We recently experienced our first national parks-related volunteer experience via Volunter.gov. While it was an experience we will not soon forget, I feel the need to provide a few observations about our experience in the hope that others may find the information helpful.
1. We were unaware of how vital volunteers are to our national parks system: Park Service, Forest Service, Wildlife, et al. We realized quickly how dependent these organizations are on volunteers. I suspect many parks would have to close or dramatically curtail activities without volunteers, so please consider spending at least some of your workcamping time at these locations.
2. There are many, many opportunities out there to make a difference -- literally, something for everyone! It is a great way to save money on sites, meet new folks, be able to see local sites, while at the same time providing a much needed service. However, don't volunteer just for the free site...as they say, nothing is free. You will earn your keep.
3. Those who need income should realize that only parks run by contractor concessionaires will likely provide any hourly compensation (and not all of those will). We did, however, receive reimbursements for lunch, mileage, laundry and propane in addition to a FHU free site.
4. Ask LOTS of questions! We thought we knew what to ask, having RV'd for many years and even managed a private campground at one time. However, there were a number of surprises when we actually got to our assignment. For example...
- For what expenses will we be reimbursed?
- How far is it from our home base to our assignment?
- How many days off and which ones?
- How strict is the dress code and for what will I be responsible (i.e. will you need black pants when all you have are khaki?)
- Will there be other volunteers staying at the same park? (Do you want company or prefer solitude?)
- How close are medical facilities?
- What communication is available (in some remote places there is no cell service nor internet and the local emergency care is miles away. Make sure you will have 24/7 access to a land line or some other reliable source for emergencies).
Our biggest mistake was thinking that all of our volunteer needs would have been thought out ahead of time by the agencies; after all, they've been doing this longer than we have. Do not make this assumption. Everyone's needs are different and many expect you to tell them what you need.
5. Understand that these agencies, like many government agencies, are budget strapped. As a result, many public campgrounds are older and may not have the upgrades needed to support a modern rig. Many were built when most folks tented or pulled travel trailers and simply do not have amenities comparable to the standard of private campgrounds. Given how low the fees are at some parks it's a wonder they can operate at all!
Ask the size of your site (older campground were not built for 45' motor homes) and the access (we watched two rigs end up in the ditch when trying to get into a too-small site). What are the amenities and how close is your location to them (some can be noisy, others may be a convenient necessity). We were right next to the bathhouse but did not realize until we arrived that they had no showers which didn't seem a problem...at first...since we did have showers in the RV. When we had issues with our hookups, the situation left us with only a single tiny sink in the bathhouse in which to bathe! Not all campgrounds allow outdoor showers either, due to rules against gray water on the ground.
We had issues with electrical service (definitely have a surge protector) and that is common with older parks. Well water can be a catch-22. Our inhouse filter was clogged after our first two weeks from all of the sediment in the well water. When we had problems with our toilet -- thinking it was a valve that needed replacing -- our RV technician told us he took the toilet a part and found all kind of stuff in the lines!
Campgrounds are required to have their water tested, but depending on the water source, consider bottled. We were sick several times in the first months before switching to bottled water. Maybe coincidence, maybe not. Just saying.
Be honest with what you can and cannot live with. If you enjoy solitaire and reading, you are not likely to enjoy meeting hundreds of customers a day in a gift shop! Ask as many questions about the assignment you will be working as you do about your RV site. We worked some distance from our home base at a remote historical site which, as we discovered too late, had only an outdoor vault toilet and no running water! While that is fine for a day or two visit, it gets really old after several months!
Finally, don't let the precautions scare you away. We saw beautiful sites, met extraordinary people, and had experiences we may have missed had we traveled in our usual way: see some sights, drive a few hundred miles, stay a day or two, and do it all over again; repeat frequently.
Approach the experience with an open mind and a sense of adventure. After all, that's what this RVing thing is all about, isn't it?
