NOLS Alumni Volunteer on Public Land

August 11, 2008

In partnership with the US Forest Service’s Wind River District and the Student Conservation Association, NOLS recently piloted a new type of alumni service trip—participants spent a week in Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains re-routing an alpine section of the Glacier Trail.

2752371626_3a0d852db4_3

Of course, many NOLS expeditions do a good bit of arranged or informal service work. Among other projects, courses around the world dismantle fire rings, pack out pounds and pounds of litter, and help battle invasive weeds. But this particular alumni trip (for grads and non-grad friends and families) was our first full-on service adventure.

Our intrepid group spent days at 11,000′ moving rocks and cobbles to establish a new trail section away from a fragile riparian area, exchanging typical day-hiking gear for sledge hammers, mattocks, shovels, and pry bars.

This trip wasn’t all work—they broke up the week with a day off to explore beautiful area peaks and try out the fly rods. Great food, horse support, and alumni camaraderie also added fun to the mix.

It was a real pleasure to get into the backcountry and really roll up the sleeves for public lands and Wilderness. Thanks to the Shoshone National Forest and Student Conservation Association for helping to make this unique trip a success. And thanks too to the committed grads who returned to NOLS for this new and challenging service trip.

Click here to see more photos from this alumni service trip.

Topics:

Written By

Rich Brame

Rich Brame came to NOLS in the 80's as a Fall Semester in the Rockies student and worked his first NOLS course at Wind Cave National Park in 1984. Since then, he's worked varied NOLS trips and courses on five continents—with a few more on the way. Rich does some frontcountry shenanigans for NOLS, too. He's headed up NOLS' public policy, research, LNT, Yukon programs and most recently in the Alumni Relations Department.