CLICK TO REVIEW 2022 VOLUNTEER TRIPS
2022 volunteer opportunities
Independent Pika Survey Training
Project: Independent Pika Survey Training
Date: June 11th, 2022 @ 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: CFC Office 500 W. 8th St., Vancouver, WA 98660 & streaming online
Training leader: Amanda Keasberry
Project description: Pika are sensitive to climate pressures, and many populations are in decline. CFC is aiding scientists who are studying pika populations in the North Cascades and the Columbia Gorge by filling in information gaps about populations in the southern Washington Cascades.
To participate, join us for the June 6th pika survey training at our office in Vancouver, WA or through the live stream. During this training, you will learn about pika and habitat identification, opportunistic observations vs. sitting surveys, equipment checklist, safety procedures, and volunteer guidelines. The surveys will be completed independently by volunteers on their own time.
This is the perfect opportunity for people who want to be involved in conservation projects in the Cascades but can’t join us for our weekend trips.
Trip difficulty: Surveys will involve as much hiking as you desire. Many locations will be near roads and will require more driving than hiking.
Beaver Reintroduction Site Visits and Invasives Removal
Project: Beaver Reintroduction Site Visits and Invasives Removal
Date: July 16–17, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Lewis River
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: Beavers are a keystone species that convey many benefits to aquatic systems. Their dams help keep more water in the system, which expands aquatic and riparian habitat, acts as wildfire buffers, creates drought and flood resilience, and much more. CFC has been releasing beavers into areas of the forest lacking current beaver populations and studying the impacts reintroduced animals are having on these areas. The post-release monitoring is intended to inform and improve future reintroduction efforts around the region.
On this trip, we will be visiting two reintroduction sites. We will walk along the banks to search for recent beaver evidence in the form of chew, beaver slides, dams, lodges, and scent mounds. There are also numerous wildlife cameras that need to be checked for any photographic evidence of the beavers.
Volunteers will also scout for invasive plants and remove them from the site to give the native plants a greater opportunity to thrive.
Task: Walking off-trail and along streambanks to survey for beaver evidence and invasive plants. We will be hand-pulling invasive plants and mapping their occurrences.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || The trip entails walking over downed logs, through brush, on uneven terrain, and near areas of ponded water. There will be a good amount of bending and squatting for invasive plant removal.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment, gloves
Lodging: Developed campground near Yale Reservoir
eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #1
Project: eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #1
Date: September 3–4, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Clearwater Creek
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: Come join for the assessment phase of a new aquatic restoration project to help salmon! We will be working with the Forest Service to assess on-the-ground conditions and design a long-term aquatic restoration project on Clear Creek and Clearwater Creek (tributaries of the Lewis River).
CFC will be surveying and mapping the presence of invasive plant species to identify treatment locations for the overall restoration plan, collecting environmental DNA samples to survey for the presence and absence of various aquatic species, and carrying out wood count surveys along priority tributaries to quantify wood needs in areas of interest.
The objectives of the overall restoration plan are to improve habitat complexity and diversity by increasing the size and amount of deep pools, increasing wood accumulations, increasing riparian vegetation, and increasing the amount of suitable spawning and rearing habitat for coho, spring Chinook, and winter steelhead.
Task: Learning to identify invasive plant species, collecting data on invasives and instream wood via iPad, and assisting with collecting eDNA samples.
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip involves walking through dense forest stands, over downed logs, on uneven ground, and near streambanks.
What you need: Waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground near the Swift Reservoir
Invasives Mapping and Removal in Old-Growth Forests
Project: Invasives Mapping and Removal in Old-Growth Forests
Date: June 18–19, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Lewis River Trail
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: Locations of the invasive plant species herb Robert have been identified in stands of old-growth along the Lewis River. Herb Robert’s tolerance to shady understories and its threat to mature forest ecosystems make it an invasive species of particular concern to CFC.
Join us on this two-day trip to an area of old-growth forest in the Lewis River valley. In addition to removing herb Robert, you will also be helping to map the area using GIS. This will help CFC and the Forest Service monitor the locations in the future to make sure the plants haven’t reinvaded the area.
Task: Hand-pulling invasive species along a trail and mapping removal locations on an iPad.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || This trip will entail walking 3+ miles on a trail that is rated moderate. On occasion, you will be going off-trail and potentially walking over downed logs and through brush. This activity also requires a lot of continual bending and squatting.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Gloves, trash bags
Lodging: Developed campground near the Lewis River
Post-fire Tree Monitoring
Project: Post-fire Tree Monitoring
Date: July 23–24, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)*
Location: South of Mount Adams
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: This trip is part of a long-term and multi-partner effort to protect the majestic, old-growth ponderosa pines in a unique part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the south side of Mount Adams. Forest stands in this area have become overgrown following decades of fire suppression—these particularly fire-prone areas are one of the few forest zones in the GPNF where thinning and prescribed burning are recommended as a viable management strategy for promoting ecosystem health. Currently, these mixed conifer forests are threatened by high-intensity fires and are also experiencing negative impacts from drought and disease due to heightened competition for water and nutrients.
For the past three years, Mount Adams Resource Steward (MARS) crews have been working to reduce fuel loads, and CFC volunteers have been assisting in the pulling back needles, bark, and other ladder fuels that have accumulated under the ponderosa pines. Reducing these uncharacteristically dense fuel loads is just one of the phases of the project to help protect the old-growth trees from the impacts of future wildfires. The next phase, prescribed fire, is occurring this spring. This action will help restore these forests and improve their long-term resilience to fire, drought, and disease.
The goal for this trip is to monitor conditions and survival after these restoration actions. What we find will help gauge the success of the treatments and inform future treatment strategies.
* Please note: the dates of this trip may change and are dependent on when prescribed burning is performed. Prescribed burns are only conducted in highly specific weather conditions to limit the risk of spread and the impacts of smoke to nearby communities.
Task: Using an iPad and forestry measurement tools to collect new data on how previously monitored old-growth trees fared after a prescribed fire.
Trip difficulty: 4 out of 5 || This trip involves walking through dense forest stands, over downed logs, and on uneven ground.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground in the forest areas near Trout Lake
eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #2
Project: eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #2
Date: September 10–11, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Clear Creek
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: Come join for the assessment phase of a new aquatic restoration project to help salmon! We will be working with the Forest Service to assess on-the-ground conditions and design a long-term aquatic restoration project on Clear Creek and Clearwater Creek (tributaries of the Lewis River).
CFC will be surveying and mapping the presence of invasive plant species to identify treatment locations for the overall restoration plan, collecting environmental DNA samples to survey for the presence and absence of various aquatic species, and carrying out wood count surveys along priority tributaries to quantify wood needs in areas of interest.
The objectives of the overall restoration plan are to improve habitat complexity and diversity by increasing the size and amount of deep pools, increasing wood accumulations, increasing riparian vegetation, and increasing the amount of suitable spawning and rearing habitat for coho, spring Chinook, and winter steelhead.
Task: Learning about identifying invasive plant species, collecting data on invasives and instream wood via iPad, and assisting with collecting eDNA samples.
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip involves walking through dense forest stands, over downed logs, on uneven ground, and near stream banks
What you need: Waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Lodging: Developed campground near the Swift Reservoir
Surveying for Pacific Lamprey
Project: Surveying for Pacific Lamprey
Date: June 25–26, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: South Fork Toutle River
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: The Pacific lamprey is an ancient species that is an important traditional food for Indigenous communities and a vital part of aquatic ecosystems, but dams, habitat degradation, and other factors are impacting their survival and anadromous life cycle.
Lamprey are anadromous fish (migrating to and from the sea at different life stages) that live most of their life in freshwater. Therefore, it is critical that they have access to important habitat features like stream channel complexity, silty streambeds, and deep pools.
In our second year of Pacific lamprey research, we are headed to the South Fork Toutle River. Before any restoration begins, we need to survey for the presence/absence of lamprey along the South Fork Toutle River. We will conduct redd (spawning gravel) surveys and collect samples of their DNA in the water to see how far up into the system they go. We will be using survey techniques to find both redds and larval lamprey. Later this year, we will be carrying out some instream restoration work in this area to provide lamprey with more habitat in which to thrive.
Task: Walking along streams to look for lamprey redds and collect water samples for environmental DNA analysis.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || The trip entails walking along streambanks, over cobble, and through brush.
What you need: Rubber boots or waterproof hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Water sample and data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground near the South Fork Toutle
Native Seed Collection for Post-Fire Restoration
Project: Native Seed Collection for Post-Fire Restoration
Date: August 20, 2022 (Saturday)
Location: South of Mt. Adams
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: Join us to collect native shrub and wildflower seeds that will contribute to our long-term effort to build ecosystem health and resilience within habitats around Mount Adams. The seeds will be used for future seeding and planting in areas that have been severely impacted by uncharacteristically intense and repeated wildfires.
Volunteers will be trained by a U.S. Forest Service specialist regarding the identification and benefits of various native species. Some seeds will be sown directly on the burned landscape this fall, while others will be sent to a Forest Service facility to be grown out for planting in the future. Help us gather seeds while also learning to identify over 20 native plants in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest!
Task: Learning native plant identification and collecting seeds.
Trip difficulty: 2 out of 5 || Trip will entail walking along established trails and gravel roads.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water, and other essentials
Gear provided: Gloves, bags for gathering seed
Lodging: N/A
Guided Hike: See Why Mount St. Helens is No Place For a Mine
Project: Guided Hike: See Why Mount St. Helens is No Place For a Mine
Date: September 24 (Saturday)
Location: Goat Mountain Trail
Trip leader: Ashley Short + Sean Roome
Trip description: Join CFC’s Policy Manager and Campaign Coordinator to see for yourself why Mount St. Helens and the Green River Valley are NO PLACE FOR A MINE. We’ll be hiking 4 miles up the trail to the summit of Goat Mountain, a peak 12 miles north of the Mount St. Helens crater that was recently saved from exploratory drilling by CFC’s successful lawsuit. Along the way, you’ll learn about the many unique ecological features of the area and CFC’s upcoming plans for protection, and the ongoing history of fighting efforts to build a mine in this unique corner of the Cascades. If it’s a clear day, you will enjoy unrivaled views of four Cascade peaks and a panoramic look at the Green River Valley below.
In addition to the Goat Mountain Trail, the area offers many other opportunities to experience the Valley, including the nearby Green River Trail, Strawberry Mountain, and more. Make a weekend out of your experience by arriving a day early and hiking the trail of your choice while camping at nearby Silver Fir Campground.
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip entails trail hiking around 4 miles on the Goat Mountain Trail which is ranked moderate on AllTrails.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, and a day pack with food/water and other essentials. Note: there is no water along the Goat Mountain Trail, and the climb to the summit is steep. Bring enough water to stay hydrated. If you plan to stay overnight, you will need camping gear and a Northwest Forest Pass.
Lodging: CFC will not be camping, but if you would like to stay overnight, the nearest campground is Iron Creek Campground
Yellowjacket Timber Sale Survey
Project: Yellowjacket Timber Sale Survey
Date: July 9, 2022 (Saturday)
Location: Yellowjacket Creek
Trip leader: Ashley Short
Trip description: Join our Policy Manager on this trip to collect on-the-ground information for the upcoming Yellowjacket timber sale. The data collected on this trip will help CFC pinpoint habitat features and priority areas of protection.
Task: Walking through forest areas and collecting data using diameter tapes, clinometers, and iPads.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || The trip entails walking over downed logs, through thick brush, and on uneven terrain.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: While this is a one-day trip, you are welcome to camp the night before at any of the nearby dispersed campsites. However, volunteers will be responsible for organizing their own camping plans.
Instream Restoration at Stump Creek
Project: Instream Restoration at Stump Creek
Date: August 27–28, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: South Fork Toutle River
Trip leader: Shiloh Halsey
Trip description: Salmon and Pacific lamprey are in a state of peril and it will take a community of interested groups and individuals to bring these populations back from the brink. River restoration is a primary method to help make this a reality.
On this trip, we will be working to complement larger-scale restoration efforts, such as the installation of large instream wood structures recently installed by the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group. We are focusing on improving off-channel habitat in tributaries of the South Fork Toutle River. Volunteers will learn to use “low-tech restoration” techniques to build small instream wood structures using sustainably-sourced trees and branches. These structures will increase stream complexity, attenuate flows, and create deep pools—all of which are habitat improvements that will benefit salmonids and Pacific lamprey!
In addition to the direct benefits we hope to see, these kinds of projects are also intended to help beavers re-establish themselves in these landscapes by creating anchor points that will attract them, offer protection from predation, and help them establish local populations so that they can extend the positive aquatic impacts far into the future. This low-tech restoration work extends restoration benefits higher up in the watersheds, offers critical habitat refugia for salmon, and improves overall aquatic health for fish, wildlife, and downstream communities.
Task: Using handsaws, loppers, and clippers to gather natural material and then placing them in the stream in strategic locations (during and before the placement of larger wood pieces).
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip entails full days of physical labor near and in creeks and ponds. Getting into shallow water will be required for this trip. Volunteers are encouraged to work at a comfortable pace.
What you need: Rubber boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Hand tools, gloves, safety goggles
Lodging: Dispersed camping near the South Fork Toutle River. There will be no facilities (e.g. toilets/picnic tables/fire pit). CFC will supply drinking water, a handwashing station, and tables for cooking.
Native Plant Monitoring
Project: Native Plant Monitoring
Date: October 1, 2022
Location: South of Mount Adams
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: The mixed-conifer forests on the southern slopes of Mount Adams were, historically, well-adapted to wildfires. However, unusually severe fires or short-interval fires (fires that repeatedly impact the same area at a higher frequency than is typical) can slow or even prevent natural post-fire regenerative processes. CFC and volunteers have been engaged in a long-term effort to increase the biodiversity and resilience of fire-impacted habitats around Mount Adams by dispersing native seeds and planting native shrubs.
This year, we want to see how successful our seeding and planting efforts have been. We will be hiking back to our planting locations to collect data on plant survival and growth. Our region’s history of fire suppression, shifts in climate, and other factors are making it likely that more habitats will be impacted by these kinds of high severity, low interval fires in the future. Understanding and measuring the impacts of our efforts to restore post-fire habitats will help in the design and implementation of habitat recovery efforts in the future.
Task: Hike 3+ miles on and off-trail to previous planting sites to collect data via iPad.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || This trip entails walking on and off-trail. There are many downed logs and uneven ground in the area.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground near Trout Lake
Independent Pika Survey Training
Project: Independent Pika Survey Training
Date: June 11th, 2022 @ 2:00-3:30 pm
Location: CFC Office 500 W. 8th St., Vancouver, WA 98660 & streaming online
Training leader: Amanda Keasberry
Project description: Pika are sensitive to climate pressures, and many populations are in decline. CFC is aiding scientists who are studying pika populations in the North Cascades and the Columbia Gorge by filling in information gaps about populations in the southern Washington Cascades.
To participate, join us for the June 6th pika survey training at our office in Vancouver, WA or through the live stream. During this training, you will learn about pika and habitat identification, opportunistic observations vs. sitting surveys, equipment checklist, safety procedures, and volunteer guidelines. The surveys will be completed independently by volunteers on their own time.
This is the perfect opportunity for people who want to be involved in conservation projects in the Cascades but can’t join us for our weekend trips.
Trip difficulty: Surveys will involve as much hiking as you desire. Many locations will be near roads and will require more driving than hiking.
Invasives Mapping and Removal in Old-Growth Forests
Project: Invasives Mapping and Removal in Old-Growth Forests
Date: June 18–19, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Lewis River Trail
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: Locations of the invasive plant species herb Robert have been identified in stands of old-growth along the Lewis River. Herb Robert’s tolerance to shady understories and its threat to mature forest ecosystems make it an invasive species of particular concern to CFC.
Join us on this two-day trip to an area of old-growth forest in the Lewis River valley. In addition to removing herb Robert, you will also be helping to map the area using GIS. This will help CFC and the Forest Service monitor the locations in the future to make sure the plants haven’t reinvaded the area.
Task: Hand-pulling invasive species along a trail and mapping removal locations on an iPad.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || This trip will entail walking 3+ miles on a trail that is rated moderate. On occasion, you will be going off-trail and potentially walking over downed logs and through brush. This activity also requires a lot of continual bending and squatting.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Gloves, trash bags
Lodging: Developed campground near the Lewis River
Surveying for Pacific Lamprey
Project: Surveying for Pacific Lamprey
Date: June 25–26, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: South Fork Toutle River
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: The Pacific lamprey is an ancient species that is an important traditional food for Indigenous communities and a vital part of aquatic ecosystems, but dams, habitat degradation, and other factors are impacting their survival and anadromous life cycle.
Lamprey are anadromous fish (migrating to and from the sea at different life stages) that live most of their life in freshwater. Therefore, it is critical that they have access to important habitat features like stream channel complexity, silty streambeds, and deep pools.
In our second year of Pacific lamprey research, we are headed to the South Fork Toutle River. Before any restoration begins, we need to survey for the presence/absence of lamprey along the South Fork Toutle River. We will conduct redd (spawning gravel) surveys and collect samples of their DNA in the water to see how far up into the system they go. We will be using survey techniques to find both redds and larval lamprey. Later this year, we will be carrying out some instream restoration work in this area to provide lamprey with more habitat in which to thrive.
Task: Walking along streams to look for lamprey redds and collect water samples for environmental DNA analysis.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || The trip entails walking along streambanks, over cobble, and through brush.
What you need: Rubber boots or waterproof hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Water sample and data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground near the South Fork Toutle
Yellowjacket Timber Sale Survey
Project: Yellowjacket Timber Sale Survey
Date: July 9, 2022 (Saturday)
Location: Yellowjacket Creek
Trip leader: Ashley Short
Trip description: Join our Policy Manager on this trip to collect on-the-ground information for the upcoming Yellowjacket timber sale. The data collected on this trip will help CFC pinpoint habitat features and priority areas of protection.
Task: Walking through forest areas and collecting data using diameter tapes, clinometers, and iPads.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || The trip entails walking over downed logs, through thick brush, and on uneven terrain.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: While this is a one-day trip, you are welcome to camp the night before at any of the nearby dispersed campsites. However, volunteers will be responsible for organizing their own camping plans.
Beaver Reintroduction Site Visits and Invasives Removal
Project: Beaver Reintroduction Site Visits and Invasives Removal
Date: July 16–17, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Lewis River
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: Beavers are a keystone species that convey many benefits to aquatic systems. Their dams help keep more water in the system, which expands aquatic and riparian habitat, acts as wildfire buffers, creates drought and flood resilience, and much more. CFC has been releasing beavers into areas of the forest lacking current beaver populations and studying the impacts reintroduced animals are having on these areas. The post-release monitoring is intended to inform and improve future reintroduction efforts around the region.
On this trip, we will be visiting two reintroduction sites. We will walk along the banks to search for recent beaver evidence in the form of chew, beaver slides, dams, lodges, and scent mounds. There are also numerous wildlife cameras that need to be checked for any photographic evidence of the beavers.
Volunteers will also scout for invasive plants and remove them from the site to give the native plants a greater opportunity to thrive.
Task: Walking off-trail and along streambanks to survey for beaver evidence and invasive plants. We will be hand-pulling invasive plants and mapping their occurrences.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || The trip entails walking over downed logs, through brush, on uneven terrain, and near areas of ponded water. There will be a good amount of bending and squatting for invasive plant removal.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment, gloves
Lodging: Developed campground near Yale Reservoir
Post-fire Tree Monitoring
Project: Post-fire Tree Monitoring
Date: July 23–24, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)*
Location: South of Mount Adams
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: This trip is part of a long-term and multi-partner effort to protect the majestic, old-growth ponderosa pines in a unique part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the south side of Mount Adams. Forest stands in this area have become overgrown following decades of fire suppression—these particularly fire-prone areas are one of the few forest zones in the GPNF where thinning and prescribed burning are recommended as a viable management strategy for promoting ecosystem health. Currently, these mixed conifer forests are threatened by high-intensity fires and are also experiencing negative impacts from drought and disease due to heightened competition for water and nutrients.
For the past three years, Mount Adams Resource Steward (MARS) crews have been working to reduce fuel loads, and CFC volunteers have been assisting in the pulling back needles, bark, and other ladder fuels that have accumulated under the ponderosa pines. Reducing these uncharacteristically dense fuel loads is just one of the phases of the project to help protect the old-growth trees from the impacts of future wildfires. The next phase, prescribed fire, is occurring this spring. This action will help restore these forests and improve their long-term resilience to fire, drought, and disease.
The goal for this trip is to monitor conditions and survival after these restoration actions. What we find will help gauge the success of the treatments and inform future treatment strategies.
* Please note: the dates of this trip may change and are dependent on when prescribed burning is performed. Prescribed burns are only conducted in highly specific weather conditions to limit the risk of spread and the impacts of smoke to nearby communities.
Task: Using an iPad and forestry measurement tools to collect new data on how previously monitored old-growth trees fared after a prescribed fire.
Trip difficulty: 4 out of 5 || This trip involves walking through dense forest stands, over downed logs, and on uneven ground.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground in the forest areas near Trout Lake
Native Seed Collection for Post-Fire Restoration
Project: Native Seed Collection for Post-Fire Restoration
Date: August 20, 2022 (Saturday)
Location: South of Mt. Adams
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: Join us to collect native shrub and wildflower seeds that will contribute to our long-term effort to build ecosystem health and resilience within habitats around Mount Adams. The seeds will be used for future seeding and planting in areas that have been severely impacted by uncharacteristically intense and repeated wildfires.
Volunteers will be trained by a U.S. Forest Service specialist regarding the identification and benefits of various native species. Some seeds will be sown directly on the burned landscape this fall, while others will be sent to a Forest Service facility to be grown out for planting in the future. Help us gather seeds while also learning to identify over 20 native plants in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest!
Task: Learning native plant identification and collecting seeds.
Trip difficulty: 2 out of 5 || Trip will entail walking along established trails and gravel roads.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water, and other essentials
Gear provided: Gloves, bags for gathering seed
Lodging: N/A
Instream Restoration at Stump Creek
Project: Instream Restoration at Stump Creek
Date: August 27–28, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: South Fork Toutle River
Trip leader: Shiloh Halsey
Trip description: Salmon and Pacific lamprey are in a state of peril and it will take a community of interested groups and individuals to bring these populations back from the brink. River restoration is a primary method to help make this a reality.
On this trip, we will be working to complement larger-scale restoration efforts, such as the installation of large instream wood structures recently installed by the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group. We are focusing on improving off-channel habitat in tributaries of the South Fork Toutle River. Volunteers will learn to use “low-tech restoration” techniques to build small instream wood structures using sustainably-sourced trees and branches. These structures will increase stream complexity, attenuate flows, and create deep pools—all of which are habitat improvements that will benefit salmonids and Pacific lamprey!
In addition to the direct benefits we hope to see, these kinds of projects are also intended to help beavers re-establish themselves in these landscapes by creating anchor points that will attract them, offer protection from predation, and help them establish local populations so that they can extend the positive aquatic impacts far into the future. This low-tech restoration work extends restoration benefits higher up in the watersheds, offers critical habitat refugia for salmon, and improves overall aquatic health for fish, wildlife, and downstream communities.
Task: Using handsaws, loppers, and clippers to gather natural material and then placing them in the stream in strategic locations (during and before the placement of larger wood pieces).
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip entails full days of physical labor near and in creeks and ponds. Getting into shallow water will be required for this trip. Volunteers are encouraged to work at a comfortable pace.
What you need: Rubber boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Hand tools, gloves, safety goggles
Lodging: Dispersed camping near the South Fork Toutle River. There will be no facilities (e.g. toilets/picnic tables/fire pit). CFC will supply drinking water, a handwashing station, and tables for cooking.
eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #1
Project: eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #1
Date: September 3–4, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Clearwater Creek
Trip leader: Amanda Keasberry
Trip description: Come join for the assessment phase of a new aquatic restoration project to help salmon! We will be working with the Forest Service to assess on-the-ground conditions and design a long-term aquatic restoration project on Clear Creek and Clearwater Creek (tributaries of the Lewis River).
CFC will be surveying and mapping the presence of invasive plant species to identify treatment locations for the overall restoration plan, collecting environmental DNA samples to survey for the presence and absence of various aquatic species, and carrying out wood count surveys along priority tributaries to quantify wood needs in areas of interest.
The objectives of the overall restoration plan are to improve habitat complexity and diversity by increasing the size and amount of deep pools, increasing wood accumulations, increasing riparian vegetation, and increasing the amount of suitable spawning and rearing habitat for coho, spring Chinook, and winter steelhead.
Task: Learning to identify invasive plant species, collecting data on invasives and instream wood via iPad, and assisting with collecting eDNA samples.
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip involves walking through dense forest stands, over downed logs, on uneven ground, and near streambanks.
What you need: Waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground near the Swift Reservoir
eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #2
Project: eDNA Sampling + Salmon Habitat Monitoring #2
Date: September 10–11, 2022 (Saturday-Sunday)
Location: Clear Creek
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: Come join for the assessment phase of a new aquatic restoration project to help salmon! We will be working with the Forest Service to assess on-the-ground conditions and design a long-term aquatic restoration project on Clear Creek and Clearwater Creek (tributaries of the Lewis River).
CFC will be surveying and mapping the presence of invasive plant species to identify treatment locations for the overall restoration plan, collecting environmental DNA samples to survey for the presence and absence of various aquatic species, and carrying out wood count surveys along priority tributaries to quantify wood needs in areas of interest.
The objectives of the overall restoration plan are to improve habitat complexity and diversity by increasing the size and amount of deep pools, increasing wood accumulations, increasing riparian vegetation, and increasing the amount of suitable spawning and rearing habitat for coho, spring Chinook, and winter steelhead.
Task: Learning about identifying invasive plant species, collecting data on invasives and instream wood via iPad, and assisting with collecting eDNA samples.
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip involves walking through dense forest stands, over downed logs, on uneven ground, and near stream banks
What you need: Waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Lodging: Developed campground near the Swift Reservoir
Guided Hike: See Why Mount St. Helens is No Place For a Mine
Project: Guided Hike: See Why Mount St. Helens is No Place For a Mine
Date: September 24 (Saturday)
Location: Goat Mountain Trail
Trip leader: Ashley Short + Sean Roome
Trip description: Join CFC’s Policy Manager and Campaign Coordinator to see for yourself why Mount St. Helens and the Green River Valley are NO PLACE FOR A MINE. We’ll be hiking 4 miles up the trail to the summit of Goat Mountain, a peak 12 miles north of the Mount St. Helens crater that was recently saved from exploratory drilling by CFC’s successful lawsuit. Along the way, you’ll learn about the many unique ecological features of the area and CFC’s upcoming plans for protection, and the ongoing history of fighting efforts to build a mine in this unique corner of the Cascades. If it’s a clear day, you will enjoy unrivaled views of four Cascade peaks and a panoramic look at the Green River Valley below.
In addition to the Goat Mountain Trail, the area offers many other opportunities to experience the Valley, including the nearby Green River Trail, Strawberry Mountain, and more. Make a weekend out of your experience by arriving a day early and hiking the trail of your choice while camping at nearby Silver Fir Campground.
Trip difficulty: 5 out of 5 || This trip entails trail hiking around 4 miles on the Goat Mountain Trail which is ranked moderate on AllTrails.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, and a day pack with food/water and other essentials. Note: there is no water along the Goat Mountain Trail, and the climb to the summit is steep. Bring enough water to stay hydrated. If you plan to stay overnight, you will need camping gear and a Northwest Forest Pass.
Lodging: CFC will not be camping, but if you would like to stay overnight, the nearest campground is Iron Creek Campground
Native Plant Monitoring
Project: Native Plant Monitoring
Date: October 1, 2022
Location: South of Mount Adams
Trip leader: TBD
Trip description: The mixed-conifer forests on the southern slopes of Mount Adams were, historically, well-adapted to wildfires. However, unusually severe fires or short-interval fires (fires that repeatedly impact the same area at a higher frequency than is typical) can slow or even prevent natural post-fire regenerative processes. CFC and volunteers have been engaged in a long-term effort to increase the biodiversity and resilience of fire-impacted habitats around Mount Adams by dispersing native seeds and planting native shrubs.
This year, we want to see how successful our seeding and planting efforts have been. We will be hiking back to our planting locations to collect data on plant survival and growth. Our region’s history of fire suppression, shifts in climate, and other factors are making it likely that more habitats will be impacted by these kinds of high severity, low interval fires in the future. Understanding and measuring the impacts of our efforts to restore post-fire habitats will help in the design and implementation of habitat recovery efforts in the future.
Task: Hike 3+ miles on and off-trail to previous planting sites to collect data via iPad.
Trip difficulty: 3 out of 5 || This trip entails walking on and off-trail. There are many downed logs and uneven ground in the area.
What you need: Sturdy hiking boots, warm layers, rain gear, sun protection, day pack with food/water and other essentials, and camping gear (detailed list sent via email)
Gear provided: Data collection equipment
Lodging: Developed campground near Trout Lake