Volunteer Event "Keep Wildlife Wild Weekend" at Mount Rainier

For Immediate Release
Contact: Alyssa Herr 360-569-2211, x3318

Mount Rainier National Park will host its first annual Keep Wildlife Wild Weekend July 25, 2009. In an effort to educate visitors about the negative consequences of feeding wildlife. The day will focus on wildlife protection, observation and education to keep Mount Rainier's wildlife wild. Volunteers will educate visitors about the dangers of feeding wildlife through handouts and conversation. Volunteers will also collect data on wildlife species and the behavior of animals that have grown accustomed to obtaining food from visitors.

"Wildlife feeding is an important issue," said Mount Rainier's wildlife ecologist Mason Reid. "Once an animal obtains food from people it may beg and steal human food. This behavior puts the wildlife at risk of injury, starvation or death. The solution to the problem is to help visitors understand that feeding wildlife does them more harm than good."

Join Mount Rainier in helping to keep wildlife wild! For more information, or to sign up to volunteer visit our website at keepwildlifewild.eventbrite.com. For more information on volunteering for the park, visit Mount Rainier's volunteer website at www.nps.gov/mora/supportyourpark/volunteer.htm

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