Volunteer Steward Program

View from Big Rock in the Iller Creek Conservation Area

The Dishman Hills Conservancy is excited to present our new Volunteer Steward Program. We are actively recruiting volunteers who are enthusiastic hikers, passionate about stewardship, and looking to get more involved with the DHC. 

The DHC is not only Washington State’s oldest land trust, but we are also the leading volunteer conservation organization in Eastern Washington. Community stewardship of our public lands is a tenet of our organization that we are working to expand. The purpose of this program is to facilitate increased stewardship of our existing conservation lands and create a greater public understanding of, and appreciation for, our conservation work and conservation as a whole.

By becoming a Volunteer Steward for the DHC you will be able to directly & positively impact your community while getting to explore the Wild Heart of Spokane.

Volunteer Stewards will serve two main functions within our conservation areas: represent DHC in the field and report back to staff with trail conditions and issues. It is the DHC’s view that more “eyes” in our conservation areas reduces violations and keeps the public as well as wildlife safe and happy.

The first function of the Volunteer Steward is to represent the Dishman Hills Conservancy in the field and to the public while on the trail. Familiarity with the Dishman Hills or the DHC is helpful but not required.

The second function of the Volunteer Steward is to observe, document, and report any issues encountered on the trail to DHC staff. This function allows our organization to be increasingly proactive on our conservation lands as well as involve the community in the stewardship of our common natural areas.

The DHC will provide all the necessary training, tools, and equipment to the Volunteer Stewards. A minimum time commitment of roughly 8 hr/month is required to be covered by Washington State Workman’s Compensation in case of injury. No previous experience is required, but regular hikers, those familiar with the Dishman Hills, and those with trail maintenance experience are encouraged to apply.

The Glenrose trail
Iller Creek trail in the fall

Interested in becoming a Volunteer Steward? Please contact our Executive Director Ruth Gifford at ED@dishmanhills.org with any inquiries. Generally we do two training cycles in a year, in the spring and again in the fall, so get on the list!