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Workparties at Ekone
Workparties at Ekone Ranch are an excellent way to visit the ranch, recharge your batteries, meet some wonderful people, and make a contribution to this special land.
The Workparty Schedule
Workparties are a perfect introduction to the ranch and a great first step in scoping out longer volunteer opportunities.
Plan to arrive Friday between 5-7pm. We'll share dinner at 7pm and get to know each other a bit.
Saturday begins with breakfast at 8am, and then work projects from 9-12ish, and then from after lunch until dinner around 6pm.
Saturday evening is a time for music, games, camaraderie, and celebrating the day’s success!
After breakfast on Sunday morning, we'll have one more round of projects until lunch, and then free time or heading home.
More About Workparties
HOW TO RSVP
Please RSVP using the links in the calendar, so we can get a headcount and plan for lodging and meals! Workparties do sometimes fill.
Accommodation
We can fit lots of people into the Bunkhouse, with two private rooms, two open-floorplan wings with lofts, and a heated common space. There are also very lovely tent sites, places to park your own van or camper, two decent motels in Goldendale, and AirBnB’s in the neighborhood.
KIDS & TEENAGERS
We obviously LOVE kids at Ekone , but please consider carefully if a work party is the right environment for your children. See more in the FAQs below.
MONEY
We are delighted to offer this working retreat as a win-win exchange of effort and time. We do always welcome donations from those who are in a position to contribute with money, as well as sweat, to the stewardship of this special place and its vital work.
HEALTH
Please do not come to the ranch if you are sick or experiencing symptoms of any infectious illness.
Frequently Asked Questions about Workparties
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We obviously LOVE kids at Ekone Ranch, but please consider carefully if a work party is the right environment for your children. We’re in a git-‘er-done mode for work parties; there are often elements of danger; and the atmosphere is oriented towards adults. That said, if you want to bring your hardworking kids along, they are welcome! Please do: 1. Let us know ahead of time, 2. Plan to supervise them all weekend, it’s not camp…, and 3. Consider making a donation if you can. We consider work parties an exchange of your labor for a quality Ekone experience, and have found that parents, especially of small children, are sometimes less able to be fully engaged with the projects at hand. Please ask if you have more questions, and we can help you decide if work parties are a good fit for your family!
We also love teenagers! We love having Ekone teens at work parties, but they DO need to have a designated responsible adult chaperone to ensure that they are making responsible, safe, healthy, helpful choices. Occasionally an Ekone staff member is willing to serve in this role, but we do not always have the logistical capacity, and some work parties may be closed to minors.
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Definitely not! There’s a place for everyone, and always a need for folks to help in the kitchen and with less-physically-strenuous projects.
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Yes! We often offer chainsaw lessons at workparties for people who are as dedicated to safety as we are.
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We know that many folks love working with horses as much as we do! But time and staff capacity just doesn’t allow for any riding during workparties. We do hope you’ll take the opportunity to connect with the wonderful horses of Ekone by assisting staff with morning or evening feeding, or by just spending a little quiet time visiting with them over the corral fence.
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If you get here by 7:45, dinner will still be available - you’ll just miss some of the intros and announcements which isn’t ideal but happens. Later or Saturday arrivals can be arranged on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether you’ve been to the ranch before, know where you’re going, how many people are coming, and what the projects are. Early departures are sad but fine!
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If you have a rrrrealllly good dog that you can’t leave at home, let us know. We occasionally try to create a dog-friendly workparty so we can see our dog-loving friends!
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Please don’t arrive early for workparties, we just aren’t ready for you until 5pm! We also can’t have you stay late - our hardworking crew will be ready for some time off. Learn about other ways to volunteer here.
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Please see here with a list of what to bring.
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Click here to see our calendar of upcoming events.