Welcome Deb Mumm-Hill!

Deb Mumm-Hill is joining the Mt. Adams Institute (MAI) as the new Executive Director.  Mumm-Hill is excited to support MAI’s mission of connecting people to the natural world through education, service, career development, and research. Throughout her career, she has...
What a Year!

What a Year!

What a year this has been so far! Throughout my internship, I have been exposed to so many new learning opportunities. My position had a slow start, but as my qualifications began stacking up, so did the availability of work I was able to do. A large majority of what...
Horses, Newborns, and Sustainability

Horses, Newborns, and Sustainability

I am halfway through my second term with VetsWork and I’m feeling grateful for the opportunity that Mt. Adams Institute has given me. I’m serving at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Kentucky and Tennessee. My first term was spent bouncing around...
The Concise Memoir of Patrick Ford

The Concise Memoir of Patrick Ford

Greetings, welcome to the concise memoir of Patrick Ford, an AmeriCorps intern at the Andrew Pickens Ranger District (AP). Walk with me as I take you on a journey through the mountain range of South Carolina and the incredible time I’ve had while working with the...
VetsWork: Full Circle

VetsWork: Full Circle

I am eight months into my internship now, it’s mid-November, and there is snow on the mountains again, just like when I arrived. Things seem to be coming full circle and much has happened since my last blog entry. For one, I’ve been augmented to a recreation...
VetsWork: A Transformative Experience

VetsWork: A Transformative Experience

I am approaching the end of my AmeriCorps internship serving with the Monongahela National Forest located deep in the Appalachian Mountains. This experience has been transformative for my outlook on life and career goals. I think the most important lesson I have...
Public Lands Stewards: Choose Your Own Adventure

Public Lands Stewards: Choose Your Own Adventure

“Choose your own adventure” is how I would describe the wilderness. Shear scree fields, deafening thunderstorms, and collapsing trees in burn areas are some of the obstacles that will be faced. Whether or not you want to attempt to slide 20 feet down the field, sleep...
VetsWork: Public Lands, Playing and Paying it Back

VetsWork: Public Lands, Playing and Paying it Back

Think of your favorite movie, or just a scene or quotable line from a movie. Now, try to conjure up a monetary figure for the overall cost of producing that movie.  Don’t forget about the make-up artists, construction workers creating sets, and the person that cleans...
VetsWork: Exploring New Territory

VetsWork: Exploring New Territory

When I applied to the VetsWork internship I had just finished my bachelor’s degree in exercise science and an internship with a college football team.  The job market in that field is very limited in my hometown so I began stressing over what I was going to do. After...
Public Lands Stewards: It Keeps Getting Easier

Public Lands Stewards: It Keeps Getting Easier

My journey began with a cross-country road trip from Bloomington, Indiana to Entiat, Washington. I had been to many areas of the country, most recently a guided trup in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. As of yet, I only knew the Pacific Northwest through pictures....
Public Lands Stewards: Solitary in the Outdoors

Public Lands Stewards: Solitary in the Outdoors

The first few months of my time as a Mt. Adams Institute, Public Lands Stewards (PLS) AmeriCorps member have flown by- filled to the brim with stunning places, infinite amounts of mosquitoes (yikes!), and plenty of hard, rewarding work. As a PLS member in the Chelan...
Public Lands Stewards: My Love for Nature

Public Lands Stewards: My Love for Nature

Hello everyone! Growing up building forts and fishing in the creeks of the Pocono mountains, I have never been a stranger to the outdoors. I love taking any chance I can to be dirty for days at a time in the backcountry, and experiencing new ways to enjoy the...
VetsWork: Feeling Inspired

VetsWork: Feeling Inspired

Feeling inspired from a recent snowshoeing expedition to investigate a snow-covered mining claim, I decided to purchase a set of snowshoes and check out the terrifically named — Lake Valhalla. Living in Wenatchee, WA I had a little over an hour drive ahead of me...
VetsWork: Continuing Service

VetsWork: Continuing Service

Like many other organizations and operations, we were put on halt mid-March from doing any field work, engaging with the public and various other operations.  We were put on telework orders and given new instructions what seemed like daily.  There was a lot of waiting...
VetsWork: Bats in Deschutes County Caves

VetsWork: Bats in Deschutes County Caves

White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd for short. Pd gives white-nose syndrome its name because it sometimes looks like white fuzz on the nose and other hairless parts of bats, including wings. Sometimes you can’t see the fuzz...
Meet Angus, 2020 Public Lands Stewards Intern!

Meet Angus, 2020 Public Lands Stewards Intern!

I grew up near North Bend, Washington and spent many years enjoying the outdoors with my family and friends. In the process of getting my Environmental Science degree at Central Washington University (CWU), I fell in love with our dry montane and shrub-steppe...
Meet Anna, 2020 Public Lands Stewards Intern!

Meet Anna, 2020 Public Lands Stewards Intern!

Originally from Michigan, I currently call the beautiful state of Washington my home. My love for the outdoors began at a young age spending summers in the Adirondacks with my family and ultimately led me to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017. This hike...