook post by Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center celebrating their 10th anniversary of summer backpacking trips. Through the expanse of social media, the program coordinator was commemorating the growth of the program and curious about where the original cohort of campers is now. At the age of 12, I had the privilege to be one of those eight campers on the first Opal Creek Wilderness Expedition. With seven friends and two inspiring leaders, the ten of us powered through an all-women trip along the ridgeline of the Opal Creek watershed, learning about fundamental backcountry skills, exploring diverse ecosystems, sitting silently awestruck at the peak of the ridge, and laughing under the evening stars when I lost my left-foot sandal in the deep mud of a boggy pond (completely gone, eaten by the bog monster, guaranteed still there…).

I read this post just as I was about to embark on the last overnight camp of Cascade Mountain School’s summer season, Girls Rock! I realized that 10 years later, I had come full circle from participant to educator. Girls Rock!, a six-day introduction to leaderships and geological sciences for young women, explores the southern Washington Cascade Mountains through backpacking, rafting, and teambuilding. Designed to empower young women to confidently explore the natural world around them, whether for a sense of adventure or a love of glaciers, I found myself reflecting often that week on my own experience at Opal Creek. I cannot attribute the work I do now as an environmental educator to one singular experience, but rather myriad opportunities, places, and role models who encouraged me to dive deeper into my affinity for marveling at how rivers meander, fungi and algae live symbiotically as lichen, and creative ideas can come to life.

My job with Cascade Mountain School allows me to learn some of the secrets behind the pivotal experiences, like backpacking with Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center programs in 2007, which influenced me to pursue my work as an environmental science educator today. I love now being on the flip side as the instructor: brainstorming each week which creative technique to pull from my “educator’s toolbox”, realizing the mechanics behind a teaching trick to encourage a quiet student to open up and share, and incorporating my love for water systems into exploration and observation.

As the seasons change and the crisp leaves turn to snow turns to wildflowers, I look forward to deepening my connections with the many layers of the Columbia Gorge communities through working at Cascade Mountain School. Each time I push my own boundaries as an educator, captivate a group for even just a few minutes, backpack to Round-the-Mountain trail on Mt. Adams, and laugh with students as we dive into a compost pile to measure its temperature, I find myself wondering if 10 years down the road, one of my students will be in a similar role I am today.

‹ › ×

    Flickr Album Gallery Powered By: WP Frank

    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

    • VetsWork: Reflecting on the Year
    • VetsWork: Full Circle
    • VetsWork: A Transformative Experience
    • VetsWork: Opportunity During a Pandemic
    • Public Lands Stewards: Learning, Growth, and Good Times

    Categories

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

    Check Out Instagram

    View

    Jan 14

    Open
    Blue Hour at Mount Adams, The #bluehour is the period of #twilight when the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon and residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade.
______________________________

#mtadamsinstitute  #mountainreflections  #explorewashstate #pnwonderland #cascadiaexplored #cascadia #wonderfulwashington #wonderfulwashingtonstate #pnwescapes #pnwadventures #pnwadventurers #pnwcrew #pnw_shooters #mtadams #giffordpinchotnationalforest #giffordpinchot #pnwphotographer #pnwphotography #leavenotrace #washingtonphotography #bluehourphotography #klickitatcounty #photography #blue #light #landscapephotography #landscapephotographer #mountains
    51 11

    View

    Apr 19

    Open
    She’s off for her school overnight trip! She handled all of her own packing and I am fully confident that means she’ll have at least 95% of the things she really needs. Girlfriend is on top of it! #urchinadventures #montessorikids #overnightfieldtrip #cascademountainschool
    33 1

    View

    Jun 13

    Open
    It's nice when the sun comes out #finallysunny #afewnicedays #vetswork #mtadamsinstitute #americorps #oregon #mttheilsen #pnw
    54 1

    View

    Aug 7

    Open
    Last week marked the end of our Mountain to Valley summer camp! For two weeks, students conducted meaningful ecological research while farming, backpacking, mountaineering, and camping. We hope that they left connected to themselves, with new skills and friends, and inspiration to become positive leaders and change makers in our world! #mtadamsinstitute #cascademountainschool #mountaintovalley #mtadams #troutlakevalley  #highschoolcamp #science #stewardship
    17 0

    View

    Aug 4

    Open
    Toad-ally in love with my job 🐸

#mtadamsinstitute
    103 4
    Load More
    • Back to Blog
    • Prev
    • Next

    Mt. Adams Institute collaborates with the following partners:

    © Copyright 2017 Mt. Adams Institute. All rights reserved.
    Mt. Adams Institute is an equal opportunity employer.
    contact us | partnership inquiries | site credit