Spend a weekend in a forest, meadow or waterway with the Cascade Forest Conservancy (CFC) by volunteering for one (or more!) of their science and restoration trips. Anyone can join the organization’s community of volunteers and become a part of impactful science and restoration projects throughout the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
June and July opportunities include Surveying for Pacific Lamprey, Beaver Reintroduction Site Visits and Invasives Removal, Post-Fire Tree Monitoring and more.
A full listing of the offerings throughout the spring and fall are available at cascadeforest.org/volunteer/trip-sign-up with a full description including what will be done, the difficulty level (on a scale of one to five), what volunteers need to bring and what will be provided.Â
At the start of the trips there will be a project overview and then training for the activity the project is covering. Volunteers typically split up into smaller groups and work for the rest of the day, usually about five hours.
Afterward everyone heads to the campsite, developed campgrounds with potable water and bathrooms reserved by CFC staff. Volunteers can spend the evening as they choose – hanging out around the campfire, going for a nearby hike or reading in their tent.
The second day starts with breakfast and packing up camp. Work generally continues until late afternoon but accommodations can be made for those who need to be home by a particular time.
Volunteers are responsible for supplying their own food, water, camping gear and appropriate clothing. CFC staff will provide a gear list for specific items for the type of trip you sign up for.
Sign up on your own and meet a whole new group of people or perhaps have a friend join you. Just make sure they fill out a sign-up form for the same trip. Minors 13-17 may attend with a guardian on trips that are ranked three or below in difficulty.
