Mt. Adams Institute Mt. Adams Institute
  • About Us
    • Programs
      • Overview
      • VetsWork
      • VetsWork FireCorps
      • Education Programs
      • Land Stewards
    • About
      • Our Mission
      • Our Impact
      • Our Staff
      • The Board
      • DEI Commitment
      • Lodging
      • Program Partners
    • Our Interns
      • VetsWork Interns
      • VetsWork FireCorps Interns
      • Land Stewards Interns
    • Contact Us
      • Reach HQ
      • Live & Social
      • Staff Employment
  • Internships
    • VetsWork
    • VetsWork FireCorps
    • Land 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
      • VetsWork FireCorps
      • Education Programs
      • Land Stewards
    • About
      • Our Mission
      • Our Impact
      • Our Staff
      • The Board
      • DEI Commitment
      • Lodging
      • Program Partners
    • Our Interns
      • VetsWork Interns
      • VetsWork FireCorps Interns
      • Land Stewards Interns
    • Contact Us
      • Reach HQ
      • Live & Social
      • Staff Employment
  • Internships
    • VetsWork
    • VetsWork FireCorps
    • Land 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

“Busy as a beaver’ has been both my motto and theme these past few months working in the west Eugene wetlands. Though summer months slow down a bit for us on the field trip end of things with schools on break, we keep busy offering library programs, senior living programs, community events and wetland improvement projects.

Each summer, WREN hosts programs at local libraries to connect kids with nature and offer a free event for families. This summer’s library theme was ‘building a better future’, so I designed a library program on beavers, nature’s builders.  The program introduced kids to the anatomy of beavers, what, how and where they live.  The kids had fun dressing up as beavers (donning flippers, raincoat, goggles, and popsicle stick teeth) and working together to build a successful dam—after several not-so-successful attempts.  It was great working with families and connecting kids to nature who often don’t have access to programming in the summer due to financial barriers.

Another fun program I’ve enjoyed a lot this summer is working with a local senior living facility to provide both on-site programming and guided walks at a wetland site near their facility. It is inspiring to see so many elders wanting to learn and engage; a great reminder that you’re never old too old to learn! Unlike working with kids, elders have a vast and varied base of knowledge and experiences that they contribute to our talks and walks, often making the program more interesting. I appreciate their insight, honest feedback and general enthusiasm connecting with nature and I am looking forward to a few more programs with them before my time is up here.

‹ › ×

    Beyond leading walks and programs in the community, I have been busy designing an interpretive trail to compliment the tees at a local disc golf course at one of our wetland sites.  Each tee is named for a local flora or fauna, and it is my job—with help from my amazing supervisor—to design the corresponding interpretive sign.  It has been a fun but long creative process beginning with preliminary walking the course, photographing each tee, researching facts, and designing the actual content.  This project has made me appreciate all those interpretive signs I’ve seen on waysides and tourist attractions! The signs will hopefully be printed and posted this month just in time for National Public Lands Day (NPLD) on September 30th, one of the biggest days of volunteering nationwide!  As a public lands steward, it is fitting that I have been helping coordinate our local NPLD and am excited to get volunteers out working and giving back to their public lands and will hopefully be able to show off our newly installed interpretive panels. We’ve already got a lot of sponsors and people interested in helping, so I am hopeful this event will be a success!

    These past months have flown by and I am certain that these final two will be a blur.  School is back in session and we’ll be starting up field trips and class programs once more as well as tabling community events and helping the BLM with some small projects. I have also taken on the job of public relations/social media coordinator and will be supporting any other tasks within my means while the organization looks to hire a new volunteer and program coordinator.  My wonderful supervisor left this month to go on to get her PhD, but I am thankful for all of the support, knowledge and encouragement she shared with me in our time working together. I hope to continue to soak up every opportunity I can as a public lands steward and stay present in these final months of my service.

    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

    • Mt. Adams Institute has received a 3-year, $1,149,768 grant from AmeriCorps
    • Talking about the Tongass
    • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Taylor Payton
    • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Samuel Kauffman
    • 2022 VetsWork Environment: Robert Alwood

    Categories

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

    Check Out Instagram

    View

    Dec 6

    Open
    Mt Adams in August 
•
•
•
#pnw #mtadams #adamssummit #mtadamssummit #mtadamswilderness #mtadamsinstitute #pnwonderland #pnwlife #pnwadventures #washington #summit #alpine
    47 1

    View

    Jul 28

    Open
    Presentation day for my little angels #mtadamsinstitute #cascademountainschool
    25 0

    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
    55 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
    32 1

    View

    Apr 17

    Open
    KCD is sad to be losing the amazing Krystal Hedrick, who has accepted a new position as GIS Mapper with the Weld County Assessor’s Office in Colorado.

She served at KCD over the past year through Mount Adams Institute VetsWork, an AmeriCorps career development program for military veterans who want to work in natural resources management.

As a forest technician, Krystal brought passion to her work on KCD’s North SeaTac Park restoration managing a KCD WCC crew to remove harmful invasive plants and prepare the site for reforestation efforts that will improve the park’s ecosystem making it more resilient and beneficial for local wildlife.

#BestOfLuckToYou #ThankYouForYourService #MtAdamsInstitute #AmeriCorps #Forestry #UrbanForestry #WashingtonConservationCorps
    37 1
    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