From a mining aqueduct to recreational gold-the restoration of an historic Alaska trail
A newly installed Forest Service sign orients recreators on the reconstructed Fish Creek bridge, one of 64 bridges that were rebuilt along the fourteen-mile trail. (Photo courtesy of Dave Haas)
In the 1880s, Douglas Island, now part of Juneau, Alaska, was the site of the largest gold mining complex in the world. A 14-mile-long aqueduct carried water…
alaska, bridges, volunteers, trail maintenance
100 stories honoring volunteers and partners
We invite you to experience an interactive story map featuring over 100 stories, images and videos of service to the land by Forest Service volunteers and partners.
The breadth and depth of volunteer contributions to Forest Service landscapes are impossible to capture in a single story. It requires many.
Volunteers generously and selflessly donate their time to help sustain the…
volunteers, partners, forest volunteers
Volunteers show up and ‘tune in’ to celebrate National Public Lands Day
This year, people found both new and traditional ways to celebrate the public places they care about as thousands of people showed up for National Public Lands Day events across the country. More than 50 events took place across Forest Service units, some virtual gatherings and some traditional in-person events.The Midewin National Tall Grass Prairie, about 50 miles south of Chicago, wrapped up a…
national public lands day, volunteers, woodsy owl, NEEF
Fine-tuned partnerships rev up trail recovery
USDA Forest Service recreation technician Paige Makowski works with off-highway vehicle groups to repair trails and provide added safety features. But she also developed friendship and occasional rides with group members. (USDA Forest Service photo)
Each year, severe wildfires ravage forests…
Service, volunteers, OHV, partners, Forest Recreation, Thankful, #WildfireRecovery
Volunteers experience the power of service and healing in the rainforest
View from El Yunque National Forest towards Municipality of Luquillo on the Northeast coast of Puerto Rico. Forest Service Photo/Kathleen McGinley.
In September 2017, Hurricane Maria, a deadly category 5 hurricane devastated Dominica, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Amidst the devastation was the El Yunque National Forest, the only…
Forest Bathing, Forest Therapy, hurricane, El Yunque National Forest, national public lands day, volunteers, Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, #Restoration
Monitoring Alaskan bats in the Tongass National Forest
The sun has finally set in Ketchikan, located around 300 miles south of Juneau, Alaska. Engines rumble as volunteers begin their journey deep into the Tongass National Forest. Equipped with a bat detector and a specialized microphone on the roof of their car, the volunteers traverse a 30-mile stretch at 20 miles per hour in the hope of recording bat calls, which will help determine where they…