The Mountaineers
Mountaineers members play a hands-on role in protecting, restoring, and maintaining the lands and waters of our region. From the Olympic National Forest over to the North Cascades and down to Mount St. Helens, our community continues to team up with land managers and outside stewardship organizations to support the trails and recreation areas that call us outdoors.
With deep reductions to the federal land manager workforce and cuts to the Washington state budget over the last year, volunteer stewardship work coordinated by nonprofits is increasingly critical to maintaining thriving public lands. The practice of stewardship brings Mountaineers of all ages together across branches and activities to care for the places where we recreate. Robust volunteer stewardship isn’t a replacement for the agency staff who support and guide our work, but is a great way to support public lands and the dedicated professionals who care for them.
For the last eight years, the Olympia Branch has issued a Stewardship Challenge to encourage Mountaineers to spend at least one full day (six hours) caring for our public lands and private conservation areas. They first issued the challenge because so many of our members and leaders recognized signs of environmental stress and damage in our region’s natural places. This year, stewardship committee leaders from Everett, Foothills, and Tacoma are echoing Olympia’s call for all Mountaineers to take the Stewardship Challenge.
Are you up to the challenge? Before your next outdoor adventure, make a plan to devote at least one day of stewardship this year. The Mountaineers Stewardship Opportunities page and branch newsletters are great places to learn about upcoming opportunities near you.
Calling All Mountaineers Stewards
You can take the Stewardship Challenge by volunteering with The Mountaineers or an outside trail organization like Washington Trails Association or the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. To give you a taste of recent work and upcoming Mountaineers stewardship projects, we share a few reflections from branch stewardship leaders.
The Everett Branch Lookout and Trail Maintenance (LOTM) Committee has a few backcountry overnight trips planned in 2026. “We have a unique opportunity to tackle some more difficult backcountry areas that don't generally see any trail maintenance,” shared LOTM Chair Dan Renfrow. Given the recent winter storms and decreased land manager capacity, there’s a pressing need for backcountry stewardship. The Everett LOTM Committee maintains the Three Fingers and Mt. Pilchuck lookouts, and looks forward to continuing that work this year. “It's important for the public to see us out on the trails making a positive impact on areas we use and depend on for recreation,” says Dan.
Since 2017, the Olympia Conservation and Stewardship Committee has partnered with the Forest Service and other groups to preserve biodiversity at Mt. St Helens National Volcanic Monument by controlling invasive plants on the slopes surrounding the mountain. Stewardship participants now look back on what was once a sea of Yellow Scotch Broom and see the ecological community rebounding with the incredible beauty of so many native plants. “Stewardship is a unique arena where we can be challenged both mentally and physically to do the right thing and to strive for perfection with nature as our guide,” shared Rich Curtis, project co-lead from the Olympia branch. “Giving back through stewardship is most importantly an opportunity to leave a personal legacy by helping to preserve and restore a small piece of the natural world while coming together with old friends and new acquaintances.”
With more than 20 Mountaineers stewardship trips scheduled and more to come - especially during the busy spring and summer field seasons - there are plenty of great opportunities to give back through stewardship at The Mountaineers this year.
Take the Stewardship Challenge
Whether you’ve participated in stewardship for years or are looking to get involved for the first time, there’s something for everyone. Most stewardship activities require no prior experience or knowledge. Tools and other equipment are generally provided, and there is sure to be a friendly outdoor enthusiast on hand to gladly show you the ropes!
Each year, hundreds of Mountaineers take the Stewardship Challenge, and many Mountaineers courses and activities include the Stewardship Credit badge as a graduation or participation requirement. For example, the Seattle Urban Walks Committee requires that all Urban Walks leaders and GoHike Students earn their Stewardship Credit badge. To earn this badge and meet the challenge, individuals must complete a full day, or six hours, of stewardship through The Mountaineers or an outside organization. If you attend a work party that’s facilitated by an outside organization, please forward your confirmation email to info@mountaineers.org after completing your stewardship hours to receive this badge.
Your time and effort improving our trails, restoring native habitats, and maintaining safe recreational access will add to our efforts to adventure with purpose this year and beyond.
