By Lisa Drake, Donor Engagement Manager
Interested in joining us? Click here for all of the events, with dates and locations!
While there are so many places to explore in Washington’s national parks this summer, joining a group of like-minded park enthusiasts for a chance to learn more about the parks is a rare opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.
Washington’s National Park Fund has curated a variety of unique in-park experiences this season, offering participants the chance to explore some of the projects and programs that donors help make possible.
Whether you want to learn about glaciers on a guided hike in the North Cascades, experience Olympic’s Night Sky program while honing your celestial photography skills, or enjoy a summer hike at Sunrise while seeing first-hand how volunteers help protect Mount Rainier’s fragile meadows, there’s something for everyone to choose from. We hope you’ll join us!
Take in the beauty of summer at Sunrise during this guided hike and learn first-hand about Mount Rainier’s Meadow Rover volunteer program.
During this special, behind-the-scenes experience, you’ll shadow a Meadow Rover volunteer and see how they balance the challenging but rewarding role of informing park guests about the mountain’s fragile ecosystems while supporting a safe, memorable, and welcoming visitor experience. Along the way, we’ll enjoy mountain views and spotting wildflowers in bloom along the trail.
Our goals as Meadow Rovers are to help visitors have safe, memorable park experiences—while minimizing our impact on the landscape. Over the years, I’ve seen how donor funding enables this program to be increasingly effective. From providing radios to funding the volunteer coordinator position, donors have made a difference in our ability to be a ‘park presence’ on the most heavily used trails, providing on-the-spot assistance and education. There are literally hundreds of Meadow Rover volunteers who, together, donate over 11,000 hours of their time each year because we love ‘the Mountain’ and we enjoy interacting with visitors. I would be pleased to host some of you on one of my volunteer days so you can see the benefits for yourself.
– Meadow Rover and park volunteer Margot Tsakonas
Interested in joining us? Register here or reach out to Lisa (lisa@wnpf.org) for more details.
Learn more about how meadows are restored in our blog.
Experience the magic of Hurricane Ridge and explore one of Olympic National Park’s most iconic landscapes.
On Friday evening, join six-time Emmy Award-winning television producer, Mark Erskine, an instructor at the Photographic Center NW and WNPF volunteer, as he guides us in capturing breathtaking, star-filled images. Whether you’re using a DSLR, an adjustable camera, or even an iPhone, no prior experience is needed—just bring your enthusiasm for the night sky! Our event is timed to coincide with the WNPF donor-supported Dark Sky Telescope program at Hurricane Ridge, making for an unforgettable night under the stars.
Participants will have the option to camp nearby and join us for a Saturday hike to further experience Hurricane Ridge’s stunning alpine landscapes by day.
Learn how WNPF donors help Olympic National Park share the magic of the night skies in our blog.
Join geologist Dr. Jon Riedel — former National Park Service geologist, founder of North Cascades National Park’s glacier monitoring program, and current Research Associate at Western Washington University— for a fascinating look at the glaciers and glacial landscapes of the Skagit Region of North Cascades National Park.
We’ll start the day hearing from Jon about how continental glaciers rearranged the drainage of Puget Sound’s largest stream and the evidence that the upper Skagit Valley once drained north to the Fraser River.
We’ll then enjoy a short hike through an ancient forest of majestic fir and cedar, following the cold, impatient water of the most heavily glaciated tributary of the Skagit River. Along the way, Jon will discuss the importance of glaciers to aquatic ecosystems of the Skagit, how scientists monitor glaciers, and what the latest projections are for the continued loss of these vital and iconic features of our Pacific Northwest landscape.
We hope you will join us on one or more of these adventures in Washington’s national parks! Questions? Reach out to WNPF’s Donor Engagement Manager, Lisa Drake (lisa@wnpf.org), for more information.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. We raise money to preserve and protect these three national parks, funding scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep them strong and vital now and forever.
Cover photo: A group of supporters learns about the history of the North Cascades National Park on a hike overlooking Diablo Lake (WNPF photo)