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What Are The Ten Essentials?
Emergency Contacts: The Most Important People
Three of the Best Hikes on Whidbey Island
Backpacking Courses Spring 2021
Mountaineers Programming and the Coronavirus
The Day Hiker's Ten Essentials
Join Mountains to Sound Greenway for an MLK Day of Service
Deloa Dalby
Foothills Conservation Committee Member
On January 18, the Foothills Conservation Committee is collaborating with Mountains to Sound Greenway to sponsor a day of service in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day. This is a great opportunity to get outside and provide cleanup to the parks and public lands that we all love, use, and recreate in. Read more…
Conservation Currents | At Capacity: Getting outside in the age of COVID-19
Betsy Robblee
Betsy Robblee, Conservation & Advocacy Director
Like many aspects of our lives, 2020 has been a roller coaster of a year for public lands. During the initial weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, public lands in Washington State closed as a result of Governor Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order. Read more…
2020 Recap: A Year in Review
The Mountaineers is an incredible community of adventurers, students, instructors, advocates, and leaders. As we close the door on 2020 and look ahead to 2021, we reflect on our core values and how they've guided us through the past nine months of this pandemic. Read more…
Outdoor Alliance's Adam Cramer on the Outdoor Advocacy "Superpowers" of The Mountaineers
For almost six years, The Mountaineers has been a proud member of Outdoor Alliance, a nonprofit organization that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts in order to protect the human-powered outdoor recreation experience and conserve America's public lands. Our membership in Outdoor Alliance amplifies our ability to weigh in on national policy issues and bring regional issues to national attention. Read more…
The Arctic Refuge at 60: An Excerpt from "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land"
Erika Lundahl
Conservation Impact Manager, Braided River
This December marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and for nearly 20 years, our conservation imprint Braided River has been publishing stunning books about this special place. These books serve as the visual foundation for advocacy campaigns to protect the Arctic from oil and gas development, climate change, and other threats. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is under imminent threat of oil and gas leasing as soon as January 2021 by the federal administration (learn more at Protect the Arctic and make your voice heard). Read more…
This Unicorn Didn't Come Along By Accident
Conservation and Advocacy Director, The Mountaineers
This year, something incredible happened. Amidst the immense challenges facing our country, a polarized Congress came together to pass a bill called the Great American Outdoors Act. Some called this once-in-a-generation conservation funding bill a "unicorn" - a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation. Read more…
#OptOutside and Recreate Responsibly This Black Friday
For years, REI has closed its stores on Black Friday, paying their employees to #OptOutside instead. At The Mountaineers, we couldn't love the idea more. Our employees have always enjoyed the day after Thanksgiving as a vacation day, and two paid stewardship days each year to take care of their favorite places to play. We believe going outside is not just good for your health - but good for your soul. Read more…
What a New Administration Means for the Outdoors
Conservation & Advocacy Director
The outdoors have always been a source of unity. In an often divisive world, the outdoors brings us together to explore, share, and ultimately protect the experiences they provide. Indeed, even with a divided Congress the last two years, we've achieved significant conservation wins with the recent passage of the Dingell Act and the Great American Outdoors Act. These bills passed with overwhelming bipartisan votes, showing that protecting public lands and waters has strong support from across the political spectrum. Read more…
How We're Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Transportation
Nate Brown
Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee
The Mountaineers made a commitment to reduce our organization's carbon footprint as part of Vision 2022. In the Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee's last blog post, we discussed the carbon footprint of food and what we can all do to make a difference. This month we're excited to talk about another area where The Mountaineers, and most of us, can reduce our carbon footprint: transportation. Read more…
Conservation Currents | Speaking up for Public Lands: An Interview with Thomas O'Keefe
Thomas O'Keefe is a conservationist who is equally comfortable paddling a Class IV river as he is testifying before Congress (wearing his trademark bow tie). The longtime Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director for American Whitewater, Tom has dedicated his life to protecting whitewater rivers. Tom works closely with The Mountaineers to advocate for our wild places and provides strategic advice as a member of the Advisory Council. Here, we get to know Tom and learn what sparked his passion for protecting and stewarding public lands. Plus, we learn a great trick for recruiting Mountaineers members! Read more…