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Volunteer Engagement & Education
PROVIDING UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD & MAKE A LASTING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Restoration and Conservation Volunteers
Bringing members of the public into the forest to learn about and engage in conservation and ecology is a core component of our work to safeguard and protect Washington’s South Cascades. The volunteers who generously donate their time are an essential part of our direct conservation efforts.
In fact, many of our projects would be impossible without the help of concerned citizens dedicated to caring for their region. Data collected by volunteers informs all aspects of our work, from forest policy positions to prioritizing restoration strategies. Anyone, no matter how familiar they are with ecology and conservation, can make a lasting positive difference for the forest as a volunteer with CFC.
Young Friends of the Forest
Young Friends of the Forest is a program designed to create meaningful science and stewardship opportunities for high school students in southwest Washington and the Portland Metro area. Through the program, students are able to be part of real conservation and restoration projects, collecting data that is used to inform conservation planning and carrying out restoration efforts that improve habitats for wildlife. Our goals are to connect young people to the outdoors, to teach students about environmental science and ecology, and to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
We have hosted trips with students from Portland, OR and Vancouver, Stevenson, Camas, Washougal, Packwood, and White Pass, WA. Students have surveyed for potential beaver reintroduction sites, planted hundreds of trees, taken part in wildlife camera surveys, and collected data for huckleberry restoration studies.
In the past we have worked directly with teachers and schools, but we are currently focusing the program on partnerships with groups like the Discovery Team and Forest Youth Success, which offer summer work opportunities for high school students living in the communities adjacent to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
“CFC’s citizen science volunteer programs have offered me a place to not only meet people, but to find meaning and joy while helping others and giving back to the place I’ve grown up in. Their programs also create unique, positive spaces for me and others to come together from our diverse backgrounds, age groups, experiences, professions, and cultures.”
Tina Eckton
CFC Volunteer
the work of volunteers is essential to our mission
We are so grateful for our community of volunteers for the contributions they make to conservation efforts in Washington’s southern Cascades. Participating in volunteer opportunities offered by CFC is a great way to discover and learn about new corners of the forest, meet like-minded people who share a passion for the outdoors and environmental stewardship, all while making important and lasting contributions to scientific knowledge and restoration projects.
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Native conifers and hardwoods planted in stream-side restoration project areas by volunteers since 2017
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Motion-activated wildlife cameras set across remote areas of the forest by volunteers in our ongoing study to model occupancy of martens and reintroduced fishers
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Hours donated by volunteers to help advance conservation causes in the heart of the Cascades in the last five years
SPEAK UP FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Since 1985, Cascade Forest Conservancy has been your voice speaking for the areas in and around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington. Join the 12,000 other members who support Cascade Forest Conservancy and are making a difference now.
Our Work
Wildlands + Connectivity
Wildlands + Connectivity
Mapping and protecting connectivity corridors between vital habitats
Climate Resilience Guidebook
Climate Resilience Guidebook
Strategies for building climate change resilient ecosystems in our region now
Volunteer Science and Education
Volunteer Science and Education
Providing volunteers one-of-a-kind opportunities to learn and make a lasting impact
The Green River Valley & Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine
The Green River Valley & Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine
Our ongoing fight to stop a disasterous open-pit mine in the shadow of Mount St. Helens (Lawetlat'la)
News & Updates
NEWS RELEASE: CFC Objects to Upcoming Timber Sale In Gifford Pinchot National Forest
NEWS RELEASE | March 25, 2024 Vancouver, WA – Cascade Forest Conservancy, a Vancouver-based conservation nonprofit, is objecting to plans for the upcoming Yellowjacket timber sale, which will occur on national forest lands in Lewis and Skamania counties east of Mount St. Helens in the Camp Creek-Cispus River and Yellowjacket Creek watersheds. The conservation group...
HISTORIC NEW PROTECTIONS FOR THE GREEN RIVER
On December 18, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) announced new rules designating portions of three waterways, the Cascade River, Napeequa River, and Skamania County’s Green River, as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs). The new designations are the end result of a multi-year effort by several organizations, including Cascade Forest Conservancy, to safeguard some of Washington’s...
SALMON ARE ALREADY BENEFITING FROM HABITAT ENHANCEMENT AT STUMP CREEK
After building instream structures in a dry creek bed this past summer, we headed back to Stump Creek in early November to see how the structures faired following the first bout of rain. As we headed down to the project site, we saw new channels that had formed, sediment had built up behind structures, and...