Volunteerism & Stewardship

Your Gifts in Action: Restoring Aquatic Ecosystems at Mount Rainier

Get an in-depth look at the aquatic ecosystems of Mount Rainier, and see how your support helps enable monitoring and restoration efforts to keep them healthy.

Science in the Parks: The Cascades Butterfly Project

As days get longer and winter’s chill begins to wane, many of us are experiencing the anticipation of getting boots back on the trails in our parks’ high country. If you’re among those who delight in wandering summer wildflower meadows, you might want to consider joining the team of community...

Meet Olympic National Park’s Marmots and the Citizen Scientists Who Study Them

On December 2, 2020, Olympic National Park Wildlife Biologist Patti Happe joined Washington’s National Park Fund for a Virtual Field Trip where we were introduced to one of the park’s most unique and beloved animals – the Olympic Marmot. These furry creatures are genetically distinct from other marmots and endemic...

Trailblazers: Joan Hays

Joan has been a donor to WNPF since 2008. She spent 12 years as a Meadow Rover and, in her words: “For years I hiked the trails in nearby national parks and enjoyed the wonder and nourishment they provided. By spending time as a volunteer at Mount Rainier National Park,...

Ready, Set, Streamflow: Researching Streamflow at Mount Rainier National Park

Nothing beats a day spent hiking a trail through the spectacular subalpine meadows of Mount Rainier National Park – except maybe combining that hike with the opportunity to contribute to important research by volunteering as a citizen scientist. That’s how I and a small group of other volunteers spent a...

Park Person of Interest: Norma Colon, Volunteer Meadow Rover

Norma Colon was heading to Fort Lewis, eager to begin a new chapter in her life, when she looked up and fell in love with a mountain. “I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to go to that mountain!’” she recalls. Since that momentous first sighting, not only has Norma been...

These Projects Want YOU… to push them Over the Top!

The countdown is upon us…the fiscal year-end is coming... Will we make our fundraising goals? Instead of anxiety here in the office, all of us get super excited this time of year to see our ‘thermometer’ rise, knowing all the good work we’re doing with you to support our beloved...

Mount Rainier, My Word for Magic and Wonder

I first learned about, and saw, Mount Rainier in June 2004, on a plane as we approached our new home state. Her crown pushed through the blanket of cloud and shone in the bright sun and took my breath away. I had expected a beautiful place -- everyone said Washington...

What Makes YOU Parks Proud?

Whatever gets your geek on, I bet WNPF has a project you can sink your teeth into! And now’s the time to show your Parks Proud with a gift to Washington’s National Park Fund. We’re looking to you to help fully fund projects by the end of our fiscal year...