Volunteer
Job Description
ADDRESS: Voyageurs National Park; Voyageurs National Park Headquarters; International Falls, Minnesota 56649
DEPT: National Park Service
DATES: 5/23/2021 – 9/30/2021
DESCRIPTION:
Work at Voyageurs’ Ethno-botanical garden! As a uniformed member of the National Park Service, the volunteer serves as a garden caretaker. This position is located at Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. The volunteer is responsible for planting shrubs and wildflowers, weeding invasive plants, pruning trees and shrubs, watering plants, and maintaining fences and trails. Duties may include conducting interpretive garden tours.
Voyageurs is gratefully accepting applications for volunteers interested in summer, 2021, and future seasons as well. Contact the park’s volunteer coordinator with questions.
Job Description:
This position is located at Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. The volunteer(s) will be the primary caretaker(s) of a one-acre native plant garden adjacent to the Rainy Lake Visitor Center. The garden, which was previously a field of invasive plants, is a restored site planted with vegetation native to this region. The term Ethno-botanical refers to the cultural importance of these plants to local bands of Ojibwe Indians.
As a uniformed volunteer with the National Park Service, the volunteer serves as the garden caretaker. The volunteer is responsible for planting shrubs and wildflowers, weeding invasive plants, pruning trees and shrubs, watering plants, and maintaining fences and trails. Duties may also include assisting with, or conducting interpretive programs (i.e. garden tours), helping to prepare for garden volunteer events (i.e. school groups), or helping to construct temporary displays and exhibits.
In addition, the volunteer will provide support to the Visitor Center. The volunteer will provide current, accurate information on Voyageurs National Park, the National Park Service (NPS) and surrounding areas; explain recreational opportunities, including National Park interpretive programs and services, and privately operated facilities and services; distributes maps, brochures, and other printed material; informs visitors of potential safety hazards; provide directions and routes of travel to provide access to the park.
Personal Contacts
The volunteer has daily contacts with the visiting public, other volunteers, park staff, inholders and park neighbors. These people represent a cross section of the nation and of other countries of the world. Visitors are of all ages, and from all social, ethnic, and economic groups. The volunteer has contact with park visitors for the purpose of providing information about area facilities, services, activities and recreational opportunities. Public contacts occasionally include dealing with visitor complaints and conflicts, although these are typically referred to the supervisor. The volunteer must wear a park specified uniform.
DUTIES
Primary duties are maintaining the garden on a weekly basis and providing information about the history and purpose of the garden to visitors. Volunteers working in this capacity will receive appropriate training, guidance and supervision from the District Interpreter.
The volunteer performs a variety of general office duties, including answering telephones, responding to written or phone requests for information, filing, typing and duplicating informational handouts. The volunteer operates a variety of office machines, including cash registers, calculators, typewriters, copiers, computers (if appropriate background check has been run,) and telephone/fax machines.
The volunteer may also perform any or all of the following duties in the course of completing their work. These duties are secondary to the primary duties and typically constitute 20% or less of the duties of the position.
1) Stocking brochure boxes.
2) act as roving contact at the garden, boat docks, and trail head.
3) Assisting other park staff at special events.
4) Going into the field to familiarize self with area resources.
5) Assisting, as needed, with basic emergency response.
6) Opening and closing procedures of visitor center.
QUALIFICATIONS
The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for each project may vary, but the basic requirements are:
Should be physically fit and able to kneel for extended periods.
Should be comfortable interacting with the general public and answering questions, or giving interpretive programing.
Ability to work independently with little or no supervision and as part of a team for extended periods of time.
Ability to use hand tools safely and to perform hard, physical labor for up to 2 hours each day.
Ability to maintain a positive attitude in a group setting for extended periods of time.
Willingness and ability to work outdoors in all conditions.
It is not necessary to have gardening experience, but definitely beneficial.
Ability to communicate with individuals or larger groups.
Knowledge of natural and/or cultural resources is a bonus.
Training: Training is provided for every volunteer who comes to Voyageurs National Park. We ensure that each volunteer feels comfortable with all aspects of the visitor center. Free tours are offered to volunteers throughout the summer tour season.
SKILLS
Conservation Education
General Assistance
Landscaping/Reforestation
Office/Clerical
Public Speaking
Teaching
Visitor Information
Working with People
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This position requires standing or kneeling for long periods of time, walking on uneven surfaces, bending, lifting of moderately heavy items, use of stepstools and ladders to reach fencing, and use of basic hand tools. Work is generally performed outdoors in the Ethno-botanical Garden. Trips to park field locations or local travel within or near International Falls, Kabetogama, or Ash River may be required, which may include travelling as a passenger on a government vessel. The volunteer may be subject to working in adverse conditions while outdoors including weather (rain or sun), insects, and ticks.
Locations & Accommodations: The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is located 11 miles east of International Falls, MN. . Housing is available by RV site hook up. Housing is free and included with the position. All housing locations are in heavily forested areas; cell phone and satellite reception is spotty and unreliable at best.