What we do volunteering at the state parks you ask?

We have been asked by a number of you what we do when we volunteer at the state parks that we stay at.  I will try to give you an overview – we basically volunteering about 20 – 24 hours each a week and the park will give us a place to park our coach with full hookups.  We are given shirts/polo shirts and/or T-shirts by the park to wear so that visitors see us as such.  The duties we have been asked to do have been from maintenance to working the gift shop to assisting visitors/campers to tours.  The time we have spent has been so rewarding and enjoyable that we just don’t really see not doing it anytime soon.  Here has been some our our times and duties:

 

 

 

 

 

Assisting with the touch table and scout groups at the San Jacinto Monument at the San Jacinto Battlefield in Houston.

Fred enjoyed putting the flags up each day and taking them down in the evenings at the Battlefield.  He even got the opportunity to teach two of our grandkids how to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

Doing tours at the USS Texas Battleship in Houston.

 

 

 

 

 

They were all ages, size, from different countries and very challenging at times.  We enjoyed every minute of it though plus we learned a lot ourselves.

 

Learning about birds and making suet at Bensten Rio Grande State Park in Mission was really enjoying. 

 

 

 

 

 

Suet was put out each day at the bird feeders and the birds really loved it.

I spent a lot of time at this desk do research and assisted in compiling an information book for visitors to the park.

 

 

Fred did maintenance – gathering trash and built some shelf in a storage area

 

 

 

 

 

Then working in the gift shop/check in at Roper Lake State Park in Safford, AZ . . .

 

 

to assisting in the campground

 

 

 

to working entry at Dankworth Pond (subunit of Roper)

 

 

 

On to Crawford Lake State park in Crawford CO. and in our move to Sweitzer Lake State Park, Fred was trained to work ANS (Aquatic Nuisance Species) by doing boat inspections, volunteered in maintenance and assisted the rangers in lake patrol and I volunteered at the front office doing check-in, selling fishing licenses, doing boat/AHV registrations and selling annual park passes.

 

 

 

 

 

Volunteering was not all we got out of this as there were others volunteers/park host and we spend many hours doing things together and having a great time.  We have pot luck meals, super bowl/football parties, bonfires, went out to eat and/or just enjoyed each other company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see the time spent is not really that hard and is very enjoyable.  We have met some wonderful people at the different parks both personnel and visitors who will remain friends.  Some we will treasure for years to come.  If you are considering volunteering I would highly recommend it as it worth your time and you get back as much as you put into it.  We are so glad we made the decision to our full timing in a RV this way and have not looked backed.  God has truly blessed us with this endeavor and we are going to continue to make the best of every  minute.  I would recommend it if you want something to do as you travel other than just moving around.  We only spend three or four days a week on volunteers duties and then spend the rest of the time out sightseeing the area we are in.  We get the enjoyment of both world this way in our opinion.  Hope this answers some of your questions as to what we do as volunteers – in summary – we have fun!!