Looking Back on Ten Years

Ten years ago John Sherman, Debbie Northcutt, and I met in Flagstaff to discuss the possibility of creating a new organization that would allow a wide array of volunteers from different backgrounds to “Give Back” to the wild lands across America.   Wilderness Volunteers is the result of that meeting and has grown to an organization that offers forty-five trips annually.  That means approximately 550 dedicated trip participants from across the country volunteer their time with WV to care for our public lands every year. Our cadre of leaders has grown from a handful to over 100, and through the combined efforts of our executive director, our generous supporters, and WV Board members, the organization has been able to keep trip prices affordable.

Everyone connected with WV should be proud of all the organization has accomplished.  Trip participants give their time and resources unselfishly to spend a week sawing logs, digging water bars, hauling rocks, spraying weeds, cutting new trail, sometimes eating in the cold and rain, and for that we thank you. I have often heard participants say that a WV trip has been a life-changing experience. This sentiment has come from diverse participants including a single mom who had the courage to try something completely foreign to her, a high-powered executive who was looking for a new direction to his life, and a college senior who took on the challenging role of leading a group of his peers into the backcountry.

As I look to the future, there is no doubt the need for these collaborative projects will increase due to reduced agency funding. While the increased need for volunteers presents an opportunity for Wilderness Volunteers to grow, growth brings many challenges including our need to find new leaders, additional participants, and to keep the organization on track.
Thus far Wilderness Volunteers is a success because of the combined efforts of many, and for that I am thankful; I am also hopeful that WV’s next ten years will be as successful.
(I’d be interested to hear your thoughts about Wilderness Volunteers growing to meet the needs of our public lands. Please email me at vince@wildernessvolunteers.org with your comments.)