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Our Work
Under our flagship "Experience Your Northwest" initiative, we support a wide variety
of programs at Northwest public lands that help visitors understand and value the natural and cultural significance of our most treasured places. We're also helping to launch the Washington CoastSavers program and planning the brand new Mountains to Meadows 5K Fun Run and Half-Marathon at Lolo Pass Visitor Center. Other initiatives, like our Snowshoe and Lantern programs, are designed to help visitors access places that would otherwise be unreachable. Finally, through NWIA Press, we produce educational materials that would otherwise not be publishable by regular, commercial means. For more information, please select from the following:
Experience Your Northwest
Washington CoastSavers
Mountains to Meadows 5K Fun Run and Half-Marathon
Free Publications Program
Snowshoe Program
Lantern Program
NWIA Press
Experience Your Northwest
BONNEVILLE
LOCK AND DAM
Bonneville Lock and Dam celebrated the 60th
anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s employment by the Federal
Government. We funded a temporary display
from the Woody Guthrie Foundation. We also sponsored a
musical performance by The Wanderers (also known as Carl
Allen and Bill Murlin), who performed Woody Guthrie songs
to a full theater at Bonneville Lock and Dam. Woody Guthrie
was a folk musician who wrote songs, ballads, prose, and
poetry during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. |
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CEDAR
RIVER WATERSHED EDUCATION CENTER
We provided support to hire a part-time front desk store manager
at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center. Visitors to the
education center ask about hiking, water supply, wildlife, and
the history of the area, as well as signing up for classes and
facility rentals. Approximately 10,000 visitors stopped at the
front desk in 2005. Having additional front desk staffing enabled
the education center to extend its summer hours (open 6 days a
week) and to offer additional classes and tours.
DESCHUTES
NATIONAL FOREST
We provided $10,000 of critical funding in support of
conservation education programs at Newberry National Volcanic Monument.
These programs reached 5,250 students in three curriculum disciplines:
physical geology, ecology, and heritage conservation. Visitors make many positive comments about these programs, indicating the difference our work makes. We also provide funding for the free visitor publication, Volcanic Vistas.
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GIFFORD
PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST
Partnering with the National Forest Foundation, we supported
the development of the Mount St. Helens Institute
by helping to transform it into a nonprofit organization
capable of supporting the mission of the Mount St. Helens
National Volcanic Monument. We also provide occasional funding for free visitor maps, such as the Vicinity Map.
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HIRAM
M. CHITTENDEN LOCKS
We participated in the
planning and implementation of “A Taste of Lewis & Clark
in the Northwest." The event took visitors back to the
expedition period of 1803-1806 with an authentic encampment
by living history interpreters portraying members of the Lewis
and Clark expedition. We provided substantial funding for this
3-day event including paying for speakers, a reception, toilet
facilities, and other support.
JOHN
DAY FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT
We funded the performance of
the Cascade Chamber Players at the dedication ceremony of
the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, as well as an
original oil painting titled Sheep
Rock by artist Margaret Willis for the silent auction
at the opening. This event also gave us the opportunity
to create a poster of the Sheep Rock painting. The
posters were used to produce suggested donations from visitors.
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Thomas Condon Paleontology Ctr.
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KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
In June 2006, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle opened its new visitor center and museum, complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. We helped raise funds for the new displays, plan the grand opening event itself, and provide funds for event catering and music. The new visitor center includes more than 20 interactive exhibits, photographic murals, and artifacts that tell the stories of those who set off to seek their fortunes. Roughly 150 people in our community attended the ceremony and were able to walk through the museum and experience the exhibits
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LOLO
NATIONAL FOREST
We provided funds for a
taxidermist to clean and whiten a black bear skull, which was installed
at Seeley Lake Ranger District. The black bear skull make for a great educational experience for the public, as
well as a terrific addition to the full-body black bear mount previously
purchased and installed at the same location.
MOUNT
BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST
We funded the printing of the Heather Meadows Native
Plant Brochure. This colorful brochure on native subalpine
plants in the Heather Meadows area of the Mount Baker Ranger District
supports educational efforts and interpretation aimed at subalpine
restoration efforts in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
area. This brochure is targeted towards local residents visiting
the area, as well as national and
international travelers. We also provide occasional support for free publications, such as the Winter Activity Guide.
MOUNT
RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
Our funding in the amount of $1300 supported three
teachers who developed curriculum for the education program at
Mount Rainier. The teachers attended a pilot Mountain Geography
and Cultures teachers workshop hosted jointly by the National Park
Service and The Mountain Institute. The teachers then served as
advisors to adapt curriculum to Mount Rainier for use in area schools.
The project helps maintain effective relationships with the education
community and will ultimately allow students to learn about ecosystems
and human history in the Pacific Northwest. We also provide support every year for the park's free visitor publication, The Tahoma News.
NEZ
PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
We supported Wolves: Legend, Myth, and Fact, a wolf
education program series which featured several guest speakers
from the Nez Perce Tribe, the Wolf Education and Research Center,
and the Wolf Recovery Foundation. The program was free and
open to the public. We aslo help interpretive staff publish a wide variety of free publications for visitors, including the Partners and Friends Newsletter, The Mylie Lawyer Collection, White Bird Walking Tour, Spalding Brochure, and more.
NORTH
CASCADES NATIONAL PARK COMPLEX
We supported the dedication of the North Cascades Environmental Learning
Center in October 2005 in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area.
Educational programs which this new
center supports focus on the North Cascades ecosystem, which includes
a number of national forests served by us. The dedication was
an important opportunity to increase the public’s awareness
of this new facility and what it offers.
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OLYMPIC
NATIONAL PARK
Ranger Doug Enterprises worked closely with Olympic National
Park and us to create the newest in a series of posters
designed to replicate posters created by the Works Progress
Administration (WPA). Between 1935 and 1943 the WPA’s
Federal Art Project printed over two million posters in 35,000
different designs to stir the public’s imagination
for education, theater, health, safety, and travel. The beautiful
poster for Olympic National Park depicts a subalpine meadow
with a dramatic backdrop of the Olympic Mountains.
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SHASTA-TRINITY
NATIONAL FOREST
We financed the replacement of plexiglass on the after
hours visitor information kiosk for the Mount Shasta Ranger Station.
The new windows consisted of tempered glass and were waterproofed
as well as sealed. This prevented shorting of the lighting system
by the sprinklers, as well as displays from becoming damaged
and unreadable.
SISKIYOU
NATIONAL FOREST
We supported the design and printing of The Dynamic
Oregon Coast, a brochure that highlights geologic features
on the Oregon Coast. The brochure is a free publication with information
on the Oregon coastline, the formation of sea stacks, arches, and
wave-cut platforms. 5000 brochures were printed for distribution
to the public.
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MISSION NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Whitman
Mission houses over 8,000 artifacts. Our funding provided
a small display case to house temporary, rotating exhibits.
Curatorial and interpretive staff worked together to research
and create displays featuring artifacts from the park’s
collection. Some of the displays tied into the park’s
special weekend events. Topics included archaeology at the
park, blacksmithing, Native American basketry, riding sidesaddle,
early explorers, and Native American beadwork. A display
on 1840s cooking included a piece of the Whitmans’ cast
iron stove. All of the displays included items not normally
available for view by the public. Over 20,000 visitors saw
the temporary exhibits last summer. |
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WASHINGTON COASTSAVERS
If you have recently walked along the Washington coast, you probably noticed all kinds of things washed up on the beach: plastic water bottles, fishing nets, old tires, and maybe even a rusted-out crab pot or two. Besides spoiling the beauty of our coastline, this debris is also a serious hazard to our delicate coastal ecosystems. Birds, fish, and plantlife are all harmed by these items and the toxins they carry.
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CoastSavers are people dedicated to saving our coastal ecosystems by getting rid of this debris. The mission of the Washington CoastSavers program is to empower concerned citizens to make a meaningful difference in a variety of ways. Organized cleanups, educational outreach, and in-home conservation programs are just a few of the ways that we can all join in the effort to ensure that the astounding beauty and ecological diversity of Washington's coast is restored and preserved forever. |
MOUNTAIN-TO-MEADOW HALF-MARATHON & 5K FUN RUN
This beautiful scenic run will start at the Lolo Pass Visitor Center on the Idaho-Montana border. The 14-mile run will wind through forests of Engleman Spruce and White Pine, with dramatic views of the Bitterroot Mountains in the distance. Both the 5K run and the 14-mile loop will pass Packer Meadows, a historically significant site along the Nez Perce and Lewis and Clark trails. Proceeds of this event will be used to help visitors discover and appreciate the rich history and striking beauty of the area around Lolo Pass Visitor Center, on the Idaho-Montana border. See www.runlolopass.org to signup online!
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