Jan 2, 2024
Four newly hatched cygnets take to the water on the River Thames in Windsor, UK
Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock
A little cygnet hitches a ride on the back of its mother swan on the River Thames in Windsor, UK
seen from Belgium
seen from Finland
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from China
seen from China
seen from China
seen from Finland
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United Kingdom
Four newly hatched cygnets take to the water on the River Thames in Windsor, UK
Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock
A little cygnet hitches a ride on the back of its mother swan on the River Thames in Windsor, UK
A peacock butterfly (Inachis io) competes with a bumblebee to feed on pollen on an echinacea daisy in Windsor, England.
Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock
A deer in the ancient woodlands at Maidenhead golf club, UK
Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock
As snow begins to fall on the meadows of Mount Rainier, the time has come to say good-bye to summer and another wonderful season as your Meadow Rover Coordinator. By the numbers, it has been a successful summer. We had 173 active rovers who roved 6820 hours and made 145,954 visitor contacts…imagine what it might have been had Sunrise not needed to close to roving for 14 days, and Paradise for 6! So if you thought the trails were crowded at times…you were right!
But more than the hours and contacts, our success is measured in each of you. You did so much more than just rove the trails. You worked searched for lost children and adults. You helped to carry-out the injured. You assisted visitors across the snow fields when inside you knew they should never have attempted them in their tennis shoes or sandals. So many times when Lynn or I were out on trail, visitors would stop us and compliment the volunteer they had met earlier. Rangers received the same accolades at the information desk, and the MORA Info e-mail has received more than one praise and thank-you regarding the Meadow Rovers. You have given our guests an exceptional experience that they will not forget.
As for myself, I have loved visiting with old friends as they arrive, and making new ones with the 49 rovers we trained this year. I look forward to working beside you next year. Keep an eye on the volunteer blog for dates for training in June, and also for activities over the winter in which you would like to participate. I will be back in mid-May and most likely need rovers at Paradise to save the flowers as the snow recedes…
Take care of yourselves and have a marvelous winter. Thank you all for sharing your time with me.
Maureen McLean Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers
Return of the Meadow Rovers
Greetings Meadow Rovers. I am working a few days at the JVC and then back full time on May 14th. I am so looking forward to seeing all of you back on the trails. And for all the newbies, welcome!
Realizing of course that there is currently 15 feet of snow at Paradise and the meadow several weeks away, we still need rovers on the slopes. So, if you are available, especially on the weekend, I would love to see you. There will be a few restrictions as to how far you can roam, but in good weather Glacier Vista and just below Panorama Point are definitely doable. Volunteers need to hang close to the Visitor Center until myself or the interpretive rangers arrive and return to visitor center before 5 p.m. at the latest. For the most part, your presence at the entrances to the snow and on the slopes is sufficient to handle the sledding (not permitted) and offer advice to the visitors about where they might head. Snowshoes are definitely advisable. If you don’t have any, I have access!
TRAINING DAYS
Training days have be scheduled for new rovers on June 10th beginning at noon, and returnees on June 11th. At 9:00 a.m. Sunday’s training also includes a potluck lunch, so bring your favorite dish. Rovers are welcome to attend both days, but please let me know you are coming. A quick e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected]. will help me plan.
From experienced rovers, please send me “scenarios” of situations you have incurred while roving. These can include the oddest questions, when you have been challenged, or when you have wondered “how else could I have handled this issue?” I want to use these to teach all of us.
Lastly, one of my new rovers from last year offered to re-write the Rover Handbook…and did so. However, I cannot locate the copy you sent me! If you would-PLEASE resend it!
See you soon.
Maureen McLean Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers
Don't pick up the leaverite!
When you see a beautiful flower along the trail, Ranger Maureen McLean says "leaverite there!"
You never know where our volunteer program will turn up. Why, just this past summer we landed in the pages of the esteemed High Country News, in an opinion piece written by Jourdan Arenson featuring our very own Meadow Rover Manager, Maureen McLean! An exerpt:
If you love the outdoors for peace and solitude, you’ll hightail it to the backcountry. But if you spend some time with Ranger McLean, you can see the American ideal of forming a more perfect national park come to life before your eyes.
Read the whole story here. And if you'd like to help, never fear: the summer Meadow Rover volunteer program will return next June!
Pierce County News, Starring Maureen McLean
Meadow Rover Manager Maureen McLean takes Pierce County News on a tour of Paradise!
Meadow Rover Coordinator Maureen McLean Returns!
Greetings, Meadow Rovers! I’m back and looking forward to seeing each of you back on The Mountain. The Meadow Rover program is up and running as fast as I can read through all of the e-mails, plan the training programs, and find our supplies. Meadow Rover training is scheduled for June 21st and 22d. Saturday the 21st, we will be meeting at the Education Center at Park Headquarters following the morning training for the MeadoWatch program. Saturday’s afternoon session will be primarily for new Meadow Rovers but all are welcome. On Sunday June 22d, we will be meeting in the Community Building at Longmire for the Advanced Training sessions. Training on this day will be for old hands along with our new volunteers. I will have more information for you as I finalize plans. It would be most helpful if you would e-mail me your plans to attend at MORA_MEADOW_ROVERS(at)nps.gov. Camping will be available at the Longmire campground, but you will need to reserve a spot. Use the above e-mail to make your reservation. Last summer, several of our Meadow Rovers also volunteered with the MeadoWatch program and easily combined both programs on the same day. For more information on this program, see MeadoWatch Program. As of today, the MeadoWatch training is full for the 21st, but there are two additional opportunities on June 5 or June 7 at the University of Washington. For more information, contact MeadoWatch.org. MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND HELP! We need as many of our trained Meadow/Snow Rovers to help at Paradise this holiday weekend. If you are able, please e-mail me at either MORA_MEADOW_ROVERS(at)nps.gov or Maureen_Mclean(at)nps.gov . Sledding is finished for the year, but that doesn’t mean the general public is aware of the potential damage to themselves or the environment. Tree wells are gaining in size and small trees are starting to work their way out of the snow. Snow covered rocks and streams are also dangerous. It will be a weekend of education, so come on up! Maureen McLean Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers