Highlights, Host Advice, Kids to Parks, and more!

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May 2016

> IN THIS ISSUE: Advice for Hosts, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Kids to Parks, 85th Anniversary

Retro to renegade to sleek and modern, our hosts have some great homes on wheels!

We would love to see your RV! Join our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GaStateParksVolunteers

Take pictures of your host site and RV and let us see you living it up in the Full-Time RVer role. Tag us!

Advice from Full-Timers

I stumbled across this list from Workampers, Inc facebook page. There are some great questions to ask for those talking to the park staff before accepting an assignment. Just replace "host" for "workamper".

Work:

• Is there a written job description for the position?
• Start and end dates?
• Expected hours each week in exchange for the campsite? Per couple or per person?
• Work hours and schedule over typical week?
• Will we receive the same consecutive days off?
• Who does the workamper report to at the park/campground?
• Other workampers positions at the park/campground?
• Is there a uniform issued and/or clothing requirement?
• Are there other workampers and/or staff resident at the campground?
• What are the specific work duties/assignment/requirements?
• Are all tools and equipment provided?
• Is bathroom/shower/cabin/yurt cleaning required?
• What would “light maintenance” and “grounds work” entail?
• ON duty vs. OFF duty hours and roles?
• Role of interacting with campers and visitors?
• Park compliance/enforcement role and/or duties?
• Is a written workamper duties and agreement/contract completed by both parties?
• What else should we know?

 Campsite & Compensation:

• Where is the workamper’s site located and what size is it?
• What is included in the site compensation: FHU, internet, cable, laundry, other?
• Can we receive mail/packages at the park?
• Use of park recreational facilities and equipment on days off?
• May family members stay with us while visiting?
• Any” local” discounts provided?
• Is there a secured storage building for workamper’s use?
• Can we wash/wax our RV/car at the site?
• What else should we know?

There are plenty of host openings for this summer. Apply today!

North Georgia

• Black Rock Mountain Maintenance Host 
• Cloudland Canyon Campground Host 
• Tugaloo 

Central Georgia

• Chattahoochee Bend State Park Maintenance Host 
• Hamburg Maintenance Host 
• The Creek Golf Course 
• High Falls Maintenance Host 
• Indian Springs 
• Magnolia Springs 
• Mistletoe State Park Maintenance Host 
• Richard B Russell 
• Highland Walk Golf Course 

South Georgia / Coast

• Fort Morris Historic Site 
• General Coffee State Park 
• George L. Smtih 
• Georgia Veterans 
• SAM Shortline Excursion Train 
• Brazell’s Creek Golf Course 
• Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site 
• Kolomoki Mounds 
• Laura S Walker State Park and Golf Course 
• Little Ocmulgee State Park 
• Reed Bingham 
• Seminole 
• Skidaway 
• Stephen C Foster

These park's websites are linked to each name. If you are interested in applying for these positions, Apply here: www.gastateparks.org/hosts

VIP Events! – Volunteers in Parks

Amazing Accomplishments - Thanks for your service!

Lifetime Achievement Award

Lance and Alice Chapman 5000 Volunteer Service Hours Lance and Alice have been hosting for 4 years. Their first host assignment was with High Falls, where they were campground and maintenance hosts during the months of November-January, and they were the only hosts there during their first week. Their most recent host assignment was with Fort Yargo, where they have been campground hosts three times. Their advice for hosts on how to make the most of their hosting experience is to enjoy their time and talk with and get to know as many people as possible.

Lifetime Achievement Award

John and Cyndee Perry 5000 Volunteer Service Hours John & Cyndee have been hosting for 4 years. Their first host assignment was as campground hosts at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. They are currently campground hosts with Chattahoochee Bend. They believe the most important thing for hosts to remember to make the most of their hosting experience is to always be flexible.. Congratulations to these couples!

Platinum Level Award

3000 Volunteer Service Hours These individuals are well on their way to the Lifetime Achievement Award Tina Cano Lee Debbie & Gene Nisbet Norman & Virginia Teal Jerry Boren & Betty Flanagan Leslie & Patti Barnett James & Nancy Bollman Anthony & Dianne Paris Brenda Rushing Carl Morrow Patrick & Cindy Gill Joella & Kenneth McGill David & Susi Pitts George Moore Larry Gay Nancy Jacobs Wendy Bussard Thank you for your dedication!

Kids to Parks

In March President Obama launched the Every Kid in a Park initiative to call to action to get children to visit and enjoy America’s outdoors. This initiative focused on all kids K-12 with additional benefits of 4th graders and their families to receive free passes into National Parks. Many of America’s State Parks have also joined in this initiative to bring in more children and generate more fun and engaging programs for them into our state parks as well. As such May 21, 2016 will be National Kids to Parks Day at Georgia State Parks. Use this link to learn more about the event and see all the fun things we have in store for kids of all ages. http://gastateparks.org/KidsToParks

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Be like all the cool kids! Get your 85th Anniversary bandana and check off all the parks you have visited. Let us know if/when you check them all off!

Volunteer Hours March and April 2016

Logging Your Hours

Here is the website for more information on Volunteer Hours and how incentives are earned.

You can see how many hours you have recorded or were transferred over from 2014 by logging into your time sheet.http://www.trackitforward.com/site/georgia-state-park-and-historic-sites-volunteers-and-hosts/timesheet

Using this neat Stats feature, you can see where you are in the overall documentation of hours for volunteers all over the state: https://www.trackitforward.com/site/georgia-state-park-and-historic-sites-volunteers-and-hosts/stats

Thank you for your patience as we transitioned to this new tracking software. Your information is now accessible by you, park managers as well as myself. However, it is completely private and not accessible by anyone outside of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. 

Volunteers Defined: We love and need them all!

• Community Volunteers-Help on a day-to-day basis at a Park as they are available. Our community volunteers help with leading hikes, helping with maintenance, assisting with the visitor or retail center, guide new visitors to park activities and locations. Those volunteering more than once per month or planning to volunteer more than 20 hours per year need to update registration.
• Hosts (Campground, Yurt, Maintenance, Golf, Train)-Stay in their personal RV at designated free Host Site for 2-6 months in exchange for a minimum of 24 hours of volunteer work.  Host duties include: visitor assistance and maintenance.  All hosts are required to update registration to still be considered for hosting.
• Group Volunteers-This is for Churches, Corporations, Scouts and Universities who want a tailor-made project that will strengthen the group as individuals as well as a team morale while assisting Georgia State Parks. Only the group leader will need to be registered in our system.

How are we doing?

In order for Georgia State Parks to continue to thrive and grow, even in these lean budget times, we need to get feedback from those that utilize our services and Parks. As Volunteers and Hosts, you have the same rights and anonymity in park observations and feedback as our Park Staff.  Please use this quick survey form to share your experiences with us.

Thanks for reading!  Please feel free to share with others.  If you need to contact me, Georgia State Parks Volunteer Coordinator: nyleta.wallace@dnr.ga.gov

As always, thank you for being a steward for Georgia State Parks! Have a great day!

Helpful Links:

• eNews Archived - http://gastateparks.org/volunteer/news
• Log your Hours - http://gastateparks.org/volunteer/hours
• See your recorded hours - http://www.trackitforward.com/site/georgia-state-park-and-historic-sites-volunteers-and-hosts/timesheet
• Volunteer Hour Stats - https://www.trackitforward.com/site/georgia-state-park-and-historic-sites-volunteers-and-hosts/stats