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By using it to link your Fred Meyer Rewards card! Watch the 2-minute video below by BryanR to see how easy (and impactful) linking your card can be. And if you don't have a Rewards Card you can get a digital one online and link to us that way! It's a great way to benefit Evergreen that only costs you 5 minutes of time. And with Thanksgiving shopping happening this week it's a perfect opportunity to help fund the trails you love! Take a few minutes and sign up today! www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards

For Western Washington riders, old man winter has finally reared his GoreTex-covered head, raising an important question-where's the best winter riding?   Fortunately there are a number of well-draining routes to check out, and some popular trails can be ridden year-round.  We've gotten a number of questions about Tiger trails closing--so here's the scoop on that. DNR will keep Tiger open (with input from Evergreen) as long as conditions allow.  Once riding becomes too damaging, the trails will be closed.  But just because one trail closes doesn't mean they all do-we'll keep you updated! And please remember that, while we can't prove it, in all likelihood Trail Gnomes don't exist.  If you see that your riding is shredding trail, please turn around and find another route.  Volunteers and work crews labor hard to keep these trails spiffy for everyone so please don't make it harder than it needs to be!  Here are some favorite winter rides from the Trail Guide:  

When Evergreen Program Manager Mike Westra and Education and Volunteer Manager Mike Sidwell visit a school, it's not usual for them to have tools in tow.   Last week they teamed up with Kirkland-based Environmental and Adventure School--an experiential learning school that focuses on the interdependent relationship between people and the environment--to participate in a service learning program.   Service learning combines classroom instruction with community service--a core component to EAS curriculum--and Evergreen staff was more than happy to provide an opportunity.  Under the direction of crew leads, students from 6th-8th grade spent three hours a day at Duthie (for the entire week) learning to be responsible stewards by performing maintenance work, learning about sustainable trails, and having fun outside.      Students had fun while learning.  "It's a great opportunity to help students connect with the outdoors and learn at the same time," says Mike S "we look forward to increasing out work with schools in the future."   If you'd like to get more information about how your school can engage in service learning opportunities with Evergreen, contact Mike Sidwell at .

October was NOVA grant review month, and a great example of how much more respect and credibility mountain biking is getting in Washington.   NOVA, or the Non-highway Off-road Vehicle Activities program, provides funding to develop and manage off-road recreational opportunities-like motorcycle, equestrian, hiking, and of course, mountain biking.  Evergreen has been working hard to ensure that mountain bikers are well represented in recreation funding, and it has been paying off.  This year there were applications for $1.1mil worth of grant projects which would specifically benefit mountain biking in our state.  This is a dramatic increase from $490,000 in applications for similar projects in 2012 and $325,000 in 2011.  Evergreen and our chapters are building strong relationships with land managers, and continuing our efforts to show the need for more trails with state agencies in Olympia-and it's paying off.  There were numerous comments from land managers tying new trail opportunities to the expanded maintenance work now being done by mountain bikers, and with a projected 12,000 donated volunteers hours for 2014, Evergreen volunteers can take pride in that. While not all of these projects will be funded this cycle, it is a clear indicator that the needs of mountain bikers are being taken seriously.  Evergreen will continue this successful effort, building relationships with land managers and agencies across the state--thank you for your continued support.