The Joy of Volunteering

If you have never volunteered to work in a state or national park, we would encourage you to give it a try. We really like it here, especially the ideal weather and magnificent landscape. We have been in the City of Rocks State Park in southern New Mexico for four weeks and have enjoyed warmth and sunshine every day. We are only required to work 28 hours each per month, but we do more than that. Typically, we work four days (3 ½ hours) and take four days off. That gives us time to explore the area, and we can stay at any state park free of charge. There are two other couples who volunteer, so we can always trade days off. In return for our labor we get a free RV site with full hookups. Full-time staff members include a manager and two rangers. All are great supervisors. Gloria works in the Visitor Center, where she gives an overview of the park, shows a video, registers campers and provides information for surrounding areas. Jerry helps count fees, cleans fire pits, and drives the Gator to pick up trash. He has also helped place new, elaborate, granite signs at several trail heads. When time permits, he helps Gloria in the Visitor Center.

A meaningful benefit of volunteering is meeting wonderful people. One such couple, Tom and Anne (see photo), arrived at the park with a broken GMC hitch bar. We became instant friends, as we had had the same problem back in December. While Tom and Anne were awaiting their new hitch bar, we played Bridge and Mexican Train, searched for petroglyphs, rode bikes, shared campfires and meals and attended church and Sunday school together. Tom was an eager, perceptive Bridge learner, and Anne demonstrated her many cooking talents. They shared their catches of Alaskan smoked sockeye salmon and crab. After a couple of weeks they moved on toward their Florida winter destination; we miss them greatly. However, we already are making plans to visit them in their home state of Wisconsin in spring of 2008 on our way to Montana and the Calgary Stampede.