Mount Rainier National Park visitors can now ride a shuttle from Ashford,
six miles from the park’s Nisqually Entrance, to Longmire on Saturdays and
Sundays through August 31. Shuttles depart from Ashford every 30 minutes
from 9:15 a.m. through 10:45 a.m. and every 75 minutes from 12-5 p.m.
Shuttles return to Ashford every 75 minutes from 11:50 a.m. to 6:05 p.m.
and every 30 minutes from 7:30-8:30 p.m.

In Longmire visitors can transfer to a second shuttle which transports them
to Paradise. The shuttle from Longmire to Paradise runs on Fridays,
Saturdays and Sundays through August 31.

The National Park Service is working closely with the gateway business
community on implementing the shuttle system. The Ashford shuttle departs
from the information kiosk between Whittaker’s Bunkhouse and Whittaker
Mountaineering. Free parking is available.

Providing shuttle service like this is in line with the long-term transportation vision for the park.

The shuttle is free, but visitors are required to pay the park entrance fee
of $5 per person (no more than $15 per car load). A copy of the shuttle
schedule can be downloaded from the Mount Rainier website at:
www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/. Click on the “Paradise Shuttle from
Ashford” icon.

-NPS-

6th Annual Tacoma Mountaineers Photography Exhibit, will be held from July 2 through August 31 at the Catholic Community Center, 1323 Yakima Ave. in Tacoma .

If you wish to submit photos, you may bring them to the monthly meeting, at the Tacoma Mountaineers Clubhouse, on Tuesday June 10. At this time we will be selecting the photos to be displayed in the Exhibit. The cost to enter your photos is $25 (you may enter as many photos as you wish). Please bring a check made out to the Tacoma Mountaineers. The types of photos should reflect people, nature and the outdoorsin a positive way. Photos need not be in final form, but a print size of 8x10 is suggested. Further information regarding any aspect of the Exhibit may be obtained by contacting the Photo Chair, Brian Kenison at 206- 491-2962 or e-mail at lepiolet@gmail.com

for more info click ...her

The Great Peninsula Future Festival is well on its way to becoming the largest annual sustainability festival in Washington State. Planners for this nonprofit festival expect thousands of NW families to come for the world-class entertainment, live music, crafts and food and stay to learn ways to lighten their footprints on the environment.
The Future Festival will be the place to be seen if you’re green…an irresistible blend of summer weekend family entertainment and stimulating practical information. Polls show people really care about the environment, and many want a more sustainable lifestyle. They’re a growing audience for green products, energy-saving technology, low impact building, buy local campaigns and a host of related products and services.
Inspired By CoLab
Last October some 60 community leaders from all over Kitsap County got together to talk about sustainability. The occasion was a CoLab workshop sponsored by West Sound Conservation Council and led by Larry Seaquist, state representative for the 26th District. The assignment was to develop a shared vision for a sustainable Kitsap, and come up with a few workable strategies for getting there. CoLab is an innovative problem-solving method Larry has used in other communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Kitsap County Commissioner Steve Bauer was so inspired by the level of interest in sustainability; he started thinking about ways to build on the workshop.
“That night I talked about the workshop with my sister, Sandra, who is a veteran event planner. She was one of the original organizers of the Oregon Country Fair,” Steve recalled. “By the time we were done, we were talking about a large event on sustainability the next summer, and Sandra was willing to organize it.”
“This seemed like an opportunity to develop a Sustainable Kitsap program that would educate our community and help us pursue a more sustainable path for our county,” he added. “Many groups are doing good work with programs that range from promoting biodiesel to buy local campaigns. We know we need to educate people about the steps needed to preserve and protect our world – both things they can do themselves and things they can insist be done as part of the community.”
Steve was convinced that educational outreach could be interesting, fun, vibrant and intriguing. He proposed a two day sustainable Kitsap festival in early August. Jon Rose of Olympic Property Group generously agreed to donate the use of Port Gamble for the event. The plan was to mix the message with entertainment, food, and fun and turn it into an annual event.
“People will come for the party and give us a teaching moment,” said Steve.
The next step was to invite other community leaders involved in the CoLab workshop to join him in planning the festival. The planning council now includes leaders from Stillwaters Environmental Center, Washington State University’s Kitsap Extension, Kitsap Audubon Society, Poulsbo Farmers Market, Washington State Farmers Market Association, Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance, Sustainable Bremerton, West Sound Conservation Council, Kitsap Conservation Voters, Kitsap Citizens for Responsible Planning, Sustainable Solutions and New Old Time Chautauqua.
The Great Peninsula Future Festival has since taken on a life of its own. Sound Publishing and the Kitsap Home Builders Association are major sponsors, and more than 20 vendors and exhibitors have signed up. The Poulsbo Rotary has made contributions and several organizations have agreed to sponsor events, including Port Madison Enterprises (Suquamish Tribe), the Port Gamble S’Kllalam Tribe, Power Trip Energy Corp and Pollen Collection and Sales.
Planners are now accepting applications from food and crafts vendors, businesses with green products or services, and environmental education and conservation groups. Preference will be given to locally produced and organic food vendors
For details about becoming a program partner, exhibitor, sponsor or volunteer, visit the GPFF website at www.GreatPeninsulaFutureFestival.org, or contact Sandra Bauer at 425-788-7496 or Sanbauer@aol.com.

August 1, 2, and/or 3: White River Entrance trail repair with WTA Join the Washington Trails Association for trail repairs in the northeast quadrant of the park.

August 3: Wildlife Rover training. Help keep wildlife wild! We’re looking for folks to stroll the campgrounds, picnic areas and pull-outs to inform visitors about the importance of not feeding wildlife. This issue has reached a critical stage at Mount Rainier, especially with this winter’s snow pack that has forced wildlife down to lower elevations than usual. This training is presented by wildlife biologist Alyssa Herr.

August 3: Discover Your Mount Rainier with NPCA Join the Northwest Regional Office of the National Parks Conservation Association for a closer look at Mount Rainier National Park. We’ll enjoy a ranger-led hike and discussion. This trip is open to NPCA members and potential members, but pre-registration is required.

August 3, 10, 12, and/or 17: Visitor Surveys Help us survey visitors on their customer service experience and their understanding of Mount Rainier National Park, in four-hour blocks at Longmire and Paradise. Sign up for August 3 at Paradise; August 10 at Longmire; August 12 at Longmire; or August 17 at Paradise.

August 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and/or 10: Kautz Creek trail maintenance Join us as we work on the approaches to the new footlog over what used to be Kautz Creek. These steep banks are in the process of being stabilized and reworked to incorporate rock stairs. Learn the art of working with rock and hauling fill. Other projects include building check steps, replacing water bars, and improving tread and drainage.

August 8: Advanced Meadow Rover training Join us for a session on wildflower ID, now that they’re starting to show! We’ll also discuss options for roving lower elevation trails and campgrounds, wildlife issues, and ongoing snow considerations.

August 8, 9, or 10: White River Entrance trail repair with WTA Join the Washington Trails Association for trail repairs in the northeast quadrant of the park.

August 9: Trail Work with MRNPA. Each year Mount Rainier National Park Associates is proud to sponsor monthly work projects. The August project will be trail work. Visit the MRNPA website for more information.

August 13-17: Backcountry! Dick Creek exotic plant control Come spend a few days in the backcounty helping to preserve native habitat. This 5-day project will be based at the Dick Creek backcountry campsite in the Carbon River area. Our work will consist of removing exotic plant species that threaten the native ground cover.

August 13-17: Mystic Lake Amphibian Survey. Help us survey amphibian species on a 5-day backpacking trip to beautiful Mystic Lake, on the north side of Mount Rainier!

August 15, 16, or 17: Glacier Basin Trail repair with WTA Help the Washington Trails Association rebuild the Glacier Basin Trail, which was destroyed by flooding in November 2006.

August 16 and 30: Shadows of the Past historical interpretation Make history come alive! Shadows of the Past is an interactive performance that takes place along the Trail of Shadows in Longmire after nightfall. Park staff dress up in full costume as John Muir, James and Virinda Longmire, P.B. Van Trump, and other historical characters and address each tour group as they pass by, bringing park history to life. We need lantern carriers for this year’s performance on August 16th. Better yet, if enough volunteers are interested, we’d like to be able to offer a repeat performance later in the season, perhaps the night of August 30. Due to limited budget, park staff are unable to offer the program more than once, but with your help we’re hoping that we can do it again, with volunteers acting out the characters!

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Saturday August 16, 2008, 5-7 p.m. - Annual Volunteer Picnic
Where: Longmire Community Building, Mount Rainier National Park What: A celebration of volunteers at Mount Rainier! Many of our summer seasonal employees and interns begin leaving in late August to return to school. This event will recognize and honor their contributions, while providing a mid-summer update and social for those who will be staying into September or October. Come meet your fellow volunteers, hear updates from the park’s volunteer managers and supervisors, and help recognize some of the members of our program who have passed milestones of service. Following the picnic, stay for the annual Shadows of the Past interpretive program. Attend as a member of the audience, or help out as a volunteer lantern bearer... and even consider returning in two weeks (on August 30) for an encore performance presented entirely by volunteers! Who: All volunteers... former volunteers... future volunteers... potential volunteers... supervisors of volunteers... and co-workers, family and friends of volunteers are welcome to attend!

Provided: We will provide the main course, courtesy of SCA’s extraordinary Mount Rainier Recovery Corps cook, Michael Lee, along with table service and a selection of drinks.
Bring: Bring a salad or desert to share!
RSVP: Please RSVP on our Eventbrite page so we have some idea of how many people to expect. (But if you find you can attend at the last minute, feel free to just show up!)
Questions? Contact Volunteer Program Manager, Kevin Bacher, <Kevin_Bacher@nps.gov>

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August 19, 20, 21, and/or 22: Kelly Butte Trail repair with WTA Join the Washington Trails Association at Kelly Butte. Halfway between a “Volunteer Vacation” and a “Back Country Response,” WTA will work and stay 4 days at Kelly Butte, establishing a switchback route up to the blueberry meadows. Volunteers can opt to spend the week, or join the team for a day or two.

August 20-23: Golden Lakes Amphibian Survey Help us survey amphibian species on a 4-day backpacking trip to beautiful Golden Lakes, on the west side of Mount Rainier!

August 23: Revegetation Team drop-in project. Come join the revegetation efforts in the park! This is a drop-in project, so come whenever you can and stay for however long you’re able. The project is likely to be seed collection at a location yet to be determined.

August 23 or 24: Glacier Basin Trail repair with WTA. Help the Washington Trails Association rebuild the Glacier Basin Trail, which was destroyed by flooding in November 2006. August 26-30: Backcountry! Stevens Canyon Wonderland Trail reroute Spend a week in the backcounty building a new section of the Wonderland Trail. This 5-day project will be based near Maple Creek. Our work will consist of rerouting the section of the Wonderland Trail that washed away in the November 2006 flood. Projects will include corridor opening and tread construction, as well as building erosion control and slope stabilization structures.

August 30-September 1: Three Lakes Amphibian Survey. Help us survey amphibian species on a 3-day backpacking trip to beautiful Three Lakes, just off the Pacific Crest Trail on the east side of Mount Rainier!