Check out these stories about what's happening at Mount St. Helens this season!
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Mount St. Helens Institute eNews
February is here, and 2026 programs have kicked off! The moment our team has been waiting for since we finished up our 2025 programs has arrived, and our staff are so excited to welcome participants on our new programs this year.
News you'll find in this month's edition of Rumblings:
Mount St. Helens Institute Unveils New Strategic Plan
Program Spotlight: MSHI Base Camp
GeoGirls Applications are Open through March 1, 2026
We're Hiring Seasonal Roles on the Education and Guide Teams
MSHI License Plate Update
We ❤️ Our Board!
The Great Backyard Bird Count is On February 13-16
Photo by Sarah Koppelman
Mount St. Helens Institute Unveils New Strategic Plan
After taking a deep dive into our operations, gathering feedback from over 500 community members and partners, and reviewing our highest priorities and needs, we are excited to announce our new strategic plan! This plan will guide our focus over the next three years as we work toward elevating our impact through storytelling and outreach, igniting discovery through accessible and transformative programs, and cultivating organizational health that will allow our staff and operations to thrive.
Join us at the Science and Learning Center above Coldwater Lake for an unforgettable Mount St. Helens experience. Bring friends and family for self-guided adventures or join our staff on guided hikes and learning activities. Each evening features chef-prepared meals, guest speakers, and s'mores around the campfire.
Base Camp July (July 24-26. 2026)features two exceptional geologists: Carolyn Dreidger-Mastin, who was integral to the 1980 eruption response and has shaped how we live alongside Cascade volcanoes, and Will Gallin from Washington State DNR and Washington Geological Survey. Get a preview of Will's expertise in this Nick Zentner Youtube video on carbon sequestration in Washington.
Pictured: Carolyn points out some tree wells to the GeoGirls at Ape Caves
September Base Camp 21+ (September 11-13, 2026) goes to Oktoberfest! Our only 21+ event features great food, drinks, hikes, and volcano education. Lederhosen are optional but encouraged!
GeoGirls applications are flowing in and we can't wait to welcome the 2026 GeoGirls crew to the Coldwater Science and Learning Center this summer! Middle and high school girls interested in science will learn alongside professional women scientists. As a 2024 participant in the GeoGirls program put it,
"GeoGirls is unique because it offers amazing opportunities for students who identify as female or nonbinary to grow and learn more about science from women who are in many different STEM professions. This program gives students the chance to see that they do belong in a field where women are typically underrepresented, and helps to create sparks within each girl."
Encourage a young woman in your life to apply to the 2026 GeoGirls program before the application period closes March 1, 2026! We are looking for 4 middle or high school teachers to join the team too!
Lead Mountain Guides, Assistant Mountain Guides, and Field Camp Hosts on the guide team are a great opportunity to share a love of Mount St. Helens. Folks from all over the world that travel to Washington to live their dreams on the trails around the monument, and many times the guide team is their first interaction with MSHI! From helping people achieve their dream of standing on the summit at the crater rim to venturing into the breach to behold the Crater Glacier up close, guides get to call the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument an office!
MSHI is Hiring: 2026 Seasonal Education Team Roles!
The Mount St. Helens Institute Educators facilitate meaningful experiences for our guests, including leading hikes and other educational activities, helping students build confidence and a sense of belonging in the outdoors, and sharing their enthusiasm for Mount St. Helens. From the awesome location of the Science and Learning Center above Coldwater Lake, Educators bring programs like Volcano Outdoor School, GeoGirls, Family Adventure Camps and Sky & Star Parties to life - you'll inspire future leaders as an Educator with MSHI!
We have been anxiously awaiting news from the state that our license plate is ready for production! Unfortunately, we recently found out that the design did not pass the Washington Department of Transportation optical scanner recognition test. Passing this test is necessary for plate production to begin.
The good news is that the revisions needed are very minor and will not change the overall design, only color contrast with lettering. We are already working with the artist to revise the design to meet the necessary requirements.
We are hoping that this will be the final revision necessary. If that is the case, it will likely be another 3-4 months before production begins. Keep an eye out for another update in May or June, and thank you for your patience! We are as excited as you are to proudly display the volcano on our vehicles!
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, MSHI has a passionate board that works hard behind the scenes to support the education, science, and exploration programs we all love. These dedicated members of the MSHI community serve on committees, support our events, volunteer on the mountain, and advocate for MSHI, science education, and public lands on a regular basis. Thank you to all our board members and a special welcome to our new board members! Five new board members joined our team in January: Barbara Bond, Michelle Howell, Ken Lederman, Jim Sikora, and Dennis Weber. To learn more about all our board members, visit their biographies on our website, https://www.mshinstitute.org/our-team#board.
Board service is only one way to volunteer with MSHI. Whether it is through Mountain Stewards, Volcano Ambassadors, a trail crew, board service, or a special project, we welcome volunteers of a variety of backgrounds and talents to our community. Are you interested in serving on the board? Email Abi or Alyssa; our recruitment period for new board members is typically at the end of the year but we are always looking for interested folks.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is Coming Up February 13-16!
Attention citizen scientists: join Cornell Lab, the Audubon Society, and Birds Canada for the 2026 Great Backyard Bird Count this February 13-16th!
Here's how:
Spend time in your favorite places watching birds—then tell us about them! In as little as 15 minutes notice the birds around you.
Identify them, count them, and submit your counts to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world.
If you already use eBird or Merlin, your submissions over the 4 days count toward GBBC.
Head over to https://www.birdcount.org/ to learn more, watch the submissions come in from all over the world February 13-16th, and to submit your own counts!
2026 Upcoming Program Dates
2026 Program schedules and registration are live on the website
The Great Backyard Bird Count is on from February 13-16 - get in on the count at https://www.birdcount.org/
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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