WV Honored as Yosemite Volunteer Group of the Year

Wilderness Volunteers has been selected as the Volunteer Group of the Year by Yosemite National Park!

With over 9,500 volunteers donating their time and energy in Yosemite this year, it is a great honor to be chosen as the best of the year. We're grateful for the hard work of all of our volunteer participants and especially the project's leaders, Dean and Laurie Twehues. Victoria Hartman, Yosemite's Wilderness Restoration Coordinator, recognizes the group by saying, "Your work is critical to the park’s ability to protect and preserve our rich natural and cultural heritage while providing meaningful and enjoyable experiences for our visitors." All participants will be receiving a thank you gift from the Park as part of the award.

The award-winning WV Yosemite volunteers, June 2013. Photo by Dean Twehues

We just completed the 6th project in the Rancheria Falls area, in the Hetch Hetchy section of the Park. Our work includes removing and ecologically restoring inappropriate campsites, as well as removing non-native invasive species such as salsify, mullein and bull thistle from the Tiltill meadow, a remote high sierra valley with an abundance of wetlands and wildlife. The project requires volunteers to backpack in approximately 6.5 miles to base camp and an additional daily 6 mile roundtrip hike to get to the work site. Sadly, the Hetch Hetchy area is still being impacted by the massive Rim Fire, so we're sure our volunteer stewardship work will be greatly needed in the coming years.

Photo of Hetch Hetchy taken on the WV service project in Yosemite, June 2013 by Lawrence Herko

Dave Pacheco and Paul Goldberg of the WV staff will be on hand in Yosemite to accept the award. The award ceremony will be held on National Public Lands Day - Saturday, September 28th at 4pm in front of the Valley Visitor Center, and will be followed by a raffle and live music as part of the Park's 5-day Yosemite Facelift event. You are welcome to come celebrate with us! The 10th annual Yosemite Facelift is an effort to help clean-up the Park at the end of the busy summer season and runs from September 24 - 29.

Volunteers working in Yosemite, June 2013. Photo by George Ralston

See more photos from this project and more via the WV photo gallery.

Come See WV in PA!

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For the third year in a row, Wilderness Volunteers will be out and about at the 2011 Calvary Outdoors Expo this Saturday March 3rd in Souderton, PA - just 30 miles north of Philadelphia. Last year's event attracted nearly 10,000 attendees and an even bigger turnout is expected this year. The event runs from 10am-5pm. Special thanks to WV'ers Marge and Rick Volpe for organizing the WV exhibit.

Click here for directions.

"I've Always Wanted to Do Something Like This!"

"Can I bring a friend?"..."Do you have any trips out East?"..."Do you go to Alaska?"..."I had no idea something like this even existed."..."How do I sign up?"...Our national parks need more groups like you."..."Can I bring my five year-old?"..."We appreciate the work you're doing"..."Thank you."

Those are just a few of the comments and questions Wilderness Volunteers fielded this weekend at the 2011 Calvary Outdoors Expo, held in Souderton, Pennsylvania just 30 miles north of Philadelphia. We handed out rack cards, showed pictures and video, and shared stories and laughter with a good number of the nearly 10,000 people in attendance. Folks of all ages and backgrounds - even a real-life owner of a chocolate factory who is section hiking the AT - stopped by to learn about WV and express their interest in "Giving Something Back."

Special thanks to Rick and Marge Volpe for organizing the event, as well as Howard Dupee, Joe Maglaty, Ron Eydelloth, and Jen Leonard for enthusiastically representing Wilderness Volunteers.

We'll see you all again next year!

P.S. Interested in doing a Wilderness Volunteers event near you - whether at your local outdoor store, an expo, or anywhere else? Let us know at info@wildernessvolunteers.org.

WV in PA on Saturday March 26th

Saguaro Nat'l Park, AZ (2007)

For the second year in a row, Wilderness Volunteers will be out and about at the 2011 Calvary Outdoors Expo this Saturday March 26th in Souderton, PA - just 30 miles north of Philadelphia. Last year's event attracted nearly 10,000 attendees and an even bigger turnout is expected this year. The event runs from 10am-6pm. Special thanks to WV'ers Marge and Rick Volpe for organizing the WV exhibit.

So if you're in the area, stop by and see us.

P.S. And in case you missed the recap of last year's expo, here's one of the highlights: volunteers Joe Maglaty, Ron Eydelloth, and Howard Dupee - who worked last year's event along with Rick and Marge - shared with me their awe-inspiring vision of a little something they call "the trail zamboni." Read about it here.

WV at Outdoor Expo

L to R: Marge Volpe, Rick Volpe, Ron Eydelloth (and his son), Mike Leonard, and Joe Maglaty.

WV was out and about this Saturday in Souderton, PA at the 2010 Calvary Outdoors Expo, which was host to several thousand attendees. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to learn about Wilderness Volunteers and "Giving Something Back."

And an extra special thanks to Rick and Marge Volpe, Ron Eydelloth, Joe Maglaty, and Jen Leonard for representing WV and sharing some stories from the backcountry....including a great one about a "trail zamboni." (More to come on that...)

WV Online Auction Is Live...Bid Away!

The Wilderness Volunteers Online Auction is underway! The auction site is live at Wilderness Volunteers Auction. Place your best bid now.

We're excited to bring this tremendous collaboration together, unifying volunteers and supporters with great companies and individuals who have donated a wide variety of great items -- from gear to adventures to apparel to accommodations -- you'll surely find super deals on some very nice things, all while "giving something back." Proceeds benefit Wilderness Volunteer's mission to organize and promote volunteer service to America's wild lands.

Once you have registered, you can bid on items and ask to be notified when your bid has been beaten.

In order to have a successful auction, you'll need to receive communications from us while the auction is underway. The auction emails will come from "@wildernessvolunteers.org" so be sure to add this domain to your acceptable email list.

Please help us to get the word out about the auction by letting your family, friends and contacts know about it. Mention it on your and your company's Facebook or MySpace page, blog about it, call your mom!

So, We're Holding An Online Auction

As we eagerly prepare for the very first Wilderness Volunteers Online Auction, here are answers to some good questions we’ve heard. We need your help to make it a successful event!

How does it work, what’s the timing? The auction occurs in three phases: receiving auction items (now through Feb 26th), live bidding (Feb 27th-Mar 14th), and winning something really cool for a great price in support of a great cause…but you gotta bid to have a chance!

What kinds of items are we looking for? Darn near anything related to: outdoor gear and products, guide services of all kinds, home and condo stays, clothing, spa & massage services, lodging, event tickets, art of all kinds, books, restaurant meals, gift certificates of all kinds….We’re looking for new items, preferably still in original packaging.

How do I donate an item to be auctioned? The slick way to donate something is to fill out this donation form. The form asks you for some basic information about the item; its value, how the winner claims it, shipping, and including a function to upload a photo and logo for display on the auction site.

What happens on Feb 27th? Once we’ve got all the items loaded onto the auction site, we’ll send an initial email blast opening the auction, followed by a series of emails as we move into the last days, hours and minutes. We’ll also make announcements and make links available through the WV Facebook page, the WV Blog, and any other means available. And we want you to help us spread the word through all your channels too.

Who can bid, how do I bid, when does it end? Anybody can bid who has a credit card registered on the auction site, although we will still take check payment. We’ll place links to the auction website in all our announcements. Once registered, you’ll be issued instructions and personal ID to enter the secure bid site, and once there while the auction is live (ends throughout the day on Mar 14th) you can monitor and strategically bid on any item right up until the clock stops!

Who’s our audience, who’s doing the bidding? Our audience includes our trip participants, trip leaders, supporters, agency personnel, and all who enjoy the outdoors. We are entering our 13th year of organizing service projects and have a loyal following of fit, active outdoor adventurers who engage in a variety of outdoor pursuits including backpacking, camping, hiking, climbing, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, cycling, road-tripping and traveling abroad.

Is there an event I have to attend? No. An online auction is much like other auctions, only all the bidding is conducted on a website in real time over a period of two weeks, Feb 27-Mar 14. We chose to do an online auction because the Wilderness Volunteers’ family is so geographically broad-based, our supporters literally live all over the country. We don’t even have a physical office, as our staff work from their homes!

How do I claim the item I won? Most items will be listed with their claim information, so you’ll know before you bid. Depending on the item (mainly size and fragility), you may receive the item by mail, shipped by the donor, or shipped by Wilderness Volunteers.

Where does the money go? Funds raised through the Wilderness Volunteers Online Auction are used in support of our mission to organize and promote volunteer service to America’s wild lands.

Come Learn about WV at Salt Lake City's REI!

Wilderness Volunteers fans in Utah are encouraged to attend a presentation at REI in Salt Lake City titled "Giving Something Back in 2009." The photo presentation encourages attendees to get involved in upcoming wild-land service opportunities.

Program Manager Dave Pacheco will present on July 22nd, 7:00pm at the Salt Lake City REI, 3285 E 3300 S.

More information at dave@wildernessvolunteers.org.

WV Presents...@ REI in Salt Lake City

Outdoor enthusiasts in Utah are encouraged to attend one of two upcoming presentations at REI in the Salt Lake City area titled "Giving Something Back in 2009." The photo presentation will discuss Wilderness Volunteers' work and mission, and will encourage attendees to get involved in upcoming wild-land service projects.

WV's Program Manager Dave Pacheco will present on the following dates:

• May 14th, 7:00pm at the Sandy REI, 230 W 10600 S

• July 22nd, 7:00pm at the Salt Lake City REI, 3285 E 3300 S

Wilderness Volunteers and James Madison University would also like to thank REI for supporting the first-ever Wilderness Volunteers Alternative Spring Break Service Project, which ran during the second week of March in Utah's Zion National Park. As part of its committment to environmental stewardship, REI donated a tent for the students to use, and continues to support the work of Wilderness Volunteers.

Thanks from all of us!

EMS Club Day - April 18th

Wilderness Volunteers will be at Eastern Mountain Sports' (EMS) Club Day in Paramus, NJ on Saturday April 18th passing out brochures, stickers, and spreading the word about the work we do across the country. Come by to learn more, say hello, or even stick around and help out if you've got some time to spare. We're always looking for new volunteers and leaders.

All current members/volunteers of WV - or any outdoor club - receive 20% off their entire purchase. Not yet a member? Donate $10 to WV in the store and receive a coupon for 20% off. Can't make it to New Jersey? Head to your local EMS; we won't be there, but you can still save on your new gear.

Club Day weekend runs from April 17th-18th.

Here's a map:

Eastern Mountain Sports
820 Route 17 North
Paramus, NJ

Hope to see you there!