WDFW is proud to partner with Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and the Methow Valley Trails Collaborative to launch the second pilot trailhead ambassador program in spring and summer of 2024.
This work is part of WDFW's 10-Year Recreation Strategy for WDFW-managed Lands, aiming to improve visitor experiences and reduce recreation impacts. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of visitors to WDFW-managed lands, including many people who have just discovered the joys of recreation and have less experience in the outdoors.
This program uses volunteers to welcome visitors at popular points of entry to WDFW-managed lands, provide information about the area, and offer education so that they can recreate safely and responsibly.
The program will be running at six locations at varying times:
- Big Valley, Methow Wildlife Area: April-June
- Lewis Butte, Methow Valley Wildlife Area: April – June
- Pipestone, Methow Valley Wildlife Area: April –June
- Joe Watt, L.T. Murray Wildlife Area: June, September-October
- Manastash, Wenas Wildlife Area: June-September
If you're interested in becoming an ambassador at any of the Methow Wildlife Area locations, visit the Methow Valley Trails Collaborative website. To volunteer to become an ambassador at the Manastash or Joe Watt Canyon locations, visit the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust website.
Background information
The 10-Year Recreation Strategy for WDFW-managed Lands provides a road map for reducing recreation impacts while improving recreation access and opportunities for visitors to WDFW-managed land. In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of visitors, including many visitors with little outdoor recreation knowledge or experience. These guests would benefit from additional contact with agency-affiliated personnel at popular points of entry to WDFW-managed lands to provide welcome and information about the place they are visiting and offer education on how to recreate safely and responsibly. Whenever possible, this role is played by enforcement or regional staff, but WDFW currently lacks the capacity to staff every place where these kinds of engagement could be beneficial.
The WDFW Ambassador Program will extend staffing capacity to make WDFW-managed lands more welcoming by offering hospitality at trailheads and boat launches, while providing information on how visitors can enjoy safe, fun, meaningful experiences, while helping to protect natural, cultural, and tribal resources. The first year of this pilot program was conducted in partnership with the Washington Trails Association.