Meet the Forest Stewards: A Vital New Connection Point to Visitors
March 20th, 2025
Discover Your Forest, the non-profit partner of the Deschutes National Forest, developed a new volunteer program in coordination with the Deschutes National Forest to expand public outreach and engagement in the field. The Forest Stewards spend time at popular recreation sites and events sharing information about current restoration work, recreation conditions, trail etiquette and sustainability, and general forest information.
From the start of the program in the fall of 2023, through June 2024, the program has enlisted 21 Forest Stewards who have volunteered approximately 2,323 hours and have trained 547 hours. The focus of the Forest Stewards program is to engage visitors while they are in the forest through in-person interactions. Interactions with trained liaisons in a Forest Service uniform out in the field help make users feel welcome. Many of the conversations the Forest Stewards have with visitors revolve around wildfires, prescribed burning, trail information, Leave No Trace principles, and recreation regulations.
The Forest Stewards also provide opportunities for education and can be an effective means to positively influence visitor behavior, such as someone deciding not to recreate on a closed trail. These volunteers are informers, not enforcers.
“I love the forest, being outdoors, and interacting with the community. I want to do my part to preserve our forest,” shares Forest Steward Chuck Fry.
Discover Your Forest’s Forest Stewards program is made up entirely of local volunteers. Since the program started in October 2023 through June of 2024, the Forest Stewards have interacted with approximately 3,500 people recreating on the Deschutes National Forest. During the summer, they spend time at popular recreation sites, including Phil’s Trailhead, Behnam Falls, Dillion Falls, Rimrock Trailhead, Tumalo Falls, and the Cascade Lakes Welcome Station. In the winter, the Stewards station themselves at Swampy, Wanoga, Kapka, and Meissner Snoparks, and near the hike-in entrance to Tumalo Falls.
“Each site offers its own challenges to bring up the topic of sustainability of the forest,” explains Forest Steward Elissa MacLachlan.
From April through October, Forest Stewards focus on active forest restoration work, Leave No Trace principles and trail etiquette messaging. During the winter months, November through March, they focus on the same messaging in addition to winter safety information.
“For me, it’s about providing education to promote understanding and appreciation for the forest. This program gave me that opportunity,” reflects Forest Steward Steve Regan.