The Wilderness Volunteers Blog

Hey...What's Hedwig Doing Here?

2012-01-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

A snowy owl in New JerseyIn keeping with the recent raptor theme, here's a neat article on a fascinating development taking place right now in the northern United States. Birders call it the snowy owl irruption.Translation: a lot of snowy owls.Unless you've been to the Arctic or have simply been lucky, you likely have only ever seen a snowy owl on the big screen next to Harry Potter. This year,

Flight of the Goshawk

2012-01-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wonder how large birds are able to fly through trees and miss all those branches? The BBC posted this video of a Goshawk flying through increasingly small spaces in slow motion. Fascinating!

Moose Tracks...(Not the Ones in Your Freezer)

2012-01-10T18:31:00.000-08:00

Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, ID (2010)Ever wonder whose tracks those are on the trail? Or what the difference is between a dog and a wolf track, or a black bear and a grizzly bear print? (Which could be useful...) Check out "Off the Beaten Path", a short article in Audobon's September 2011 issue which profiles top wildlife tracker Mark Elbroch - one of only 16 people in the US with a

Reality TV 2.0

2011-12-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

For those of you tuned in to watch the Decorah, Iowa eagles last year, here's another chance to enjoy them.Reality TV's got nothing on these two.

Quote of the Day

2011-12-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

"Winter is nature's way of saying, 'Up yours."- Robert Byrne, American author and billiard instructor

Give the Gift of Adventure!

2011-12-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness, White River Nat'l Forest (CO) 2008It's gift-giving season.This year, instead of giving something that will be used up or easily forgotten, give a gift that will be anticipated for several months, one that will create memories that will last a lifetime. A gift that will be experienced by engaging all the senses in the natural world. An adventure in a beautiful

Breaking News You Can Be Excited About!

2011-12-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Glacier Nat'l Park, MT (2010)The 2012 Trips are on the Website!All 51 of them! From Minnesota to New Hampshire, West Virginia to Montana, Vermont to Alaska, Hawaii to Arizona and everywhere in between, there's a trip for anyone and everyone. Check them out today.Considering taking a trip for the first time, or trying to convince a friend or relative to join you? Check out the 2011 Fall

Thanks!

2011-11-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

Sawtooth Wilderness, ID (2007)With Thanksgiving just a day away, it seems as appropriate a time as any to give thanks to all of the hard-working volunteers for all their important work this past year!The 2011 projects were responsible for an incredible amount of work. The results are still being tallied, but we've maintained and built over 70 miles of trail, installed nearly 400 waterbars,

It's Called a "Murmaration"

2011-11-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

And it's awesome! For all you nature lovers, sit back and enjoy one of nature's most extraordinary sights.The folks at Wired offer some insights - and more questions - about the how, what, and why behind this spectacular display.

Wilderness Reading List

2011-11-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of The Guardian book review and think this list will interest many of you. Phillip Connor (author of Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout) has listed his top 10 wilderness books.I've read Gary Snyder, John Fowles and Edward Abbey, but this list introduces me to new authors to explore. I place Annie Dillard, Terry Tempest Williams and Rachel Carson at the top of my

Building Bridges...Literally!

2011-10-13T07:27:00.001-07:00

Check out the work done by Wilderness Volunteers in the Wind River Mountains, located in Wyoming's Shoshone National Forest.Nice work!

Spring 2012 Trips Are Up!

2011-10-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Cranberry Wilderness, WV (2011)From Utah to Oregon to New Hampshire to New Mexico, check 'em out here - all 14 of them!Summer and fall trips to follow in early December. Stay tuned to the WV homepage and the blog for more details.

Quote of the Day

2011-10-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

Cranberry Wilderness, WV (2011)"Trees give peace to the souls of men." - Nora Waln, best-selling author and journalist

The Solar Decathlon has Begun!

2011-09-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested in exploring some of the brightest ideas in clean energy living, check out the 2011 Solar Decathlon taking place this week in Washington, DC. Featuring 19 energy-efficient homes designed and built by teams of university students from across the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, and China, the solar decathlon challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and

Guy Walks into a Bar, Moose Walks into an Apple Tree...

2011-09-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Haven't heard the one about the drunken moose? Well, here it is. Apparently fermenting apples are as irresistible as they are intoxicating. Read on.

The Results Are In...

2011-08-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the 3rd Annual Wilderness Volunteers Photo Contest! Here are your winning photos: 1st Place: Peter Hoffman "Ten Gals and a Geezer" Escalante Grand Staircase, UT (2009) 2nd Place: WV's very own, Program Manager Dave Pacheco "WV!" Glen Canyon Nat'l Recreation Area, UT (2011) 3rd place: Eric Mak (last year's winner) "Collage" Maroon Bells, CO (2010)

Quote of the Day

2011-08-14T07:49:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of John Muir and the US Forest Service, Monongahela National Forest. (Thanks!) Stay tuned for a full report on our adventure in "Wild and Wonderful" West Virginia.

Update on 2010 Hawksbill Nesting Season guest post by Ashely Northcutt

2011-08-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

In March of 2010, I was lucky enough to co-lead a Wilderness Volunteers trip to Halape beach in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We backpacked about 8 miles in over some fantastic lava down to the coast line and spent a week removing invasive vines and trees. These trees/vines have been creeping in further every year and are significantly reducing the available real estate on the beach for the

More Apps for Your iPhone

2011-07-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

From knots to navigation, birdwatching to bicycling, camping to cameras and more, the iPhone seemingly has it covered when it comes to exploring the great outdoors. And so do the guys over at Adventure Journal. After testing more than 600 outdoor apps, they've come up with the top 107 . For a shorter list of the most useful ones, check out the author's and editor's picks. And, in other news,

WV in WV!

2011-07-18T19:32:00.000-07:00

Dolly Sods, Monongahela National Forest, WVIn less than two weeks, Wilderness Volunteers heads to "Wild and Wonderful" West Virginia for our first ever service trip in "The Mountain State." That's right: WV in WV!We'll spend the week ditchin' and turnpikin' - that's trail slang for cleaning up soggy, washed out trail - in the Cranberry Wilderness, which some have called "the crown jewel" of the

Quote of the Day

2011-07-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon Nat'l Park, AZ (2008)"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Two Weeks and Counting...

2011-06-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

"Cruisin" - Inyo National Forest, CA (2006)The 3rd annual Wilderness Volunteers photo contest is winding down with just two weeks left for you to send in your photos of WV'ers working, hiking, hanging out, and "giving something back!"Submit up to four photos by June 30th and include the name and date of the project, as well as a brief caption describing the photo (humor appreciated :). Email

A chance to give something back to the land

2011-06-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Dave Peters is fascinated by volunteering and by his favorite place to visit, southern Utah. Like most participants on Wilderness Volunteers service projects, he spends a lot of time deciding where he's going to go on his next journey and he gets the most out of "giving something back." Unlike most though, Dave has a unique voice and acumen for the written word -- he's a former staff writer for

First Aid for your iPhone

2011-06-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, first aid on your iPhone...for you!The Emergency First Aid & Treatment Guide app, which is based on the 2011 American Red Cross guidelines, offers quick instructions on how to deal with a variety of emergencies, including CPR, burns, fractures, bites and stings, and more. Simply click on a specific emergency and the app provides a list of step-by-step instructions on how to deal with the

Wanted: Your Photos!

2011-06-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

There's just under one month left in the 3rd annual Wilderness Volunteers photo contest and we want your photos! That's plenty of time to sift through your albums and send us your best shots of folks working, hiking, hanging out - you name it. Submit up to four photos from any WV trips you've participated in, and include the name and date of the project, as well as a brief caption describing