by Mt. Adams Institute | Oct 23, 2019 | Land Stewards
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; I have found a renewed...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Oct 23, 2019 | Land Stewards
“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. I could tell you about everywhere I...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Oct 23, 2019 | Land Stewards
My one person tent and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness have become my home and I am not ready to let either of them go. These past few months have been a whirlwind of adventures. There are only a dozen or so lakes that I have yet to visit and only a few trails that I have...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 26, 2019 | Field Notes
This year marks the 25th anniversary of AmeriCorps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Since the program’s launch in 1994, more than 1 million Americans have served, strengthening national service and volunteering in communities...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 26, 2019 | VetsWork
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. From day one until now I have kept myself busy digging in the dirt, planting trees...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 6, 2019 | Land Stewards
Water is Life May, water is abundant Meandering through channels and Man-made ditches It comes up to your chest Don’t top! July, water is disappearing Forced to a stop By the disputes of men Mud and duck tracks are reminders Of what once was Some strongholds remain...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 6, 2019 | Land Stewards
Hello from the southern coast of Oregon! My name is Rachel Carlson and I am the coastal resources intern working with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department in Brookings, Or. In the beginning of 2019 I was looking for work that was more fulfilling than what I...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 6, 2019 | Land Stewards
I was kind of nervous for my very first day of summer camp season, I had been at Cascade Mountain School for nearly two months now and all the build-up to the summer was pretty intense at that point. We had been doing some trail-clearing, cutting down trees,...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 6, 2019 | Land Stewards
I am stationed on the Entiat Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest as a backcountry ranger. Due to training and the terrain of my district, I have been loaned to the Chelan Ranger District for my first two tours. Lake Chelan, the main...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 6, 2019 | Land Stewards
Conboy Lake is not really a lake. Mice can maneuver into the inside of cars and eat emergency ramen rations. Use one hand to catch bullfrogs. Toads breed in hordes. Bring a plank for crossing streams. And lastly, unless you’re over 50 years old, don’t even try to play...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 6, 2019 | Land Stewards
About two months in and every day is still unique, keeping me on my toes. I have predominantly been helping the Cle Elum Ranger District’s Trail Crew by clearing out trails in the front country. I had not been on a single trail in the Cle Elum Ranger District before...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Sep 6, 2019 | Land Stewards
I am serving in the Mt. Adams Institute’s Public Lands Stewards program in Eugene, OR with the Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN). WREN is part of the West Eugene Wetlands partnership and we work out of a shared office space, the Red House. The...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
United States Army to United States Forest Service thanks to the VetsWork program of the Mt. Adams Institute. My name is Keoni and I am serving on the Malheur National Forest at the Prairie City Ranger District as a recreation technician. One month down and my only...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
Since I started working for the Malheur National Forest through the VetsWork program, I have had many different experiences and have learned new skills. One day, we were called out to assess a bridge that had been flooded due to a large sinkhole, which formed during...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
My experiences thus far have been amazing. I have had the opportunity to be involved in a multifaceted overview of the Forest Service and what it has to offer. My daily job entails the collection and management of site reports, contract reports, and Forest...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
Hey everyone, I’m really excited to fill you in on the past two months of my AmeriCorps VetsWork internship. As you may have read in my bio, I am working in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Northwest Georgia. It has been an incredible experience so far...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
Nestled in the Eastern slopes of the Allegheny Mountains, the Warm Springs/ James River Ranger District on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests experiences spring in spectacular fashion. I arrived in Bath County in early March. On my first day, my...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
I am stationed in the Umatilla National Forest in Ukiah, Oregon at the North Fork John Day Ranger District. When I arrived there was still a ton of snow everywhere, and it felt somewhat confining. It was a daunting white barrier preventing us from exploring the woods....
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
Getting warmed up and accustomed to the new work environment here in Crescent has been a very valuable learning lesson and a great step in the direction of feeling confident and cable in the Forest Service. In just the couple months that I have been in my new...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 23, 2019 | VetsWork
I think that everyone in the lower 48 states has an idea of what Alaska is like or all about. First things that jump to my mind are moose, glaciers, vast expanse of forest and the odd off/on structure of daylight throughout the year. Basically anything outdoorsy or...
by Mt. Adams Institute | Jul 22, 2019 | VetsWork
I met Staff Sergeant Robert Paul in the cab of a dusty 998 model Humvee near Baghdad, Iraq in 2004. I had just joined up with a new forward operating civil affairs team as a driver and a gunner. It was March 3…it was 98 degrees; Ramadan had ended the month prior and...
