join our guide team!
Join the Wild grief guide team
Wild Grief merges peer support with the healing power of nature for grieving youth, families and people of all ages. We provide all our programs free of charge and are committed to removing barriers to grief support and the outdoors. We are committed to cultural responsiveness and making our programs more inclusive by continually learning, reviewing and exploring. We began our non-profit in 2015 and since then we have grown the programs we offer to meet the needs of our community.
We are looking for volunteer guides to join our amazing guide team. While it is ok to focus on one program (type of hike and participant) that draws most of your interest, we encourage our guides to engage in a few different programs and thereby gain experience. For example, our all ages Hike Habit is a great way to learn more about our style and gain experience leading grief hikes and facilitating grief support.
Our Programs include:
Teen and Young Adult Backpacking Trips: These are 3-4 day hikes in the backcountry that provide in-depth support amid wonder far from familiar habits. All gear is provided. Happens 4- 6 times per year.
Family Journey Campout: Entire families join others for a weekend of tent camping at Lewis & Clark State Park to learn and be supported as a whole family as well as in peer age groups. Happens 2 times in summer.
Teen and Family Day Hikes: These are all day hikes for peers away from daily life and into the natural beauty and wonder outside. Happens 4-6 times per year.
Spanish-language Family Day Hikes: In partnership with Seattle Children's Hospital’s Journey program, these day hikes are fully in Spanish and fill a gap in the grief ecosystem. Happens 2 times per year.
Hike Habit: Offered once a month on rotating South Puget Sound nature trails. These short easy hikes are open to all ages and provide ongoing tending to grief outdoors.
Virtual Hike Habit: Meets monthly online. After welcoming and peer connection, participants take time outdoors to engage and reflect before coming back together to share.
Guide expectations:
Because of the time it takes to develop guide skills and the training we provide, we seek at least a two year commitment.
Guides are volunteers and commit to this community from a place of community service and shared vision. Small stipends are provided for overnight programs. Although we do not pay wages or salary, we are looking for responsibility - this is important work and we need to be able to rely on you.
We are based in Olympia, WA and focus our service area in the south and central Puget Sound region, although we have participants from many other areas . We require that you can travel to hikes and training all within Western Washington (mileage reimbursement is always available). Most guides reside in the Puget Sound region.
You must be able to attend our Guide Training at Millersylvania State park, 10 miles south of Olympia, WA - May 4th-5th, 2024. Camping overnight is encouraged but optional and camping gear is available to borrow.
We encourage you to attend our annual guide meetup we call Confluence on Saturday, October 19th, 2024 to share stories and review what went well and what needs work as well as unpack moments in programs that didn’t align with our values of cultural responsiveness.
Attend additional learning and community building opportunities throughout the year as much as possible.
Engage in our cultural responsiveness work.
As needed attend online planning meetings for programs you are guiding and fill out trip reports and feedback forms.
Lead hikes, first as a trainee under supervision of experienced guides, to:
Keep hikers safe.
Facilitate grief support activities.
Help participants feel comfortable on the trail and with each other.
Meet with other leaders to check in before the hike and debrief after.
Requirements for all guides
Commitment to learning grief support and peer support models.
Ability to remain focused on safety for yourself and all our participants.
Ability and intent to listen empathetically and be comfortable talking with people.
Willingness to share parts of your own experience.
Ability to accept suggestions and guidance.
Have some self-awareness of abilities and limitations.
Be passionate about the outdoors and increasing access to the outdoors for all people.
Ability to work with a variety of people, provide a welcoming presence, and help navigate conflict in a group.
Alignment with Wild Grief values, mission, and vision.
Willingness to participate in a criminal background check - we are screening for history of harm to other people. (Background Check Policy)
Additional experience: We love when guides have some of the following, and we accept guides who don’t have these experiences/characteristics.
Experience leading outdoor activities for groups including: hikes, backpacks, climbs, kayaks, expeditions, research, training.
Experience leading support groups with adults or young people.
Grief and loss support training or experience (as participant and/or leader).
Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder certification.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor or associate or Licensed Social Worker.
Volunteer experience in other helping capacities: (crisis intervention, hospice, hospitals etc.).
Personal grief experience.
Outdoor education training and planning experience.
History working with youth in other groups (camps, after school, or other youth support groups.
Wild Grief evaluates candidates based on experiences, abilities, and suitability to the tasks of guiding and does not discriminate against candidates. We are committed to integrating diverse perspectives into our culture and we encourage our volunteers to bring their whole, authentic selves to guiding. Wild Grief is actively recruiting persons from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds to enhance service to our diverse communities.
The deadline to apply is March 1st, 2024
You should hear back from us by March 15th, 2024.
