Other
Volunteer
Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a09t000000CAz9CAAT/resource-visitor-protection-volunteer
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ADDRESS: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
DEPT: National Park Service
DATES: 9/26/2021 – 11/20/2021
DESCRIPTION:
Assist commissioned Park Rangers with duties related to resource and visitor protection at The Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. The volunteer work involves assisting with backcountry operations, trail maintenance, administrative and logistical duties, contact with park visitors, and other assigned duties. Work is conducted in both remote backcountry areas and developed areas of the park. Volunteers can improve communication skills, gain a deeper understanding of park operations and issues, and have the satisfaction of knowing they have made a positive contribution to protect the park and its visitors.
This is a non-Law Enforcement volunteer position that may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Participate in area patrols in the front and backcountry with commissioned rangers.
- Patrol trails for visitor education/assistance such as preventive search and rescue, promoting land stewardship, resource protection, Leave-No-Trace ethics, backcountry sanitation, wilderness ethics, and map reading.
- Assist staff with resource protection such as archeological monitoring, trail maintenance, and upkeep of both front-country and backcountry campsites.
- Assist with routine vehicle maintenance.
- Help with traffic control during emergency incidents.
- Respond to EMS & SAR calls including prepping/carrying gear, assisting with logistical tasks, assisting with ground search efforts and litter carrying, and patient care within VIP’s scope of training/practice.
In office settings, work may include:
- Data entry, record-keeping, inventories, and completing various reports related to resource management.
- Organizing and maintaining field equipment.
- Creating signs and other forms of public information.
Volunteers will wear the assigned park volunteer uniform: park-issued tan shirt and hat with VIP patch, their own dark brown pants or shorts, brown belt & shoes, and everything wrinkle-free and tidy.
- Physical strength and stamina to hike up to 12 miles a day of difficult terrain and carry up to 50 pounds often in inclement weather.
- Skill at oral communication and tactful discussion of park policy and regulations.
- Ability to maintain a positive attitude and consistently be courteous and polite to visitors and coworkers.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision for extended periods of time.
- Ability to communicate effectively, take direction from a number of people, learn quickly, and function as part of a team.
- Ability to use GPS for navigation, and experience/knowledge of high desert backcountry camping and hiking.
- Volunteer must have a valid driver’s license and provide at least two references.
VIP will provide any applicable EMS, Fire, Aviation, or SAR certifications to the ranger staff to prove the appropriate training received in order to participate in those activities.
- Conservation Education
- Drivers License
- Visitor Information
- Working with People
The Needles district of Canyonlands has no cellular reception and is over an hour from the nearest (small, rural) town. Trails in The Needles require hiking and scrambling along smooth, steep sandstone surfaces as well as rocky, rough and uneven terrain. Fall temperatures may exceed 80F or fall below freezing, making strenuous exercise difficult. Volunteer must be aware of changing weather conditions, especially lightning and thunderstorm events creating flashfloods and road washouts, and have the necessary equipment and supplies available to them at all times. Although wildlife encounters are rare, the volunteer must be aware and cautious. Mountain lions, bighorn sheep, rattlesnakes, black bears, scorpions and black widow spiders all inhabit the area.