Volunteers Blog

Volunteers Blog

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10 Essential Questions: Tom Eng

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

Foothills Branch Members - Get Involved at a Leadership Level

The Foothills branch is looking for a few good leaders at every level! Read more…

Nominate an Outstanding Leader for the Olympia Branch Service Award

Our volunteer leaders are a huge part of what makes the Olympia Branch such an inspiring, fun, and impactful community. Each year we honor the hard work and dedication of one Olympia volunteer by presenting them with the Branch Service Award. To help with this process, we ask our branch members to submit nominations for those they believe go above and beyond their volunteer responsibilities to enhance the courses, activities and spirit of The Mountaineers. Read more…

Musical Mountaineers Row into the 2021 Virtual Gala

When we began planning the 2021 Virtual Gala, we knew we wanted to host an outdoor awards show unlike anything we’ve ever done before. Mountaineers Books author and Guinness World Record-holding ocean rower Jordan Hanssen had a musical project that was the perfect fit. Since the pandemic began, Jordan has been inviting musicians to play in his rowboat for his newly-created  TinyBoatSessions. We asked him if he would organize a TinyBoatSession for the auction, and he found the perfect performers for the occasion: The Musical Mountaineers. Read more…

Surprise! Two New Packages Added to the 2021 Gala Auction

Attention bidders! We know you’ve been dueling it out on the auction website for great getaways, unique experiences, and first-class gear, but we have a surprise for you... two brand new packages, including a Corey Rich print of the Dawn Wall signed by Tommy and Kevin and a super secret chanterelle mushroom forage and feast. With over 60 packages to bid on, there’s a little something for everyone. Read more…

Youth Volunteers Needed - Make a Difference this Spring and Summer

As we continue to reopen and restart our programs, we’re excited to welcome back our Seattle Mountain Workshop partners after nearly a year of hiatus - and we need your help! Read more…

Announcing Our Equity & Inclusion Strategy + April 21 Town Hall

With the addition of four new members, the Equity & Inclusion Steering Committee started building The Mountaineers first organization-wide Equity & Inclusion (E&I) strategy in the latter half of 2020. That work has continued into this year and we are thrilled to share it with you now.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: James Pierson

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to James Pierson, a volunteer leader with the Bellingham Branch who is also a guide at the American Alpine Institute! He credits the experience and skills he learned from The Mountaineers with landing that job and continues to volunteer with the club as a way to give back to the community. Read more…

Safety & Security at the Seattle Program Center and Magnuson Park

COVID-19 presented The Mountaineers with significant operational and financial challenges, many related to facilities and program shutdowns and restrictions. At our recent State of the Organization update, we highlighted the many ways we’ve navigated these unprecedented challenges. As we’ve begun to slowly emerge from the grips of the pandemic, we’re now facing a growing threat: crime that is impacting our Seattle Program Center (SPC) and our staff, visitors, and program participants.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Laurel Geisbush

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Laurel Geisbush, a volunteer leader with the Everett Branch who encourages aspiring leaders to ask other leaders  questions about their experiences, listen deeply, and learn from them. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Deloa Dalby

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Deloa Dalby, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who helped launch the Trailhead Ambassadors program in partnership with the Mountains to Sound Greenway earlier this spring! Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Natalia Martinez-Paz

Each week we bring you a personal story from one of our members. For our member profile this week we talked to... Read more…

2020 Volunteer Award Winners

It’s impossible to imagine The Mountaineers without our incredible team of volunteers, who generously donate their time and talent in support of our community of outdoor adventurers. Each year, we honor a few of these dedicated volunteers who went above and beyond by recognizing them with an organization-wide volunteer award. Though the last year has been mired with unprecedented challenges, these individuals found meaningful ways for our community to stay connected to each other and the outdoors while we rode out the storm. This spring, we’re excited to celebrate the inspiring creativity and leadership of our 2020 volunteer award winners at our upcoming virtual gala on Thursday, April 29. Read more…

Foothills Volunteer Spotlight: Luis Zuniga

This month, the Foothills Mountaineers would like to recognize the contributions of Luis Zuniga! Luis is a new Mountaineer who, with his wife Karla, has developed a passion for the outdoors and all things Mountaineers. He quickly became a Foothills hike leader, is already seeking his backpack leader badge, and has volunteered to be a mentor for the Backpacking Building Blocks course. We're thrilled to have Luis on the Foothills volunteer team! Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Gretchen Ta

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Gretchen Ta, the Chair Elect for the Kitsap Branch Council, and Kitsap First Aid and Conservation & Stewardship Committee Chair. Gretchen also serves as a Volunteer Leader for the Kitsap Branch Climbing Program!  Read more…

Congratulations to our 2020 volunteer award recipients!

This past year was a year like no other, and through it all, our volunteers have remained at the core of our operations. Thank you to the 2,784 members who volunteered their time this year, and to the many others who supported from afar! Each of you has made a difference. Read more…

Webinar Series - Giving Structured Feedback

It is an all-too-familiar feeling for many of us. You just watched one of your peers fumble a skill demonstration. Or maybe you've noticed a student who is over-participating, not leaving at room for others to ask questions or share knowledge. You want to provide feedback to get things back on track, but you're worried about how it will be received. What do you do? Read more…

2020 Recap: A Year in Review

The Mountaineers is an incredible community of adventurers, students, instructors, advocates, and leaders. As we close the door on 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we reflect on our core values and how they’ve guided us through the past nine months of this pandemic.  Read more…

Learn How To Cross-country ski with your youth group this winter!

Forests far away from the rumble of traffic are much different than the asphalt, apartment buildings, and lawns that most of us see daily. Add a layer of freshly fallen snow, and it becomes even more magical! Our goal at The Mountaineers Gear Library is to help youth access incredible places and learn new skills by providing you with the tools and resources needed to get your groups outside. And in winter, what better way to explore than on skis?  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Danny Casady

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Danny Casady, a volunteer leader with the Tacoma Branch who believes leadership is all about building: building character; building up others to their full potential; and building memories one peak, one switchback, and one sunset at a time. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Barbara Folmer

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Barbara Folmer, a volunteer leader with the Foothills Branch who first got involved with The Mountaineers to go snowshoeing, and who stayed involved because of the community! Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Steve Payne

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Steve Payne, a longtime volunteer with the Seattle Branch who recently moved to Olympia and has jumped right in! Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Alina Badus

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Alina Badus, a volunteer leader with the Seattle Branch who loves seeing trips come together from start to finish, and whose bucket list includes climbing Mount Rainier! Read more…

New Branch Chair, Committee Chair, and Branch Officer Badges

In an effort to better recognize our club leadership, we’re excited to announce a new trio of badges to celebrate branch chairs, activity committee chairs, and branch officers! Read more…

National Public Lands Day - Sep 26

National Public Lands Day is an important day to celebrate. Established in 1994, it is the largest single-day volunteer effort generated around preserving and connecting with nature. It not only celebrates the connection of people to green spaces, but it also encourages and inspires environmental stewardship. While we adjust to our “new normal,” it’s important that we continue to support our public lands and waters. Demands on land and water are a continual threat to the spaces we cherish and value. Read more…

Foothills Volunteer Spotlight: Kim Frasher

Meet Foothills Volunteer Kim Frasher. Kim initially jumped into volunteering as a way to give back after joining The Mountaineers, and has now been leading activities for over 12 years. Kim places a priority on supportive group dynamics and loves Bavarian Spicy Landjaegers and a good huckleberry milkshake.  Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Chase Gruszewski

For our Leader Spotlight this month we talked to Chase Gruszewski, a volunteer leader with the Kitsap Branch who chairs the Kitsap Climbing Committee and once did a 25 hour epic of Shield Wall on Mt. Washington. Read more…

Redesigning Outdoor Education - Fall Webinar Series

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Mountaineers has seen a wave of creativity from our volunteers. From fully online courses to hybrid online and in-person courses with small-group cohorts, volunteers are leading how we reimagine outdoor education in today's world. Read more…

Conservation Currents | A New Home for Our Goats: The Mountain Goat Translocation Plan

The Olympic Peninsula is one of the most incredible natural landscapes in the world, offering unrivaled opportunities to experience nature in its primal form. Biogeographically isolated in the Pacific Northwest, it’s been protected from the degradation that accompanies industry and population growth, becoming a popular destination for hiking, scrambling, climbing, paddling, and more. Read more…

Leader Spotlight: Shuko Hashimoto & Christina Buckman

For this month's Leader Spotlight, we're changing things up and running a group feature. As a part of this special edition, we talked with Shuko Hashimoto and Christina Buckman, both leaders with the Backpacking Building Blocks (B3) course offered by the Foothills Branch. Read more…