Stewardship
Each year, our members work to repair trails, maintain climbing sites, restore shorelines, and more. Our members' efforts are fueled by their passion for the outdoor experience. This conservation ethic has been integral to our club's mission since our beginnings in 1906. Learn more about the long history of stewardship at the Mountaineers our Conservation 101: Stewardship blog post.
Stewardship at The Mountaineers is led by volunteers and supported by our conservation and programs staff. Several Mountaineers branches are highly engaged in conservation and stewardship efforts. The Everett, Foothills, and Olympia branches have active committees dedicated to developing relationships with land managers and stewardship partners, and providing opportunities for members to get involved in stewardship activities on local public lands - and some privately managed lands as well.
Many of our most popular courses include a stewardship requirement as part of their curriculum. In addition, our volunteers lead restoration activities throughout the year, and we partner with many local organizations to support stewardship activities.
Find Mountaineers stewardship Activities
TRAIL MAINTENANCE
Our hiking and climbing trails in Washington take a beating each year - both from users and from the weather. We partner with land managers and other organizations to improve trails so they can continue to be enjoyed.
HISTORIC FIRE LOOKOUT MAINTENANCE
The Mountaineers Everett Branch Lookout & Trail Maintenance Crew provides critical volunteer maintenance to the historic Pilchuck, Three Fingers, and Heybrook fire lookouts in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. They keep these structures open to the visiting public for thousands of annual visitors to see, touch, and experience a piece of history that might otherwise be lost.
STEWARDSHIP Credit Badge
Many Mountaineers courses require stewardship hours as a graduation requirement. Each year, nearly 500 students earn their Stewardship Credit badge, contributing over 3,600 hours of labor on state and federal lands in Washington. Students participate in restoration activities, trail work, or historic lookout maintenance with The Mountaineers or with community partners.
Other Stewardship Opportunities
In addition to stewardship activities directly hosted by The Mountaineers, many organizations offer a wide variety of stewardship opportunities throughout the state. Members are not limited to the stewardship activities listed on our website. If you attend a work party with an external organization, please forward your confirmation email from that organization to info@mountaineers.org after completing your stewardship hours to receive the badge.