Volunteer
Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d000000m0PpAAI/rocky-mountain-national-park-climbing-stewards
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ADDRESS: Rocky Mountain National Park; 1000 US Hwy 36; Estes Park, Colorado 80517
DEPT: National Park Service
DATES: 6/1/2023 – 9/30/2023
DESCRIPTION:
Spend your summer in Rocky Mountain National Park as a climbing steward! Explore the fields of wilderness management, backcountry climbing, and resource stewardship with the National Park Service.
Rocky Mountain National Park originally implemented a climbing steward program in 2016 to aid park staff in protecting resources from climber impacts. In the past, climbing stewards have helped to educate the local climbing community in Leave No Trace practices, resource protection, and have helped to inform climbing management decisions for Chaos Canyon and other popular bouldering/climbing areas in the park.
We have two volunteer climbing steward opportunities. These positions involve patrols of the wilderness of Rocky Mountain National Park with a focus on heavily impacted bouldering and climbing areas. The volunteers will educate climbers on Leave No Trace and sustainable climbing and bouldering practices, help organize cleanup efforts for climbing and bouldering areas, assist with collecting trail monitoring data, and raptor monitoring. Climbing stewards will also help with formal public outreach through organized events and talks at popular climbing venues along the Front Range of Colorado. Climbing stewards will work closely with park staff to create content for social media to educate park visitors about climbing management topics.
This is an excellent opportunity for an individual interested in becoming involved with resource stewardship, wilderness management, or climbing management related fields. Mentoring on resume writing and entering a career path with the NPS and other federal agencies will be available.
Duration of Internship
The internship will run for 10-20 weeks, with the optimal time being from June through August or September. Please include your availability in your application.
Location and Housing
Work location will primarily be in the backcountry in the East District of Rocky Mountain National Park. Personal transportation to the park will be required, but stewards will be permitted to use the park’s Climbing Ranger vehicles while on duty.
Housing may be provided in Rocky Mountain National Park for volunteers willing to work at least 30 hours/week.
How to Apply
In your application, please be as descriptive as possible about your climbing and backcountry experience. Following your initial application on Volunteer.gov, you may be asked to provide supplementary materials, including a resume of work and climbing experience. The application will remain open until positions have been filled.
Regular duties include:
- Educate the local climbing community on Leave No Trace principles
- Backcountry patrols
- Collect trail monitoring data
- Respectfully communicate with park visitors
- Develop social media posts with park staff
- Cleanup of popular bouldering and climbing areas
- Public outreach in neighboring communities along the Colorado Front Range
- Follow the direction and safety guidelines set by park staff
- Raptor monitoring
The climbing steward will receive training in the following areas:
- Wilderness management
- Raptor monitoring
- Radio use
- Trail Counter calibration and monitoring for the study of visitor use
- Leave No Trace principles
- GPS/navigation
- Resource monitoring protocols and methods
- An array of computer programs as applicable to the position.
Stewards will be mentored primarily by highly skilled climbing rangers, resource stewardship staff, and wilderness staff.
All climbing stewards must be at least 18 years of age and be physically fit and prepared for vigorous exercise, capable of carrying up to 50 lbs through rough and remote terrain and be willing to operate within all NPS policies and procedures while on duty. The intern should have at least 12 months of climbing and/or bouldering experience. Leave No Trace certification or education and knowledge of Rocky Mountain’s climbing areas and history is preferred.
Stewards must demonstrate a commitment to ethical, legal, and sustainable bouldering practices such as observing area closures, minimal impact bouldering practices, removing abandoned equipment, as well as a desire and ability to respectfully provide education and outreach to other members of the climbing community.
To perform roped patrols in technical terrain (not required for position), individuals must demonstrate (via resume and skills check-off) the ability to comfortably lead traditionally protected multi-pitch routes at the 5.9, Grade IV level and be able to demonstrate understanding of climbing self-rescue skills.
- Backpacking/Camping
- Drivers License
- General Assistance
- Map Reading
- Public Speaking
- Visitor Information
- Working with People
The majority of work will be done outdoors. Rocky Mountain National Park has elevations from 7,860 feet to 14,259 feet. The weather is notoriously unpredictable and can change quickly. The area experiences thunderstorms, high winds, rain, heat, extreme cold, and snow. Temperatures range from the 80s to below freezing. It is home to bear, mountain lion, elk, and moose. The plague, Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, hantavirus, and rabies are endemic.
As interns, the climbing stewards will be invited to participate in park’s Internship Cohort, and will be able to connect with the park’s Diversity Internship Program Coordinator for support during their service.
The East District of Rocky Mountain National Park is situated next to the gateway town of Estes Park, Colorado. Supplies, entertainment, and other needs.