It has been too quiet on this thread so I'll try and get something going. How about a post from each of you to share with us where you are and what you think of it?

We are presently three weeks into a three month tour as Campground Hosts for Joshua Tree National Park, living at Black Rock Canyon campground. There are two host sites here, one for a host and one for a maintenance person. We are on the side of the mountain above the town of Yucca Valley, CA and about six miles from them. We are on duty from Friday noon until Sunday afternoon and generally when in the park. We do have two days each week when the rangers and staff are directed not to bother us for anything. We have a full hook-up site, 50A power and the use of a very nice laundry facility in the fire station that is about a block away. there are also shower rooms there if we wish. We also get access to all park facilities and tours for our service and the staff here treat us really great. This is super place to volunteer!

Next summer for the third time in the past 7 years, we will be the camp hosts in Roosevelt National Park (South unit - Cottonwood campground). Just off I94, at Medora. Very beautifull and quiet. The buffalo and wild horses wander right thru the campground!! It is just an easy one day drive to Gillett and the Escapade. Stop by and see us before and after. Primitive camp with flush toilets. No dump station. Fresh water available, but you cannot hook up to it. Dump station available 5 miles away in Medora. Lots of things to do in the area. See you at the Escapade!!

Kirk, We just left St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (south of Tallahassee, FL). Had a great three month stay there and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves volunteering in the refuge system as I know you do.

We are in route to the Ocala National Forest to volunteer for the entire winter. We will be OHV (off road vehicle) rangers, ensuring visitors abide by all the rules while riding ATVs on the forest trails.

In the spring we will be returning to the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest, NC . . . then back to the refuge system at Black Bayou Lake, Monroe, LA. So, as you can see, we are pretty booked up and looking forward to have a great time. See you down the road

I am presently on my way to a three month stint at Laguna Atascosa NWR in Texas (you probably saw my "rats" post in this section). I'll be there until the end of January and then on to a return engagement at Anahuac NWR near Galveston until May. I'll keep you posted on the rodent challenge.

We spent the summer volunteering in the visitors center at Devils Tower National Monumen, Wyoming. Saw most of the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Booth Fish Hatchery, Badlands NP, Jewel Cave NP, Wall Durgs, Little Big Horn NP, Teddy Roosevelt NP, Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetorn NP, and Jewel Cave NP. To sum up our summer in one word, GREAT!
Now we are at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, just below the dam of Lake Cumberland Lake near Jamestown, KY. (Did you know that Lake Cumberland has a longer shore line that the ocean shore line of the state of Florida?) I serve as a volunteer here in the visitors center. Here it's a whole new ballgame. I came from 32 hours a week in a visitors that had over 2,000 visitors a day to one that only requires 18 to 20 hours a week and only has between 35 and 360 visitors a day.
I'm schedule to be at Natchez National Historical Park from Jan thru March, but it looks like I may have to call that off. I have a few things that I need to take care of, and beside that I think that I need some time off.
We are scheduled to be at Cumberland NM for May and June of 2008 and Fort Pulaski near Suvahhan, GA for July and Auguat of 2008.
Nothing after that, but5 I may head to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
Wendell

After spending a great summer at Erie NWR in north western Pa.( where we had a wonderful experience for our first volunteer gig,) we are now at Back Bay NWR in Virginia Beach, Va. sitting on million $ real estate on the bay. We have water as far as we can see. We leave here mid Nov. for Quartzsite and then on to Balcones Canyonland NWR near Austin for Feb, March & April. After a summer trip to Alaska we will hopefully find ourselves doing another refuge.

Hi, All,

I've been busy arranging my first year of volunteering in the Oregon State parks system. Got a bit of a late start because of Washington State's slowness in responding to the background check process, but I'm now on the list and have January tentatively scheduled in Nehalem Bay park - possibly Feb. there also if they will change my assignment from Yert host (yert cleaning) to some other for the second month.

After that I've not yet been scheduled until July thru part of November where I'll be at three parks in central Oregon.

Retirement is at the end of the year and I'll be making skid marks (hopefully not in the snow) to get to my first park on Jan. 2.

Thank you all for your stories.

Hi Kirk - hope you and Pam are not in any danger from the fires. We just finished volunteering as Interpretive Hosts at Harris Beach SP in Brookings, OR. Great park, right on the coast, nice sites with cable and free WiFi! We're at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona now, had planned on volunteering at Coronado National Memorial but it turns out their pad is too small for our MH; but we'll hang out here (great RV park) and maybe volunteer a bit at Coronado anyway. We'll be back at Metcalf NWR in mid-April for at least 3 months - if any of you are in the area, give us a call!

Carol and I are still at the Wycliffe International Linguistics Center in Dallas, TX where Carol functions as the Volunteer Coordinator and I do telephone maintenance. We have been here since November with a couple of long weekend trips out. We plan on departing for a Western tow-about about sometime in January.

Hi, Kirk, Terry and I are currently on our second tour at Black Bayou Lake NWR, Monroe, LA until Jan, then on to a cg in mid TX for the winter. Summer will find us back in Idaho for the fourth year, then back to Black Bayou Lake for the fall and winter.

We have taken on a new task...we are compiling a database for NWR (and Hatchery) resident volunteers (RV). We need info on which refuges utilize "RV"s as well as site descriptions, etc. Anyone with info, please email me

dokeeffe@hughes.net

We are now working with several refuge employees who are going to help with this massive undertaking. Anyone interested in helping complile info, please contact me.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dlokeeffe,

Spent Jan-Mar at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, in Cottonwood, AZ. Moved on to Lee Metcalf NWR, in Stevensville, MT., during Apr-Jun. After traveling, visiting family and friends and attending the Escapade, we are back at Dead Horse for Oct-Jan. Don't know what will follow.

After spending the summer volunteering with OR St Pks we are heading to volunteer at the Battleship Texas. We will be back in OR for next summer with the OR St Pks.
Cheryl

Nana….. tell us more about Back Bay NWR, what do you do there?

travlers....you will be in my old backyard at the Battleship, feel free to ask any questions about the area. I did not know they had RV pads, but I do know they recently got a huge chunk of change to do some major repair to the ole girl.

Wendell...esp with three month assignments we have found we need a time off between, to take care of stuff, chill and just camp.

We will be at Laguna Atascosa NWR for Nov-Jan. Last stint was Balcones NWR: trail work, filing, light carpentry, gardening, wrote a grant proposal and got a pad at 1300 ft overlooking the hill country of Tx. very nice! would recommend it.

Thanks Diana & John, we actually are from the area. They have some spots behind the main office for about 7 or 8 rv's. Heard about the $, heard gonna look into actually building a visitors center since there in not one.

Where you guys from? Our house was about three miles upstream on the San Jacinto River. I am glad you are familar with the area as I was conflicted telling you about the air quality.