By Lisa Drake, Donor Engagement and Parks Partnership Manager
Born and raised in Seattle, Sara Graham grew up with Mount Rainier on the horizon, a familiar backdrop to everyday life. But it wasn’t until she entered Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day (RAMROD), a challenging cycling route she would go on to complete an incredible 23 times, that she began to see the mountain in a whole new way.
Ask Sara about RAMROD today, and she is less likely to lead with the mileage than with what the ride opened up for her: Mount Rainier’s vibrant summer wildflowers. What started as a fun cycling challenge gradually became something more, giving her a personal connection to the park that kept growing with every ride.
Sara’s appreciation for Mount Rainier soon grew into a desire to give back to the place that had become so meaningful to her. A chance encounter at a local garden center pointed her in the right direction. There, she met a volunteer handing out flyers for Washington’s National Park Fund. Learning about WNPF helped her see how community support keeps national parks thriving and inspired her to get involved.
Hands-on volunteer opportunities with WNPF in Olympic National Park left a lasting impression. During a beach cleanup, removing litter made the impact of stewardship immediate and tangible. At the park nursery in Sequim, she helped plant tiny tree seedlings, knowing they would one day stand in the park for generations.
Through these experiences, Sara gained a deeper understanding of what it takes to care for public lands and strengthened her commitment to helping protect them for the future.
Along the way, Sara realized her lifelong dream of becoming an author could also become another way to support the parks she loved. In 2021, she published her first children’s picture book, Mount Rainier Bear Family Adventures. The story follows a family of bears as they explore the park, visiting Paradise, Longmire, Sunrise, Ohanapecosh, and Mowich.
The book is filled with personal touches inspired by the places she loves most. The bear family hibernates near Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground, and another featured setting, the stone chair atop Second Burroughs Mountain, is one of Sara’s favorite places to take in the mountain’s beauty.
In keeping with the spirit behind the story, Sara donates a portion of the book’s proceeds to WNPF.
I knew that if I ever wrote a book, I wanted the money I made to go toward helping take care of the parks.”
Sara hopes to keep helping others connect with Washington’s national parks and understand why caring for them matters. She also hopes to write another Bear Family adventure book, drawing inspiration from her volunteer experience at Olympic National Park.
I hope to keep sharing our great parks with others and remind people that they need care if they’re going to stay beautiful for generations to come. We all need to help out.”
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Through donor support, we fund critical park projects that protect wildlife, preserve ecosystems, and enhance visitor experiences. Your donations help ensure these iconic landscapes remain for generations to come. Inspired by Trailblazers like Sara? Join them in giving back at wnpf.org/donate.
Photos courtesy of Sara Graham and Taylor Newlun.