It’s that time of year again—spring cleaning. Now, in this case I’m not referring to scrubbing windows or lugging loads to Goodwill, although my house desperately calls for both. Nor am I referring to the gauntlet of green cleaning ads that blast the airwaves these days. I’m referring to trudging through Washington’s native forests and slogging through hidden wetlands to help ensure that future generations will also be able to enjoy the wild spaces around us.

The Columbia Land Trust needs volunteers to help maintain the 200 miles of land it conserves throughout Washington and Oregon. The Trust was founded over a decade ago by a group of volunteers who were passionate about protecting and preserving land in Clark County. Over the past ten years it has continued to expand and evolve its service area. Today the Trust stewards land in 13 counties along the Columbia River—from estuaries in the Pacific Coast to the rugged landscapes east of the Columbia River Gorge.

Even as the amount of land protected by the Trust has grown, the original vision has gone unchanged. That vision is to conserve signature landscapes like the scenic rivers and mountains the Pacific Northwest is famous for and to protect the vital habitats of the fish and wildlife that flourish in these lands.

The Columbia Land Trust relies on a network of volunteers to help maintain its various landscapes. Mila Carey-Bracke, Conservation Coordinator, organizes work parties throughout the year.

“What’s unique about volunteering with the Columbia Land Trust is the variety of landscape and habitat is vastly different in each area. Most of our lands are open to people, but often the places we take our volunteers aren’t places they’d venture out into on their own,” said Carey-Bracke.

Carey-Bracke appreciates that each project brings a new challenge.

“One day we could be trekking through a wetland with mud boots via boat to pull secret patches of ivy, and the next time we’re traipsing over rocky terrain armed with clippers to attack a patch of Scotch Broom,” she explained.

One of her favorite sites to bring volunteers is Haul Road near Klickitat, Washington. The road runs parallel to the Columbia River for a 14-mile stretch. Volunteers bike alongside the river to pull houndstongue, an invasive weed that threatens the steelhead, trout, Coho, and Chinook salmon that thrive in the river.

“It’s a spectacular view and way to spend the day,” said Carey-Bracke. “On top of enjoying the time spent on the land, our volunteers always leave with a feeling of accomplishment. They can see the result of a hard day’s work in a huge pile of ivy or cleared patch of thistle.”

No special training or equipment is required to volunteer, only basic gear: proper footwear, sunscreen, water, a sack lunch, work gloves, and a raincoat, just in case. Dogs and children are welcome depending on the specific project or site. Part of each work party involves a tour of the land, a field trip of sorts, with information about the ecology and native wildlife. Year after year, season after season, volunteers return to the land to participate in site clean-ups.

Carey-Bracke attributes this to the connection built with the land. “People take away a deep connection with the land they’re working with. It feels good to get out and do something positive, and know you’re helping to conserve nature,” she said.

For outdoor enthusiasts who might be ready to tackle even the toughest blackberry bramble, the Trust offers volunteer site stewardship projects. Volunteers work independently at one site throughout the year. They adopt and monitor their site, taking charge of whatever clean-up is required — from pulling weeds to fixing fences. This level of engagement with the land provides volunteers with a deeper understanding of its ever-evolving needs as well as a sense of ownership. For city dwellers like me, it also provides the perfect excuse to escape into nature for the weekend. I’ve decided my windows can wait… I’m ditching my indoor cleaning this spring, packing a picnic, and pulling some ivy.

Kate Dyer-Seeley is a mom, a writer, a coffee junkie and avid reader. Her column appears every other issue in The Voice.