Operation: Capacity Building

How can I help?

As MAI participants, attendees, supporters, sponsors, friends, and family, you have contributed to our organization, and we are grateful to you.

This year, our fundraising efforts will be focused on capacity building. We love the work that we do, and we want to make our programs and events even better. Our small but dedicated team needs your support around the everyday activities that build, maintain, and expand the programs you know and love. This is an opportunity for you to help us achieve this goal through your generous donations. Your support helps us continue doing this amazing work in our community and across the country.

Keep an eye on this page for more information about ways your contribution will help build capacity for our events and programs.

About Mt Adams Institute

MAI offers programs that connect people of all ages to the natural world, including kids learning about the ecology of the forests and mountains of Mt. Adams alongside scientists, young adults & military veterans building skills that lead to jobs in the public lands and natural resources sector, and volunteers of all ages supporting the management of public lands. A core value of the organization is that relationships matter; thus, we focus on building strong ties with our participants and partners.

Mt Adams Institute is a registered 501(c)3 in the state of Washington whose mission is to strengthen the connection between people and the natural world through education, service learning, career development, and research.

Our Mission

The Mt. Adams Institute's mission is to strengthen the connection between people and the natural world through education, service learning, career development, and research.

Who We Serve

MAI serves youth, young adults, adults, and families because we believe that a strong connection with nature benefits people of all ages and walks of life. We seek opportunities to connect individuals who are historically underrepresented in outdoor recreation and natural resource career areas with the natural world.

Our Impact

MAI creates opportunities to connect meaningfully with the natural world in order to:

Improve personal health and wellbeing
Increase ecological literacy and a sense of interconnectedness
Promote lifelong environmental stewardship and action
Enhance civic and community engagement
Facilitate career opportunities in the fields of natural resource management, conservation, and education.

Our Programs

VetsWork is an eleven-month career development internship program for military veterans interested in natural resources management, public lands, and the environment sector. VetsWork participants are placed at local, state, and federal land management agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, where they provide project support while learning about various career paths.

Land Stewards is a career development program for young adults ages 21-30 (up to 35 for Military Veterans), interested in learning more about public lands and natural resources management. The Land Stewards program places participants in a 25-week internship with agencies like the Forest Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, and environmental nonprofits throughout Washington and Oregon.

Connecting people through place and storytelling. Sense of Place features guests (scientists, tribal members, historians, authors, farmers, and many others) with unique knowledge of the natural and cultural history of the Columbia River Gorge. These stories deepen our understanding of the Gorge and strengthen our connection to the landscape and to each other career paths.

Our Campus

Our Mt Adams Institute campus is nestled behind the USFS Gifford Pinchot National Forest offices in Trout Lake, WA. MAI has been working on updating and expanding our facilities by adding a new pavilion, ADA ramps to the dorms, updated our bathrooms, swapped out snow roof posts, and more.

Our wonderful new pavilion was completed in 2021 with the help of the MJ Murdock Charitable Fund and the generosity of the donors listed below. The pavilion provides a wonderful outdoor sheltered space for our AmeriCorps orientations and trainings, camps, workshops, and hosting other educational programs at our facilities.

Our campus boasts:
Three cozy bunkhouses
Dedicated staff house
Inviting open-air pavilion
Commercially licensed kitchen/dining area
Can accommodate educational groups of up to 40 individuals

This year, we intend to expand our facility rentals and welcome more groups to join us in Trout Lake to experience the natural beauty, local community, and variety of recreational and research opportunities the area has to offer. A special thanks to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for their continued support and partnership.

Thank you for your support!

Operation: Capacity Building

By MT ADAMS INSTITUTE

Operation: Capacity Building