.jpg)
.jpg)
The Mount St. Helens Institute (MSHI) will host events in honor of National Public Lands Day Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater, in partnership with the Forest Service and other public lands partners.
This year's theme is “Caring for Our Shared America.” Sept. 26 is also a fee-free day on all federal and state public lands.
The day will be celebrated at Mount St. Helens with three events: a free drop-in celebration at the Science and Learning Center and two volunteer stewardship projects at the nearby Hummocks and Birth of a Lake trails.
“National Public Lands Day is an opportunity for us to visit and celebrate the public lands that surround us in Southwest Washington,” said Alyssa Hoyt, co-executive director for the Mount St. Helens Institute. “From federal lands like Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to state treasures like Beacon Rock State Park or your local city park, these places shape our sense of community. They're where we bring our kids, where we volunteer alongside strangers who become friends, and where we understand ourselves as part of something larger and longer-lasting than any one of us.”
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors of all ages can collect stamps at interactive education tables hosted by MSHI and its partners. Activities include building a potato pika, learning how to make a quake and creating geology jewelry.
Visitors can also take a photo with Smokey Bear. Forest Service rangers and volunteers will welcome guests to one of the most intensely studied volcanic landscapes in the world. Parking, admission and activities are free, and no registration is required. The center is at 21000 Spirit Lake Highway.
MSHI is also leading two volunteer projects that day. Both run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by lunch and a walk from 2 to 4 p.m. Registration is required, and spots are filling quickly.
For a bonus hike, volunteers will remove invasive weeds near the Science and Learning Center, then join an optional 2.4-mile guided hike on the Hummocks Trail through remnants of the 1980 eruption.
At the Birth of a Lake Trail cleanup, volunteers will brush, retread and clear litter from the trail at Coldwater Lake, followed by an interpretive walk on the eruption's lasting effects. Register for either volunteer event by 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25.
Volunteers should wear long pants and sturdy shoes, dress in layers and bring a sack lunch and water. MSHI will provide snacks and beverages.
For more information or to register for the volunteer events, visit the Mount St. Helens Institute website. For questions, contact volunteer@mshinstitute.org or call 360-449-7883.
