Historic Gardener

Two volunteers required per RV site to meet schedule needs.

Located in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 40 miles east of Portland, Oregon; Bonneville Lock and Dam is a National Historic Landmark operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Our site includes two powerhouses, a navigation lock, fish passage, and two visitor centers, one accessible from Oregon via I-84 and one accessible from Washington via SR 14. Volunteers will manage beds at each location.

Average of 18 hours per week (per person). More hours may be requested for occasional special events.

Arrival window: July 10-16

Departure window: October 15-31

– Physical Demands: Volunteers should be able to stand or walk for moderate periods of time, some work will require kneeling, should be willing to work outdoors in hot weather. Lifting and using power equipment, hand tools and gardening equipment as heavy as 30lbs. may be required.

– Scheduling Demands: Volunteers will be expected to work 18 hours per week per person at their discretion within the hours of 7:00AM – 5:30PM. Assignment locations are less than 1.5 miles apart but may take up to 10 minutes to get from one location to another as you must traverse an active dam site.

Bonneville volunteers will be managing a variety of vegetation and ornamental beds throughout the Bonneville Historic District and wildlife management areas:

– Trimming and manicuring a variety of plants such as roses, azaleas and more

– Improving and managing pollinator and wildlife habitat for invasive species

– Mow and manage recreation areas

– Greet visitors and answer questions about the site and surrounding area

– Provide information about the site

– Educate visitors about park rules

– Assist Rangers with positive image and safety of Visitor Center and surrounding grounds through housekeeping, litter pick-up, and similar tasks.

– Volunteers will be working mostly outdoors, independently from staff while working around the facility. Staff are nearby to respond to emergencies but will be occupied and so will depend on volunteers utilizing protocols taught in training to properly manage the grounds.

FBI fingerprint criminal history check will be administered upon arrival if volunteers do not have a recent clear check in the federal database.