Carl Sandburg NHS Trail Rover

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Position Title: Trail Rover Volunteer

Uniform Required - YES

Provided by park:

o Tan t-shirt (1 per year, choice of long or short sleeve)

o Tan hat

o Tan Vest to be worn in colder weather over your own outerwear

Provided by volunteer:

o Tan pants or solid color jeans/work pants (thrift stores are a good source for pants)

o Sturdy closed-toe shoes

Main Goals for This Position to Accomplish:

Because of the tremendous amount of trail use at Carl Sandburg Home, this position has been established to create a National Park Service presence along the trails, where traditionally visitors do not have regular encounters with park staff or volunteers.

Description of Work to be Performed:

Major duties include hiking the trails and roadways throughout the park at the scheduled time(s) each week. The primary purpose of roving the trails is to be available to answer visitor questions, providing directions to sought locations within the park, information about Carl Sandburg, the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, site regulations, trail system, services available, and other relevant information.

While roving the trails, information in the form of printed materials may be handed out to visitors. The purpose of distribution materials is to provide educational media, gain compliance with park regulations, and for general information about current events and/or management concerns.

The duties of this job will also include the dispensing of plastic bags to dog walkers in order to encourage and facilitate waste pick up after their dogs.

Recording hours of service and reporting to duty are required for this position.

Scope of Visitor Contacts:

The volunteer will have frequent visitor contact as he/she walks the trails and assists visitors by answering their questions, providing directions, and offering pamphlets and pet waste disposal bags.

Physical Requirements of Work:

The volunteer must be able to:

· dress in a provided volunteer uniform while on duty

· walk on uneven walking surfaces containing rocks, loose gravel, and hidden materials, including ice, under mulch and leaves

· deal with possible encounters with snakes, bear, bees, wasps, tics, mosquitoes, thorns, and poison ivy

· withstand a wide variety of outdoor conditions including high temperatures, humidity, rain, cold, and unexpected changes in the weather

Qualifications:

The volunteer must have a general knowledge of:

· Carl Sandburg and his contributions to America, history and other associated topics that relate to the national significance of Carl Sandburg

· the National Park Service, Carl Sandburg Home NHS and the regulations and policies that pertain to the park

· the two-way radio communications and telephone operations required to support communication with staff when urgent needs arise

Tools, Equipment, and Vehicles to be Operated:

No vehicles, equipment or tools will be operated within the scope of this position.

Benefits to the Volunteer:

Opportunities to meet and interact with the visiting public and staff, providing helpful information and a park staff presence.

Length of Commitment:

This position requires that the volunteer be available to report for minimum of a scheduled two-hour shift per week. Volunteers are allowed to bring their dog to rove with them. Dogs must be kept on a leash no more than 6 feet long and must be well behaved around people and other dogs.

Age requirement:

18 and older.

Supervisory Controls:

The volunteer will work under the guidance of the Biological Science Technician.

Start Date - 2024-08-15

End Date - 2024-10-31