Education and Preservation through Volunteerism at Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center

When one thinks of volunteerism they may envision large crowds, loads of busy-work and inevitable exhaustion. This assumption can lead an introvert to steer clear of offering their time to an organization. Thankfully, Northern California residents have options for those who enjoy a quieter form of volunteerism—working either alone or side-by-side in nature. Since 1988, with the help of many volunteers, The Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center (MSBEC) has worked hard to protect significant landscapes in the Mt. Shasta region as well as connect others in the community to the bioregion.

Volunteer opportunities for families and individuals

MSBEC has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities to fit many interests. They are currently looking for those interested in trailhead hosting, wilderness solitude monitoring, special events, trail restoration, fuels reduction/fire resiliency and community gardening. The wilderness solitude monitoring is perfect for adults who want to work alone, or even with just their families, observing and gathering key trail usage data that helps the United States Forest Service understand the quality of the wilderness solitude experience in the Mount Shasta and Castle Crags Wilderness areas. Another option is to work on a fuels reduction crew with all ages where there is opportunity to do a task alone or enjoy camaraderie with others.

MSBEC’s Community Fire Resiliency Program’s fuel reduction days can be perfect for a family who loves the outdoors, wants to volunteer together and prevent wildfires. These crew days are designed to help Siskiyou County homeowners who don’t have the financial or physical means to clean up their properties alone. The clean-up days have had volunteers ranging in age from 4 to 80 years old, with the younger volunteers picking up pinecones and sticks while others operate machinery. Little ones and grandparents can pass out cookies and snacks to the volunteers while parents cut brush and stack firewood. The common goal is met as they increase citizen and neighborhood safety and harden roads and properties to sustain wildfire threats. Educating the volunteers and the community on fire prevention is also a natural part of the process.

A community of stewards

Sue Constant, MSBEC’s Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, likes to describe the volunteer experience this way: “In our volunteers, I see a constellation of stewardship stars, circling our beautiful mountain environment, sparkling with energy, love and determination to make a difference. Our community is special, full of thinkers, doers, nurturers, caretakers, givers – people with kind hearts and the desire to make a difference. Besides helping us with our mission, they’re ambassadors helping to build community. They’re a constant inspiration and an important part of our MSBEC family”.

Joining in on Family Nature Walk or a work day in the community gardens could give your family an introduction to all the educational opportunities available. The annual October Harvest Dinner or Spring Earth Day events are great places for extroverts to pitch in while having a good time, enjoying good music, meeting people, and making new friends.

Sue adds, “We always welcome help from the community. We’re fun people with serious goals, loving life in our amazing mountain environment and dedicated to preserving it for all to enjoy. There’s a place for everyone who wants to volunteer, and if you have your own idea for a project, we want to hear it! By volunteering with us, you’re joining a community of people inspired to honor, protect and restore our world-renowned mountain environment.” To learn more about the wide variety of volunteer opportunities, visit the MSBEC website.

So whether you are solitude monitoring on the Heart Lake trail, trailhead hosting at Upper Panther Meadow, helping a neighbor clear their property for fire prevention, or collecting milkweed seeds to help bring more Monarchs back to our area, you can reap the benefits of time in nature and education through volunteerism, and also help preserve the integrity of Mount Shasta’s  bioregion. MSBEC promotes “widespread recognition of Mount Shasta and the surrounding area both locally and internationally as a major natural sanctuary for its superlative beauty, pristine purity, high quality waters and cultural significance — deserving to be preserved in its integrity for generations to come.”

Learn more about the vital preservation work of the Mt. Shasta Bioregional Center by signing up for MSBEC monthly e-newsletter.