Friends of

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
George Buckingham

The role of volunteerism is significant in American culture. Volunteers perform a myriad of services across nearly every aspect of our lives. Indeed, without volunteers, life in this country would be very, very different. Probably most Americans do not realize the impact that volunteers have. Volunteering is meant to provide a supplement to what the paid professional do. It is not intended to replace programs appropriately performed by paid staff. One of the most important benefits of a volunteer program is the creation of a cadre of citizens who have a greater understanding and appreciation of the National Park concept. Knowledge is power. A knowledgeable citizenry is much better equipped to make decisions on how they wish their parks to be managed. We need and want Friends to volunteer and we need and want you to recruit your friends.

Friends volunteering in the park are signed up as official "Volunteers in Parks" or VIP. A short job description is provided as part of this process. It is important that you have this agreement and that you have an accurate job description for the task you are working on. If you shift from one project to another, check your VIP agreement. If it doesn't cover your new task, see your supervisor before you go to work. While working under the agreement, VIP's are covered by the same Workmen's Compensation program that regular NPS employees are and are covered by the provisions of the Federal Tort Claims Act of 1949. So, if you get hurt (Don't get hurt, work safely instead.), you are provided protection. Likewise, the Tort Claims act allows the government to protect you from allegations of negligence. But, in both cases, you must be working ‘within the scope of your employment' (volunteer work) which is defined by the VIP agreement job description. That is why it is so important to have the agreement and to be careful to only work within the written job description.

As we have mentioned on several occasions and published in other newsletters, the park staff and the Friends Board have produced a list of volunteer projects that will assist them in serving the public and protecting the park. We have organized these into two categories, ongoing projects/higher priority and new projects. Within each category, there are no particular projects rated as being of more or less importance than any other. As you can tell from other articles, some projects, notably the Adopt-A-Trail/Boundary and the Community House/Roving Interpretation, require more volunteers and more organizational effort on our part. Hence we have put extra effort into them. That doesn't mean that the other projects are less important. If one of them appeals to you, by all means, let us and/or the park know and we will happily put you to work!

The Friends House is available for use by Friends volunteers working on Friends projects. We have room for up to 4 people at a time. There are two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bath. Pots and pans and dishes are provided. You provide your own linens and food. Reservations required. Contact: George Buckingham at foclnp@alwaysonnetworks.com or 541-783-3136.

Ongoing volunteer opportunities or new projects of higher priority

Protect resources, provide visitor information and assistance, maintain trails and protect park boundary integrity by participating in Adopt-a-Trail and Adopt-a-Boundary program. This is the opportunity for people who like to be out and about.

Help spread awareness and support for the Science and Learning Center by providing staffing at the Community House).

Increase opportunities to assist visitors, contact visitors and disseminate park information by providing roving visitor services on rim and throughout park (possibly combine with roving interpretation).

Increase park's educational and interpretive presence by providing roving summer interpretation/visitor information at rim overlooks.

These projects have been combined this year into a single effort, whereby the volunteer(s) will utilize the Community House as a base for both roving interpretation and a fixed information/resting spot for park visitors. Training for this task (and the Adopt-a-Trail/Boundary project will be held July 10-11.

Coordinate park alumni information: maintain alumni database; capture interest and energy of alumni from Centennial year and use it to increase interest in Friends, volunteer opportunities and future reunions. Some 500 people attended the reunion during the 2002 Centennial Celebration. That is a huge potential source of support for the Friends and the park. The Board shortly will be sending an invitation to those who attended the reunion. We need to position ourselves to tap into this resource.

Provide information and assistance to visitors by staffing winter rim information desk.

Assist fire management staff with wild land fire detection and monitoring, and provide visitor information and assistance, by staffing fire lookouts. This project has been put on hold for this summer. However, the potential for providing interpretation at those sites, similar to the roving interpretation program, is still on the table. The obvious primary focus of that kind of interpretation is the role of fire in the park ecosystem.

Expand Adopt a Highway concept into the park and/or assist with periodic litter cleanup at Rim Village.

Provide information and assistance to visitors as host of Lost Creek Campground.

Assist with removal of mudrooms from historic 20 series houses to restore their historic appearance and character.

Collect seeds from native plants for use in park re-vegetation projects.

Participate in re-vegetation of disturbed sites by providing labor to help with re-vegetation of larger sites or by "adopting" smaller sites and taking ownership for successful re-vegetation.

Removing exotic plant species from park, such as annual roadside hand pulling of exotic species.

New volunteer opportunities

Design and produce brochures on resource and visitor protection program and on "silent witness" program.

Coordinate recruitment and efforts of volunteers from other interested organizations by serving as a clearinghouse or broker for potential volunteers; provide information to interested persons and match potential volunteers with opportunities.

Assist NPS rangers in helping educate local Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups on park mission, their role in stewardship, leave no trace techniques and visitor safety.

Continue work (started by Kevin Bacher) on electronic photo database. Contribute new digital photos needed to complete collection; digitize existing photos; create database; create electronically accessible files of photos.

Continue project (started by John Salinas) of re-taking historic photographs to provide historical vs. modern park conditions and facilities.

Increase quality of interpretive programs presented to visitors by inventorying, overhauling and organizing park's collection of 35mm slide files used by interpretive rangers.

Provide ongoing support to park library.

Assist with long-term monitoring of natural resources.

Assist with special event management and staffing; e.g., ski race, rim run.

Assist with park's recycling program.