Location: Mt. Hood, OR
Active. Daily hikes of up to 3 miles.
Front country. Tent camping near cars.
This in-person Leader Training Course goes through the leader training curriculum and practices this content in the field.
Service Project Details
This project includes leader training for Wilderness Volunteers trips and is open to prospective leaders. We are specifically looking for people who are comfortable and competent in outdoor settings, are people-oriented, and feel a strong sense of giving something back.
Wilderness Volunteers project leaders and staff have led many projects. Like a typical project, we’ll conduct four days of service work and a free day with leadership topics covered around the work project and basecamp. Participants will learn about planning and cooking for groups, working with the agencies, managing risks, teaching Leave No Trace, and more.
Once you’ve successfully completed this leadership course, you will be eligible to co-lead Wilderness Volunteers projects around the country. After you’ve led your first trip, you’ll also be eligible for a refund of your Leader Training project fee. Volunteer leaders do not pay trip fees on trips they are leading and receive modest reimbursement for travel to the projects they staff.
Join us in Oregon’s green Mt. Hood Wilderness for a week of hard and meaningful work. Volunteers will work in numerous aquatic restoration areas that were restored to re-establish historic fish habitat that is the home to endangered species of salmon and trout, as well as a host to numerous other species of Pacific Northwest flora and fauna. Wilderness Volunteers will plant trees and shrubs, collect and spread native seeds, remove invasive plants, and clean up dispersed campsites. Volunteers will be given tours of the river restoration work throughout the Upper Sandy River Watershed and will even get to see the spawning Chinook salmon they are helping to save!
Volunteers will need to be able to hike up to 3 miles daily and will be spending the week based out of the Green Canyon Campground located on the National Wild and Scenic Salmon River.
From the Zigzag Ranger District: “The Fisheries Program of the Zigzag Ranger District looks forward to working with the Wilderness Volunteers again in 2022! Each year the Wilderness Volunteers assist our staff in completing our river restoration work for the season. The volunteer’s contribution is huge and we greatly appreciated the help and support! We could not do it without you! We take pride in providing the volunteers with a meaningful, hands-on experience while teaching technical field skills and explaining the science, which goes into large-scale river restoration work.”
Project leaders: Aidalicia Swertfeger and Ross Holloway
Check out the photo gallery from previous projects in the Mt. Hood Wilderness.
Agency Website
Itinerary:
Sunday, September 17h. The volunteer group should be prepared to meet at location TBD in the morning. The group will go through check-in, introductions, orientation, and will begin leader training instruction.
Monday, September 18th. Workday.
Tuesday, September 19th. Workday.
Wednesday, September 20th. Day off.
Thursday, September 21st. Workday.
Friday, September 22nd. Workday.
Saturday, September 23rd. Break down camp, goodbyes, and depart.
Nearest Cities
Sandy, OR
Nearest Airports
Portland International Airport (PDX) – ~47 miles away
Free Time Details
There are multiple site seeing and hiking locations on the Mt Hood National Forest https://www.fs.usda.gov/mthood/ . In past years volunteers have hiked to Ramona Falls and/or toured the historic Timberline Lodge. We will try to provide everyone with an entire day off, but if we fall behind on the curriculum, we may use part of the day to catch up.
Accommodations
Front country. Tent camping near cars at the Green Canyon Campground.
Difficulty
Active. Daily hikes of up to 3-miles.
Task Details
Bending, cutting, hauling, swinging, digging, throwing, pushing, lifting, planting, etc.
Equipment List
View Equipment List