Job Description
CAMPGROUND: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
DEPT: National Park Service
AVAILABILITY: 7/1/2020–9/30/2020
RV INFORMATION: Trailer/RV PadsDescription: Campground Hosts have a reserved RV site at the campground with full hookups.
DESCRIPTION
Volunteer Activities• Campground Host • Visitor Information • General Assistance Photo Courtesy of NPS DescriptionDo you like meeting new people? Do you enjoy educating others and providing information to visitors in an informal setting? Want to wake up every morning to the sunrise on the mountains? Come for a stay as a Campground Host for Guadalupe Mountains National Park and experience the rugged spirit and remote wilderness of the American West! Please note available dates when applying – dates are for resident volunteer applicants for whom housing/RV space is provided. DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: Be a first person informal contact for visitors and campers to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Stay in the campground and serve as a resource for visitors and campers; visit with campers and conduct inspections throughout the campground area. Assist with registering campers and provide information on campground rules/guidelines to help provide a safe, clean environment for all visitors. Provide posted information on a daily basis highlighting weather, events at the park, and programs available for the day; answer questions about Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the campground, local amenities and services. Identify issues that need to be addressed; contact park officials to answer unique/difficult questions and to address issues. Serve as an important link between park law enforcement officials and the campground. Hosts only report incidents and situations that need to be addressed. Hosts do not take actions to enforce laws, regulations and policies, such as detaining or arresting suspects and endangering themselves or visitors. Monitor safety at the campground and reporting hazards to appropriate park officials. Assist in maintaining the beauty of the national park and visitor safety by ensuring that visitors know and follow National Park Service rules during their visit; may help with minor maintenance and clean up. Conduct morning and afternoon surveys of the campground to count the number of vacant campsites and report this information to the national park visitor center twice daily. Help with other duties that may arise that benefit the national park or visitors. KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS DESIRED: • Be friendly, polite, respectful, and enjoy working with people. • Be able to work independently and as a member of team. • Be able to communicate effectively with new people and other team members. • Be reliable, punctual, and represent the National Park Service in a professional manner • Be adaptable to new situations and changing circumstances. REQUIREMENTS: • Must be willing to learn about operations and general information on Guadalupe Mountains National Park in order to provide accurate information to visitors. • Must have an RV and be willing to make a minimum 8 week commitment. • Wear volunteer shirt and name badge. • Sign a volunteer agreement form . • Maintain accurate volunteer service sheet on daily activities/hours worked and have supervisor sign off at correct intervals. • Camp host volunteer(s) are scheduled to work a full time schedule, generally 32- 40 hours per week. Camp host volunteer(s) will regularly be the only personnel on duty when the Ranger is on lieu days or other times when duties require his/her absence. Volunteer(s) will have regular days off. Compensation for certain expenses may be approved. BENEFITS/TRAINING: • Opportunity to work alongside experienced National Park Service staff in most divisions of the park . • On site orientation to park and National Park Services rules and guidelines. • Can develop and present own interpretive programs with assistance from knowledgeable staff members. • Online interpretive training may be provided through Eppley Institute in order to strengthen VIP’s knowledge of interpretive techniques and themes. • Other opportunities as they arise that benefit volunteers. ABOUT GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK: Guadalupe Mountains National Park was authorized by an act of Congress to preserve “an area possessing outstanding geological values together with scenic and other natural values of great significance.” The park was formally established in 1972 with an area of 76,293 acres; in 1978, 46,850 acres of the park’s high country were designated as wilderness by Congress. Today, Guadalupe Mountains National Park includes 86,416 acres in west Texas, just south of the New Mexico state line and north of U.S. Highway 62/180. The Guadalupe Mountains rise more than 3,000 feet above the arid Chihuahuan Desert that surrounds them. El Capitan, the park’s most striking feature, is a 1,000 foot high limestone cliff. Nearby Guadalupe Peak, 8,751 feet above sea level, is the highest point in Texas. The national park is open year round; the headquarters and main visitor center at Pine Springs, located on Highway 62/180 about 55 miles southwest of Carlsbad, NM and 110 miles east of El Paso, TX. The visitor center is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain (Standard or Daylight) Time; park information, backcountry permits, maps and potable water can be obtained at the visitor center. The mailing address is 400 Pine Canyon Drive, Salt Flat, TX 79847 and the phone is (915) 828-3251. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in a very sparsely populated area with limited accommodations and facilities. Gas for vehicles is available at occasional service stations on U.S. Highway 62/180 – 35 miles west at the Dell City. TX junction and 34 miles northeast at White’s City, NM. White’s City has a small grocery store, a laundromat, a private campground and motel. Complete accommodations and facilities are available in Carlsbad, NM and in Van Horn, TX, 60 miles south of the national park. HOUSING & AMENITIESType: Trailer/RV PadsDescription: Campground Hosts have a reserved RV site at the campground with full hookups.