Gifford Pinchot National Forest

	Mount St. Helens Institute
For Immediate Release: May 10, 2007
Contact: Jessica Kimmick (360) 449-7883 or Peter Frenzen (360) 449-7835

Volunteers are Needed for 2nd Annual Weed Rodeo at Mount St. Helens

Help celebrate the 27th Eruption Anniversary and Protect Natures's Recovery Process.

CASTLE ROCK, WA – On Saturday, May 19th, volunteers are needed to help remove invasive weeds and protect native plant recovery near the volcano. Students, parents, and volcano enthusiasts of all ages are needed to come out and join in the fun! Volunteers should be prepared for hiking off-trail and digging and pulling scotch broom seedlings. Please bring a sack lunch, water, work gloves and come dressed for spring conditions and “rain or shine” mountain weather. Sturdy hiking or work boots are recommended.

The Mount St. Helens Institute (MSHI) is joining forces with the Gifford Pinchot Task Force to help to remove invasive weeds and protect native plant recovery northwest of Mount St. Helens. Registration is at 9:30 a.m. at Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center parking lot on State Route 504, 43 miles east of Castle Rock and the weed pull will begin at 10 a.m. At 3:30 p.m., following the Weed Rodeo, Monument Scientist Peter Frenzen will lead a tour of the Johnston Ridge Observatory and an opportunity to view and learn about the ongoing eruption and growing lava dome.

“Working on volunteer projects at Mount St. Helens is a great experience,” said Jessica Kimmick, Mount St. Helens Institute. “Where else do you get to help protect a developing ecosystem in the shadow of an erupting volcano?” The Weed Rodeo is the second in a series of volunteer projects being sponsored this summer by MSHI. For information about upcoming weed pulls, trail projects, and other volunteer opportunities contact MSHI by email at info@mshinstitute.org or by phone at (360) 449-7887.

Volunteer opportunities range from day and weekend projects to season-long internships and volunteer positions. In addition to meeting new friends and having fun, our volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about exciting geologic and ecological discoveries at the volcano. Our next volunteer training workshop will begin on June 16th, Kimmick added.

For additional event details and information about other volunteer opportunities at Mount St. Helens please see: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volunteering/BecomeaVolcanoVolunteer.shtml

Persons without computer access can request a volunteer information packet by regular mail by contacting the Mount St. Helens Institute at (360) 449-7887.

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US Forest Service
Gifford Pinchot National Forest - Vancouver, WA
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument - Amboy, WA
Last Modified: Thursday, 24 May 2007 at 10:37:18 EDT