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  • About Us
    • Programs
      • Overview
      • VetsWork Environment
      • VetsWork GreenCorps
      • Education Programs
      • Public Lands Stewards
    • About
      • Our Mission
      • Our Impact
      • Our Staff
      • The Board
      • DEI Commitment
      • Lodging
      • Program Partners
    • Our Interns
      • VetsWork Environment Interns
      • VetsWork GreenCorps Interns
      • Public Lands Stewards Interns
    • 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
    • Community Workshops
  • Blog
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Gift A Scholarship
    • Sense of Place Lecture Series Sponsorship
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A big problem I was faced with after leaving the service was finding a suitable job that I actually enjoyed doing, as well as one that gave me a purpose. I knew I wanted to work in recreation or natural resources, but found that it was more difficult than I thought. To get an entry-level position, you need both experience and education and it’s difficult to get one without the other. After a while it got really discouraging. Finding the VetsWork AmeriCorps program has given me the encouragement I need to keep going after what I want. Every person I spoke with who had a career with the Forest Service kept telling me I needed to be willing to move away from home. So I did. Being from eastern Tennessee there surprisingly wasn’t a whole lot of job options for what I wanted, so at the end of last summer I made the decision to apply for the Ouachita National Forest recreation technician intern position through the Mt. Adams Institute. To my surprise I got it, however, to be honest, I was really skeptical at first; I thought it was a scam (it sounded too good to be true). Now I could not be happier. In the first week I mainly worked alongside a group of volunteers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Texas A&M volunteers go mining for crystals in the quartz capital of the world (Ouchita National Forest).

 

After that, my first month has mostly consisted of getting ready for the summer season; that just means a lot of campsite maintenance.

Replacing picnic tables at Hickory Nut Mountain Campground.

Charlton is one of our more popular day use and camping recreation destinations.

 

A big part of the internship I am mostly looking forward to is going to fire school and getting my red card to be able to do wildland firefighting. When I was active duty, firefighting was a big part of being in the navy and I miss it.

Our monthly safety meeting was conducted by firefighters who instructed us on how they control fires from the air.

 

The hardest thing for me so far is being away from my family, but other than that I wouldn’t change anything else. I truly could not be more grateful to be here and it’s just the start into my career that I need.

 

 

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Jul 16

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It was so much fun teaching mtadamsinstitute summer botany camp yesterday. The kids had a blast learning about plants and natural dyes. We had a field trip to bloomanddye to harvest fresh dye flowers and the older kids made bundle dyed bandanas. The young kids made indigo shibori bandanas and left with blue hands and blue arms! 💙🌿🌼💛 

I left exhausted with a big smile and full heart. Seeing the joy and happiness on these kids faces as they saw what they created was a treat. 

#naturaldyes 
#bundledye 
#indigo 
#indigodyed 
#botany 
#summercamp 
#mtadamsinstitute 
#troutlakewashington
161 24

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Aug 9

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We visited many places in the trout lake valley area to gather fresh ingredients for our outdoor cooking, here the Mt. Chef campers picked fresh vegetables and seasonings for our dumplings! 
#outdoored #outdoorcooking #cooking #troutlakeabbey #fresh #picking #cascademountainschool #mtadamsinstitute
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Jan 14

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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.
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#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

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Jun 1

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#throwbackthursday to Cascade Mountain School's 2016 Nature Art Camp! This year, CMS is offering a similar camp called Recycled Art where students will work with recycled and repurposed material to make beautiful works of art! This camp will inspire artistic spirit while gaining an appreciation for the things we throw away. Students will get the opportunity to feel like real artists in a local Trout Lake art studio as they create their magical masterpieces. Registration is open at cascademountainschool.org! #mtadamsinstitute #cascademountainschool #recycledart #summercamp #registernow #tbt
29 2

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Dec 6

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