RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
VOLUNTEERING IN THE VALLEY
WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON, UNITED STATES
Looking for a meaningful adventure that also supports locals and their economies? Oregon’s Willamette Valley has voluntourism experiences to directly aid disaster-affected communities while exploring nature. With many communities under threat from natural disasters, you may not need to look far to start a similar program near your home.
What's
changing
Sixty-one percent of wildfires in the western United States within the last six decades have happened since 2000. Wildfires were particularly challenging in 2020 when over 10 million acres (4 million hectares) burned. Damages and suppression costs were estimated at nearly 20 billion U.S. dollars. With recovery resources being spread thin, communities and businesses are finding creative ways to rehabilitate damaged recreational areas.
What's already
possible
Three wildfires burned 176,000 acres (71,000 hectares) in the Willamette Valley in 2020. The next summer the Willamette Valley Visitors Association worked with Portland-based First Nature Tours to organize four voluntourism group trips to the McKenzie River. The area was recovering and in need of funds and people power to rebuild recreation sites.
Seizing
the opportunity
First Nature Tours and the Willamette Valley Visitors Association brought Global Family Travels (experts in service and community-based trips) and Cascade Volunteers (a non-profit that connects individuals and communities to public lands) to deliver rehabilitation programs. Coordinators designed 3-day itineraries for participants to build trails along the McKenzie River while learning about wildfire recovery and prevention. The weekend trips featured education, volunteer service and an outdoor adventure, including mountain biking or whitewater rafting.
Standout
tactic
Each evening participants and community members from the affected areas meet around a campfire.
How
it helps
The program allowed partners to develop best practices in communication for voluntourism, gave them additional ideas for experiences that paired well with volunteering, and revealed the right length for voluntourism trips. These insights are shaping trip packages to support future areas recovering from disaster.
Diving
deeper
How can volunteer-based recovery efforts ensure long-term impact and account for future maintenance needs?
Increasing
impact
Initiatives like this recovery volunteer tour could become long-term programs by encouraging guests to return for ongoing or future conservation projects.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
