join our 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, listening and exploring.
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 monthly Wild Grief Walk is a great way to learn more about our style and gain experience leading grief hikes and facilitating grief support. We
Our Programs include:
Family 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.
Caminata en Familia (Spanish-language Family Day Hikes): Fully in Spanish and incorporating cultural elements. Offered both in partnership with Seattle Children's Hospital’s Journey Program and open to the public.
BIPOC Day Hike: Also in partnership with the Journey Program, this is a new program we are developing collaboratively in 2025.
Monthly Wild Grief Walk: 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.
Monthly Wild Grief Walk Online: Meets monthly online. After welcoming and peer connection, participants take time outdoors to engage and reflect before coming back together to share.
Teen and Young Adult Backpacking Trips: These are 4 day hikes in the backcountry that provide in-depth support amid wonder far from familiar habits. All gear is provided. Happen 4 times per year. Note: We are not recruiting for new backpacking trip guides this year.
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, leading multiple hikes and/or overnight programs per year.
Guides are volunteers and commit to this community from a place of 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 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 available). Most guides reside in the Puget Sound region, and this year we are particularly looking to build out our South Sound based guide team for leading monthly Grief Walks and our Family Campout.
You must be able to attend our Guide Training at Millersylvania State park, 10 miles south of Olympia, WA - May 2nd & 3rd, 2026. Camping overnight is available if desired and we can loan camping gear.
Attend our annual Confluence end of season debrief on Saturday, October 24th, 2026.
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 feedback and guidance.
Have some self-awareness of abilities and limitations.
Be passionate about 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 and engage in our cultural responsiveness work.
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: Below are some of the skills and experiences we are looking for in our guides. The guides we select generally have several of the following:
Experience leading outdoor activities for groups including: hikes, backpacks, climbs, kayaks, expeditions, research, training.
Experience leading support groups with adults or young people.
Spanish language proficiency.
Grief and loss support training or experience (as participant and/or leader).
First Aid, CPR, 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 unique and 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 February 22nd, 2026
