Job Description
FROM: https://www.volunteer.gov/s/volunteer-opportunity/a093d000000XjPWAA0/interpretation-education-volunteer
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ADDRESS: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument; 32651 Hwy 19; Kimberly, Oregon 97848
DEPT: National Park Service
DATES: 5/16/2022 – 9/9/2022
DESCRIPTION:
Volunteer at Historic Ranch House and visitor center at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
The Interpretation & Education Volunteer plays an important role in the Interpretation & Education Division by providing excellent customer service and educational and recreational opportunities for the park’s visitors. Volunteers will learn and interpret the John Day Fossil Beds paleontological story, as well as the human history of eastern Oregon.
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is located in rural eastern Oregon, about 2.5 hours east of Bend, OR. The monument is divided into three separate units, Clarno, Painted Hills, and Sheep Rock, each about 1-2 hours apart. The Cant Ranch Historic Home & Museum and the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center are located in the Sheep Rock Unit.
***Volunteer Vaccine Attestation Requirement*** Volunteers whose service requires their regular presence in NPS buildings or government vehicles must complete a Certification of Vaccination form. If they have NOT attested to being fully vaccinated, they must also possess and present a negative COVID-19 test result from within the 3 days immediately prior to the date of entry into the building. They must also maintain completed form (and test result, if necessary) on their person for the duration of their volunteer term and present it to the volunteer supervisor, as needed. They must also comply with all public health protocols in place at John Day Fossil Beds.
Time Commitment: Service will begin mid-May and run through early-September, about 16 weeks. If unable to commit to the full season, a split-season lasting eight consecutive weeks may be possible from mid-May through mid-July, or mid-July through early- September. General time commitment will be about 16 hours/week. Training on the history and interpretive themes of John Day Fossil Beds N.M. will be provided.
Housing:
There is one RV pad for volunteers, located in the Sheep Rock Unit, with full hookups and 50 amps available. The RV pad is a short walk from the Cant Ranch and Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. No other housing is available.
Supervisor: Chief of Interpretation
The I&E Volunteer will primarily split their time between the Cant Ranch and the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, the monument’s visitor center. They may occasionally be asked to rove trails and drive a government vehicle to any of the other two units.
Volunteers will:
- Open and close the Cant Ranch Home
- Greet visitors and record number of contacts
- Answer visitor questions and provide basic information on the monument and region
- Rove trails in the Cant Ranch Historic District to make visitor contacts
- Give brief presentations on the exhibits
- May assisting with or conduct interpretive walks & demonstrations
- Restock brochures and fliers, check on exhibits and facilities
- May assist with park-hosted events and busy holiday weekend operations
- Wear a Volunteer-in-Parks uniform provided by the National Park Service
- Be friendly and outgoing
- Enjoy engaging with the public
- Excellent customer service and public speaking skills
- A knowledge of and interest in science and/or history
- Be a good representative of the National Park Service
- Work well both as a team and independently
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Must provide own RV/camper
- A 16 hrs/week commitment lasting at least four consecutive weeks
- Conservation Education
- Drivers License
- General Assistance
- Public Speaking
- Visitor Information
- Working with People
The volunteer will mainly work indoors, but may rove outdoor trails under a variety of conditions: hot, cold, windy, humid, and rainy. The monument is situated in a high desert environment where triple-digit temperatures are common during the summer.
- Slip, trip, and fall hazards
- No