Hike(s): Trail TBD (Mentor: Matt B.)
This event is for Wilderness Ambassador volunteers who are looking to join a Wilderness Ambassador mentor on a hike. If there is more than one mentor out in a day, there will be separate tickets for each individual. Note: Only Ambassadors who have completed the classroom training and/or attended an intro hike may register for a ticket.
Wilderness Ambassadors are a special type of volunteer. Experts at public engagement and education, these adventurous folks head out on some of the most beloved wilderness trails on Mt Hood and in the Columbia River Gorge to share Leave No Trace principles, hiking etiquette, and trail stewardship with trail users. These volunteers also gather data on physical and social trail conditions, perform some lights stewardship projects, and help to train new Wilderness Ambassadors as they enter the program. If you’re interested in joining the team, learn more on our webpage here.
Need gear? TKO has clothes, packs, camping gear, and more available for loan. Reach out to volunteers@trailkeepersoforegon.org to let us know how we can help!
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: TKO recognizes that the trails we work on travel through the traditional lands of many Indigenous tribes and communities. We are the most recent in a long line of stewards to this land, and it is our responsibility to do so with humility and respect. We are grateful to these tribes and their descendants for being the original and continuing stewards of these spaces, and encourage everyone to go beyond a land ackowledgment by supporting Indigenous communities and organizations in your area.
ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS: TKO seeks to make our events inclusive of people of all backgrounds and abilities. If you would like to discuss potential accommodations to allow for your participation in this event, please click here to complete a short Google survey. TKO staff will then contact you to discuss options. Please note: available accommodations will vary by event and typically need to be requested a minimum of two weeks in advance. If you have any questions, please contact TKO Stewardship Manager Lindsay McIntosh-Tolle at lindsay.mcintosh@trailkeepersoforegon.org.
EQUITY & INCLUSION: TKO seeks to make Oregon’s trails a place where people can go to connect with nature and one another. Not everyone feels safe or welcome in the outdoors and we commit to being part of the solution to this problem and to enact change. Conduct, speech, or expressions that target any individual or group will not be tolerated by TKO.
PERSONAL SAFETY: Your physical and emotional safety is our number one priority. If a person’s actions or comments make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, you may: interrupt directly, talk with a TKO leader, and/or inform TKO staff via the anonymous post-event survey.
While TKO no longer requires masking/vaccination for our events, we do support those who choose to mask for their own safety. We ask participants to respect the health of folks who wear masks by distancing or wearing a mask while in close proximity.