Two Wolf Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering personal connection, continued service, and posttraumatic growth in the lives of military veterans and former first responders.
Through our Warrior Stewardship program, TWF deploys small teams to serve our public lands, participating in a wide range of conservation and stewardship projects. Working together as a small unit, these Warrior Stewardship teams maneuver across the western United States in our fully outfitted expedition vehicles, embracing the adventure of overland exploration.
Inyo National Forest Project
Two Wolf Foundation was provided with a $5,000 grant from the Overland Expo Foundation to conduct Warrior Stewardship Team 006 (WST.006), a six-person team of Special Operations military veterans. In early 2024, Team 006 was assigned a public land stewardship project set to take place in the Inyo National Forest and eastern Sierra Nevada mountains of California.
Specifically, their objective was to participate in a rehabilitation project of a 1930s built USFS Ranger Cabin in the vicinity of Monache Meadows, a popular off-road and overland travel destination. Funding support was meant to provide the means for Team 006 to conduct a 3,000 mile / two-week overland trip using Two Wolf Foundation’s expedition vehicle fleet from Montana to California and back, completing the stewardship work over four days.
Unfortunately, days before the trip was set to leave several lightning-initiated fires broke out south of the project area on the Sequoia National Forest and quickly grew in size. This resulted in closures that would prevent the team from accessing the Monache Meadow project area during Team 006’s time in California.
Two Wolf Foundation adjusted the plan-of-action and assisted the Inyo National Forest staff with several projects in the Mammoth Lakes area including a trash clean-up of Convict Lake and several designated rehabilitation areas.
While not the original plan, the group of military veterans that composed Team 006 were provided a truly unique experience traveling across the western United States, educated on responsible recreation use of public lands, and conducted clean-ups of every dispersed campsite area throughout the duration of their trip (positively impacting seven different National Forests in six states).
Starting the trip as complete strangers to each other, the team members built relationships that will serve as valuable peer-to-peer support as they continue to navigate life.
Leave it Better than you found it
The first travel day of the trip brought the team to Salmon Falls Interpretive Site and the Ladder of Hope fish ladder which aids Spring Chinook Salmon in their 500 mile journey from the Pacific Ocean to spawning grounds in the upper sections of the Little Naches. It is a beautiful area with gradually cascading waterfall and an impressively engineered fish ladder with crystal-clear pools of water. The group decided to make a quick pit stop to check it out.
What they found was disappointing, the area was totally trashed. Discarded baby diapers, fast food cartons, and beer cans littered the area. Without hesitation, the team burst into action and began collecting all of the garbage. Nearly 20 minutes later, the team had removed all of the litter with a sense of pride that would set the tone for the next 13 days as they traveled across the west with an intention of leaving every place they visited better than they found it.
Positive Impacts
WST.006 served the needs of Inyo National Forest staff by assisting in several single-day projects that benefited both the Forest and a multitude of recreation user groups.
Impact Outcome #1: Trash removed from .75 miles of Convict Lake shoreline, two trailheads, and two day-use parking areas. Graffiti removed from Convict Lake
information kiosk at Convict Lake Picnic Area.
Impact Outcome #2: Four USFS designated eco restoration areas were established with the help of Team 006. This included the sanitizing of “user created trails” that put areas at risk of closure due to damage of endangered flora. The team also executed emplacement of carsonite signage at each location.
Impact Outcome #3: Removal of encroaching vegetation on Forest Service Trail 2S137 which included chainsaw operations by certified USFS staff and removal of downed trees, cut limbs, and vegetation from the area by Team 006. This was
done to reduce cosmetic damage (pinstriping) to motor vehicles using this trail to access Deadman Creek access site.
WST.006 was able to interact with the public in so many one-off / chance moments as they traveled. Each interaction left individuals with a positive opinion of the overland community because of the team’s purpose (traveling with the intent to steward public lands).
The team safely completed a 3,000+ mile trip, totally immersed in the overland travel experience, returning home as ambassadors of responsible recreation and stewardship.
Get Involved
For more information about Two Wolf Foundation Warrior Stewardship program that aim at promoting post-traumatic growth and healing for military veterans and former first responders. You can be part of a team dedicated to making a positive impact on our public lands and the well-being of our nation’s heroes. Visit their website: https://www.twowolf.org/
*All photos curtesy of Two Wolf Foundation