Take Advantage of the Wilderness Volunteers Online Auction

Looking for a great way to help out Wilderness Volunteers, beyond participating in that special service trip? Wanna get in on some unbelievably dirt cheap deals on new outdoor gear, art, photography, apparel, and trips to fantastic destinations?

The Wilderness Volunteers online auction is just what you're looking for! The countdown is underway, with just a little over six days left as of this post, so get in now and place your bids.

Participating in an online auction is just plain fun; watching items you've bid on, and outbidding others to get that special item you just can't do without...all at prices well below what you'll find at your local retail outlet.

Proceeds from the auction will be used to keep our program strong and in particular, help us field our first intern this summer. Remember, you aren't just bidding on some cool gear/activities, you are supporting Wilderness Volunteers. The Auction will run until next Tuesday, March 15th.

And don't forget to join us on a service project this year; there are still openings on 2011 service projects across the country. Get outside, have an adventure and Give Something Back to our beautiful wild lands.

We wish to extend a very special THANK YOU to our auction donors for their generosity in support of Wilderness Volunteers!

Pack It Gourmet

I've ordered food for personal adventures many times from this small company based in my hometown of Austin, Texas, and really enjoy their smoothies, breakfast migas and peanut porridge. I was really glad that they enthusiastically agreed to donate a sampler pack of their yummy freeze-dried food for the Wilderness Volunteers online auction.

Speaking of the auction, it is up and running now with 135 items. Head on over to this link, register and place your bids on the Pack It Gourmet sampler pack -- the lucky winner will have a weekend's worth of meals for two that is truly gourmet!

And check out the other items, adventures and artwork. The proceeds from the auction go to help us run the program, and in particular this year, will help us support our first intern.

The Sounds of Nature

Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, CO (2008)

This week's New York Times has an interesting article describing the National Park Service's efforts to restore natural sounds and minimize intrusive noise in California's Muir Woods National Monument. Whether the whir of automobiles, the roar of construction crews, or the hum of campground generators, such commotion can disturb not only visitor experiences but also wildlife, with potentially serious consequences.

And as this article makes resoundingly clear, there's a lot that can be done to cut down on this intrusive noise pollution and preserve the acoustics and sounds of these national treasures.

Get the full story here and check out the National Park Service's audio gallery of natural sounds.

And They're Off!

We sent out rackcards to about 250 locations this week, including backpacking stores across the country. We want to get noticed by those folks who have never heard of Wilderness Volunteers but would like to spend a week Giving Something Back to our public lands.

We could really use your help with this -- if you know of a place where outdoorsy types would be likely to see our rackcards, let us know and we'll send you a packet. Contact either dave@wildernessvolunteers.org or debbie@wildernessvolunteers.org.

Even More WV Buzz

Last fall, WV first-timer Vicki Larson spent a week backpacking in southern Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Having heard of our program through a friend, Vicki decided it was time to "give something back" by joining our group intent on clearing the Escalante River of invasive Russian olive trees. Little did we know that in "real life" Vicki is Lifestyle Editor at the Marin Independent Journal. She wrote this wonderful testimonial account of her outstanding week along a desert river filled with natural wonder -- springs seeping from hanging gardens, natural bridges and arches, flash floods and 12 new friends!

Wilderness Volunteers Buzz

Wilderness Volunteers is featured in a new SheKnows.com blogpost on "Volunteer Vacays", and also on the Weightwatchers site in an article on "Great Volunteer Vacations." Be sure to read these articles and like or mention them on your Facebook page to continue the Buzz!

WV Presents....at Portland REI

This February 22nd at 7pm PST, Wilderness Volunteers leader and participant Maidie Kenney will be leading a discussion about "Volunteer Vacations" at REI's Hillsboro, OR location. Maidie will be speaking about her experience as a WV volunteer and will be sharing photos from her recent trips.

(Note: she knows her way around a camera, as proven by her 3rd place finish in the 2010 WV Photo Contest, so I'm sure you're all in for a treat).

The event is free to all who attend - and no experience is necessary. Come on out and learn about pulaskis, cross-cut saws, backcountry gourmet cooking, and what it means to "give something back." Click here for more details.

And thanks in advance to Maidie for spreading the word!