Check out these stories about what's happening at Mount St. Helens this season!
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Mount St. Helens Institute eNews
Fall is here in the Pacific Northwest! That means we've wrapped up our summer programming and shifted to a new set of exciting opportunities to learn more and share your love of the mountain. We've been enjoying a nice mix of weather that's brought some lovely mushrooms out around Mount St. Helens, and are looking forward to a return to Portland for Views & Brews as well as our biggest fundraising event of the year at Boots & Bow Ties! October has already begun and features a packed schedule for all things Mount St. Helens!
News you'll find in today's edition of Rumblings:
Summer Programs have wrapped!
Upcoming Fall Views & Brews in Portland and Vancouver
MSHI License Plate for Washington State is almost here!
SLC Yurt Construction Complete
National Public Lands Day 2025 Recap
Give More 24 Recap
Rare mushroom found by MSHI Volunteer and Instructor Alice Chang!
Boots & Bow Ties is this weekend!
Summer Programs Have Wrapped - Thanks for a great season!
Big thanks to all the guides, educators, volunteers, MSHI staff, and of course participants that joined our summer programs in 2025! We had an awesome year out around Mount St. Helens with you all, and with the culmination of our summer programs our attention shifts to the changing seasons and a bunch of new opportunities to share your love of the mountain. There are lots of educational programs going on at SLC, a few more Mushroom Foraging Hikes, and our pub lecture series Views & Brews coming up!
Upcoming Fall Views & Brews in Portland and Vancouver
Our fall Volcano Views & Brews series continues with inspiring talks that celebrate the landscapes, stories, and communities of the Pacific Northwest. Join us for good company, delicious brews, and great ideas—now in both Vancouver and Portland!
Wednesday, October 15 | 6:30–8:00 PM Double Mountain Overlook Taproom (North Portland) Discover the forests of the Cascades with arborist and educator Casey Clapp, author of The Trees Around You and co-host of the popular podcast Completely Arbortrary. This marks our first Portland event in years—easy to reach from either side of the river!
Wednesday, November 19 | 6:30–8:00 PM Loowit Brewing (Downtown Vancouver) Celebrate the posthumous release of Christine Colasurdo’s poetry collection, introduced by her sister Celeste, in a heartfelt evening reflecting on memory, healing, and the spirit of Mount St. Helens.
Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge with Craig Romano Thursday, December 4 | 6:30–8:00 PM Loowit Brewing (Downtown Vancouver) Beloved trail guidebook author Craig Romano shares stories and insights from his newly expanded guide, featuring 115 hikes across Washington and Oregon.
Tickets are just $10 per event. Join us to raise a glass and explore new perspectives together.
The Mount St. Helens License Plate is Almost Here!
Thanks to all of you who supported a Mount St. Helens license plate for Washington State! We are working closely with the Department of Licensing to get a specific timeline and information about how people can get their new plates but don't have all the information yet. Currently, the plate is undergoing review from the Department of Transportation; once this is complete, things should move quickly toward production.
We are hoping to be able to share more with you soon–including information about an auction for the first 25 plate numbers–so stay tuned for a special email with all the information in the next few weeks. You can always visit www.mshinstitute.org/msh-license-plate/ for the latest updates and FAQs.
New Yurt Construction at the Science and Learning Center Complete!
A special shoutout to volunteer Gary Schmirler for leading the construction of the new yurt at the Science & Learning Center—and to the many volunteers and our Forest Service partners on the north side who lent their time and skills to make it happen! The new yurt is already in use as a teaching space, and everyone is loving it!
Thanks for Giving Back on National Public Lands Day 2025!
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, held each year on the fourth Saturday in September. On Saturday, September 27, MSHI, the USFS, and Cowlitz County Noxious Weeds partnered to build community, engage visitors at learning stations, and tackle invasive Scotch Broom on Coldwater Ridge. It was a day of celebration and service for the outdoors, our public lands, which are home to us all. Thanks to all that participated!
Thank You for Giving More!
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who participated in Give More 24 on September 25! With your support, our community raised $6,370 from 45 donors to help fund outdoor education, public land stewardship, and access to the wonder of Mount St. Helens. Thank you for making an impact!
Rare Agarikon Mushroom Discovered by MSHI Instructor Alice Chang on an MSHI Mushroom foraging hike!
Our very own MSHI Volunteer and Guest Instructor Alice Chang discovered a beautiful specimen of an Agarikon (Laricifomes officinalis) while out leading one of MSHI's Guided Mushroom Foraging Hikes last Saturday! This mushroom is exceedingly rare as its primary habitat is old growth forest. Alice shared that in her many years of foraging she had always dreamed of finding one, but until she found this one had never seen an Agarikon in person.
It was a wonderful day out around the base of the mountain, and to get to see such a rare mushroom was a real treat for everyone on the program - and I think you can clearly see the excitement and joy on Alice's face!
Congratulations Alice, what an awesome find!
Boots & Bow Ties is Almost Here!
We can’t wait to see you this Saturday at Boots & Bow Ties Gala & Auction! Thank you so much for joining us to celebrate and support science, education, and stewardship at Mount St. Helens.
Ticket sales are officially closed, but we may have a few last-minute spots available. If you’d like to join, email Sarah to check availability.
Mount St. Helens Institute operates under a special use permit from the US Forest Service and is honored to work on the Traditional Cultural Property, ancestral and present-day lands of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
Mount St. Helens Institute is an equal opportunity provider.
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