Your Very Next Step newsletter for March 2014
By Ned Lundquist
www.yourverynextstep.com
“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.”
– Saint Augustine
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
– Lao Tzu
This issue of YVNS comes to you from Accra, Ghana.
“Your Very Next Step” adventure/outdoors/conservation newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.
*** To subscribe for free:
Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.
Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.
*** In this issue:
*** Ned’s upcoming travel
*** Safe! Or not? Baseball on donkeys?
*** Reforesting your land in Virginia
*** Top 10 wackiest hotels
*** Are airlines right to change their miles programs?
*** America’s 10 Best Spots for Seeing Wildflowers
*** 10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Families in the US
*** Eight islands you’ll never set foot on
*** My Ghana adventure
*** The Top 10 Weird Restaurants Around the World
*** What’s a Lasher?
*** World’s 20 Most Stunning Libraries
*** National Rail-Trail of the month:
Trail of the Month: March 2014
Georgia’s Atlanta Beltline
*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:
1.) Volunteer opportunities, The New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, Albuquerque, NM
2.) Volunteer opportunities, The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, Santa Fe, NM
*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:
1.) Philadelphia Community Conservation Crew Leaders, Student Conservation Association (SCA), Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ
2.) Facilities Coordinator, Special Events, National Audubon Society, Inc., Audubon, PA
3.) Marketing Strategy Officer, Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California
4.) The Manager, Federal Relations, National fish and wildlife foundation, Washington, DC
…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!
*** Do you have a travel adventure, conservation or outdoor update to share?
Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).
*** Ned’s upcoming travel, maybe, perhaps:
March 25-26-27, Monterey, Calif.
April 11-13, Boston/Bath, Maine
June 9-10, Abu Dhabi, UAE
June 11-12, Bahrain
August 18-19-22, Tacoma, Wash.
August 22, 23, 24, San Diego, Calif.
November 3-6, Nassau, Bahamas
*** Safe! Or not? Baseball on donkeys?
Katie Rosenbrock, TheActiveTimes.com
*** Reforesting your land in Virginia:
Tree Seedlings Selling Fast—Order Yours Before They’re Gone Each year, the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) grows and sells more than 24 million tree seedlings. And every year, many of the more than 40 species sell out before the harvest season ends in April. If you are looking to plant tree seedlings or reforest your land this year, you still have a few weeks remaining to order your seedlings. Landowners may still purchase seed mixes, shrubs and quality bare-root tree seedlings in specialty packets for wildlife habitat enhancement, stream bank stabilization, Christmas tree plantations, fall and spring colors, timber stand establishment, urban forests, biodiversity and improvement of watersheds management. Learn why Virginia trees are your best choice. Order yours today by visiting the VDOF Web store, calling the Augusta Forestry Center at (540) 363-7000, or contacting your local VDOF office.
http://www.dof.virginia.gov/nursery/research.htm
*** Top 10 wackiest hotels
Our compilation of the world’s most unusual places to stay
http://www.hotels.com/deals/us-wackiest-hotels/
*** Are airlines right to change their miles programs?
Christopher Elliott , Special for USA TODAY
*** America’s 10 Best Spots for Seeing Wildflowers
http://www.fodors.com/news/photos/americas-10-best-spots-for-seeing-wildflowers?ref=news_fd_030814
*** 10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts for Families in the US
*** Eight islands you’ll never set foot on
*** My Ghana adventure:
My flight from Washington to Addis Ababa on Ethiopian was aboard a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Originally I was booked on a 777 flight connecting to a 767. When it was changed to a 787 connecting to a 757 the seat assignments were mixed up. (I believe now that my return flight will be on a 767 connecting to a 787.)
I watched a couple of movies because I couldn’t plug in my laptop. I saw The Departed and looked for—and saw—Scot Cregan who was an extra in the film.
It was my second time on a 787 (my first was on Air India between Delhi and Bangalore). I sat next to a young lady from Accra now living in the U.S. going back to visit family, and an elderly woman who was not an experienced traveler. The woman spoke no English, but that didn’t stop her from talking to me. I occasional asked the flight attendant to interpret in Amharic. The various containers on her meal tray, such as salad dressing, butter, yoghurt, jelly, were mysteries and challenges to her.
I had a short connection time in Addis, with no time to check on my seat assignment at the transfer desk. When I got to the gate, I noticed that the temporary toilets in the Gate 1 area were over flowing. I cleaning woman finally showed up with a dustpan, bucket and mop and started scooping. One of the passengers from my DC flight who was also continuing on to Accra jumped in to help the lady sent to try and clean up the mess, but together they could barely keep up.
I did manage to get myself a bulkhead exit row seat, and promptly fell asleep. I woke up a couple of hours into the flight, but then realized we hadn’t taken off yet.
I was met upon arrival at Accra by a member of the Ghana Army, helped me through “diplomatic” passport control, helped me retrieve my bags, and then representatives from the Ghana Navy repos took me to my hotel and made sure I was settled in.
The Novotel pool was warm, but not too warm. It’s the hangout for the Delta crews that layover at the Novotel.
The Sunday buffet at the Movenpick hotel in Accra is the place to be. After a long walk in the hot sun it was a cool and appetizing way to enjoy the afternoon.
Our Monday agenda featured a flight to Takoradi aboard a Ghana Air Force C295, and a visit to the Naval Dockyard at Sekondi and the base at Takoradi.
I moderated the third day of the Coastal and Maritime Surveillance Africa 2014 conference. I thought the Ghana Navy and IQPC produced a fabulous event and was delighted to be a part of it.
Ghana is a beautiful country with warm and friendly people that make youy feel safe and welcome. It is an English-speaking nation surrounded my Francophone countries. It has a transparent busiess and governance environment and is much more conducsive to investment because of it. There are many valuable resources here, so the question is why is Ghana still relatively a poor country. I see great opportunity and a bright future for Ghana.
*** The Top 10 Weird Restaurants Around the World
*** What’s a Lasher?
By Laughing Dog
In the last couple of years, the term “Lasher” has wormed its way into the long-distance hiker’s vernacular. It’s an acronym for Long-Ass-Section-Hiker, meaning one who hikes a long trail in, uh, really long sections. While that seems lacking in clearly defined parameters, distances hiked are apparently greater than yer run-of-the-mill section hiker, which is not, in itself, defined by any distance parameters.
But, in the words of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart “I know it when I see it.”
Neville, of Woods Hole Hostel, told us a story about a hiker who, upon hearing the distance a self-proclaimed section hiker was hiking, said “that’s a long-ass section, dude!” (Or words to that effect.) Neville spontaneously suggested that made him a “Lasher.” Now, in her characteristically unassuming way, she allowed that she’s subsequently heard that others have claimed to have made up the term. But I give credit to Neville.
And it has come to define how I am hiking the Appalachian Trail.
In spring of 2012, I started out like most, hiking north from Springer Mountain in Georgia in a thru-hike attempt. A bursitis in my knee cut that short just across the North Carolina border . I went home, treated the pain, and saw a physical therapist who found the underlying cause. That summer I climbed Mt Katahdin, and headed south on another thru attempt. 538 miles later, I was in a hostel looking at a big lump in my abdomen. The doctor said I needed hernia surgery, stat …
With 644 miles of the trail behind me, I redefined myself as a section hiker, got back on where I got off the previous spring, sprained my ankle 3 hours in, and hiked north, slowly, till it was time to go to our family’s reunion. That took me 674 miles to the James River Bridge. Just shy of Shenandoah. That’s a long-ass section if ever I seen one.
1318 miles down, 867 to go …
In between sections, I saved my pennies and tweaked my gear. My pack’s base weight is now just short of 15 lbs, and a good deal of that can be sent home when the mountains warm up.
This spring I’ll get back on at James River bridge, and hike north. Barring injury, emergent surgical needs, vector-borne diseases, hurricanes, or government shut downs, I may just finish the AT in one last, Long-Ass Section Hike.
(Note: All distances were taken from the appropriate year’s database at atdist.com/. Who in turn get theirs from the ATC’s annual publication “Appalachian Trail Data Book.”
*** World’s 20 Most Stunning Libraries
http://www.fodors.com/news/photos/worlds-20-most-stunning-libraries?ref=news_fd_031514
*** Learning to Lead
Inside AMC’s Mountain Leadership School
Story by Ty Wivell
AMC Outdoors, March/April 2014
http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2014/features/learning-to-lead.cfm?utm_source=magazine
*** National Rail-Trail of the month:
Rail Trail of the Month: March 2014
Georgia’s Atlanta Beltline
By Laura Stark
Railroad corridor: Southern Railway, Seaboard Air Line Railroad, Atlanta and West Point Railroad, and Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Trail website: Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (http://beltline.org/)
Length: A total of 33 miles are planned for the Atlanta BeltLine. Currently, 6.8 miles are paved and open in four disconnected segments: Eastside Trail, West End Trail, Northside Trail, and Southwest Connector Trail. An additional three segments awaiting development (totaling about four miles) are available as unpaved hiking trails in the interim.
Start Point/End Point: The Atlanta BeltLine will form a loop around the city from Lindbergh Drive in the north to Lee Street in the south, and from Marietta Boulevard in the west to DeKalb Avenue in the east.
To navigate the area with an interactive GIS map, and to see more photos, user reviews and ratings, plus loads of other trip-planning information, visit RTC’s free trail-finder website, TrailLink.com.
Rentals: Near the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail, bicycle rentals are available from Atlanta BeltLine Bicycle (151 Sampson Street NE; 404-588-9930) and Skate Escape (1086 Piedmont Avenue NE; 404-892-1292).
Spring is upon us, and perhaps no region is more thankful than the South, hit especially hard by an unusually brutal winter. Residents of The Big Peach are more than ready to head out on the Atlanta Beltline to soak up the warmer weather. In a city once known as Terminus, the BeltLine trail network is a re-envisioning of its railroad past for a new wave of pedestrian and bike-friendly urban design.
“We have an electric counter on the Eastside Trail, and it logged 9,700 people on the trail this past Sunday,” says Lee Harrop, program management officer for Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. “There was no one in Atlanta sitting on their couch.”
The two-mile Eastside Trail, which starts at Piedmont Park, the crown jewel of Atlanta’s park system, is one of the most popular segments of the BeltLine. And perhaps there’s no prettier time to enjoy it; this month, showy pink and white blossoms—the stars of the guided Magnolia Tree Walks hosted by Trees Atlanta, which has planted hundreds of trees along the BeltLine—will be on full display.
Three other BeltLine trails, West End, Northside and the Southwest Connector, have also been built around the city and total about seven miles. All are paved. Another three trail segments awaiting development (totaling about four miles) are available as natural hiking trails in the interim. Eventually, the trail will connect more than 40 neighborhoods.
“The minute we start connecting them together will be an incredible day for the city,” says Ed McBrayer, executive director for the PATH Foundation, which manages the construction of the trail. “People are starting to exercise that never used to, and the trail’s proximity to their houses seems to be the key. The BeltLine has a significant impact on the health of the people around it, no doubt about it.”
Even at this stage, with only a handful of its proposed 33 miles completed, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., which implements the project, estimates that the annual trail usage exceeds a million people.
“People love the BeltLine,” says Curt Soper, Georgia/Alabama state director of the Trust for Public Land, which helps acquire the land for the trail. “The neighborhoods that are touched by it see the value it brings. It improves their quality of life.”
Rather than the straight line of a typical rail-trail, the growing BeltLine will form a 22-mile loop around the city, with another 11 miles of spur trail that tie in to neighborhoods and parks. While not precisely a circle—it was once dubbed the “green ghost” for its shape—the rail-trail at the core of the project comprises four different inactive freight lines.
“Atlanta has always been a railroad town,” says Ryan Gravel, senior urban designer for Perkins+Will, the firm that designed the Eastside Trail. “There were railroads everywhere.”
Gravel, whose 1999 master’s thesis helped the BeltLine concept take wing, grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta, where he remembers enjoying the sound of the trains at night. For him, the “adventurous quality” of railroads was captivating. A culmination of his experiences exploring the city’s old rail corridors, and a trip abroad, where he was inspired by Paris’s rail-trail greenbelt known as the Promenade Plantée, planted the seeds for his exposé on reusing Atlanta’s ring of freight railroad to meet modern public transportation needs.
“At the end of the 1990s, the idea was emerging that a lot of this industrial land laying fallow could be repurposed for a new way of life,” says Gravel, who is now a Board member of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and support for the trail.
As a student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Gravel’s thesis focused on utilizing the rail corridor for a new light-rail system. The idea took hold when he sent the proposal to city officials and caught the eye of Cathy Woolard, who immediately championed the idea and pushed it forward when she became president of the Atlanta City Council. This spring, the long-awaited first phase of the Atlanta Streetcar will open downtown, just five blocks from the Eastside Trail. Future expansion is planned to connect the streetcar with the BeltLine. The trail and active rail line will form a parallel loop around the city in what is known as a rail-with-trail.
More than two decades ago, when Marianne Fowler—then new to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (now senior VP of federal relations)—was tasked with visiting Atlanta to survey the city’s aging railroad corridor for potential conversion to rail-trail, she was “astounded by what a connector it was.”
Seeing the startling potential of the city’s ring of railroads that were likely to soon be abandoned, she wrote in her 1991 report, “As Atlanta surveys its sobering lack of open space and its diminished prospects for linear greenways, the 20 miles of rail line circling downtown gain significance… To encircle a major American city with a combined 20-mile rail rotary and rail-trail park would be a feat of extraordinary vision and brilliant engineering.”
Today, such a feat is becoming reality. To provide people with a peek at the trail’s progress, the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership offers free, narrated bus tours of the developing trail on Friday and Saturday mornings, and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition leads guided bicycle tours on the weekends.
“In the beginning, we were selling air, we had nothing to show,” says Harrop. “So we started giving three-hour tours that zigzag around the proposed BeltLine. The tours are so popular now, they book up within a couple of hours.”
Not only is the BeltLine itself a recreational amenity, it’s spurring the development of new parks and improvements to existing parks throughout the city. The trail’s open segments already link to several of these parks, and more are on the way. In 2004, the Trust for Public Land commissioned an urban planner at Yale University to address the need for more park acreage in the city and investigate opportunities for green space along the BeltLine.
“Alexander Garvin took Ryan’s thesis and added to it,” says Soper. “He added nodes of parks so the BeltLine would be more than just a rail-trail loop. It’s helping Atlanta move up the list of world-class cities as far as parks are concerned.”
After the study’s publication, the Trust for Public Land began acquiring land for the parks outlined in the report. The first major city park built on the BeltLine was completed in 2012. “Historic Fourth Ward Park is built on what was a dilapidated, run-down area,” says Soper. “Now that neighborhood is booming. It’s ground zero for the economic recovery in Atlanta.”
Harrop agrees, “You walk down the Eastside Trail, and there’s so much construction it’s unreal. There’s been $1.1 billion in private investment along the trail: a 3-to-1 return on investment.”
Gravel lives along the Eastside Trail and could not be happier with all the growth stemming from the trail. “When we’re out on the trail, there are always mobs of people. The BeltLine is changing the way that people live in a really profound way.”
Another emerald on the trail’s necklace will be Westside Reservoir Park, estimated to open within the next five years on the northwest stretch of the BeltLine. At 300 acres, it will be the city’s largest park. The site—due to its towering granite walls nearly 450 feet high, the remnants of a quarry more than a century old—was used for the filming of the second Hunger Games movie. And like that film’s revolution, the BeltLine and the revitalization of Atlanta that it brings are truly “catching fire.”
http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html
*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:
1.) Volunteer opportunities, The New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors, Albuquerque, NM
The New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors is an all-volunteer, non-political organization that is dedicated to improving trails and outdoor facilities throughout the state.
The NMVFO is an all-volunteer group so there are lots of ways to volunteer, both on and off the trail. You can help us make outdoors great even if you can’t get to the outdoors!
ON THE TRAIL
Contact the project leader for a specific project to sign up
Project Volunteer: help with the physical aspects of building or improving a trail or public land area. No experience necessary. All tools provided.
Assistant Project Leader: Assist the project leader in organizing work crews, gathering tools, gathering project materials. Contact the project leader on a specific project to sign up.
Cook or Assistant Cook: Multi-day or weekend projects require a cook to prepare food for volunteers. Contact the project leader to sign up.
Photographer: Record the project’s events to be posted on the website, newsletter or used in future promotions.
BEHIND THE SCENES – Contact us if you are interested in helping with one of these positions
Project Planning Committee: Help with developing our yearly schedule of outdoors projects.
Membership Committee: Assist the membership committee in recruiting new volunteers. This may include attending events to promote the NMVFO, distributing brochures, helping with writing for the website, newsletter & local newspaper, placing ads or presenting to other organizations.
Tool Team: Trail tools need cleaning, sharpening and organizing! Best suited for an Albuquerque area volunteer.
Office management: We need help with collecting mail and other office duties. Best suited for an Albuquerque area volunteer.
Website Administrator: Help with updating and maintaining the website.
Board Member: Board members make the decisions that direct the NMVFO. Positions are best suited for people in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe/Bernalillo/Belen area, but we do welcome long-distance board members as well.
2.) Volunteer opportunities, The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, Santa Fe, NM
Seasonal or occasional Volunteer needs:
Laboratory of Anthropology Library Annual Book Sale Fundraiser:
Donations or inquiries to volunteer can be made by calling or e-mailing the Librarian Allison Colborne at (505) 476-1264 or allison.colborne@state.nm.us. To see a listing of the better books LOA Library has for sale throughout the year, please visit the MIAC-LOA Library Abebooks.com Bookstore by searching MIAC-LOA at http://www.abebooks.com/docs/Bookstores/ . Book donations are accepted throughout the year.
Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival:
Memorial Day Weekend: Help is needed for all days, all shifts and all types of jobs
Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival benefits the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Each artist generously donates a portion of sales to the Museum’s programs. So you can support your favorite artists and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture at the same time! www.nativetreasuressantafe.org.
Regular Volunteer needs:
For more information about any volunteer needs please contact Dawn Kaufmann, Docent Coordinator and Educator, at 505-476-1271.
(Please Note: All volunteer areas require some availability during regular office hours M-F 8 am-5 pm, except Special Events and Fundraisers) :
Education:
The Living Traditions Educational Program provides the opportunity for volunteers and docents to assist in the school tour program through preparation of curriculum and materials for the outreach, and museum tour hands-on activities. Docents are trained to guide students through the museum exhibits, providing unique tours to the youth visitors. Docents and volunteers also work with students in the classroom and outdoors doing hands-on activities, as well as special educational yearly events such as Sun Mountain Gathering and Winter Feast. Volunteers are needed Tuesday through Fridays and occasionally weekends.
Contact Joyce Begay-Foss , Director of Education at 505-476-1272 or joyce.begay-foss@state.nm.us
Docent Training Program:
Docents are an essential and sustaining part of the Museum, and indeed serve as the public face of the Museum for our visitors from around the state and around the world. We rely on our docents to give guided tours, to help with our hands-on classroom activities and outreach visits, and to participate in our fundraising and special events for the public.
Please inquire for the next scheduled docent training class. Docent training classes will be led by the docent coordinator, other museum staff, guest artists and speakers, tribal representatives, with panel discussions, and studio tours as well as other fieldtrips. The class will take place at the Museum once a week on Monday mornings from 9 am to 12:30 pm. The training class is about seven months long. Docent training is considered similar in scope and commitment to a college level course. Following successful training as a docent, we ask that you be able to commit to serving two years as a docent. For more information please
Contact Dawn Kaufmann, Docent Coordinator and Educator, at 505-476-1271.
Museum Gift Shop:
The Colleen Cloney Duncan Museum Shop reflects the collections of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and is a unique shopping experience. The shop provides visitors with a wide array of contemporary Native arts—ceramics, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, kachina dolls, works on paper, and baskets—along with clothing and an extensive selection of popular and scholarly books on Native cultures. Volunteers are needed to help with retail sales and general shop needs, volunteer needs include weekends.
Contact the Museum Gift Shop at 505-982-5057.
Laboratory of Anthropology Library:
The Laboratory of Anthropology maintains an extensive research Library and Archives. The museum has a 25,000 volume non-circulating special research library, computer catalogued and available to the public and researchers in the library or on-line via OCLC. The library specializes in the southwestern American Indian cultures from earliest times to the contemporary. We are looking for people willing to shelve books (knowledge of Dewey Decimal system necessary) as well as repair books and periodicals, check-in journals, indexing projects and assist patrons. We also need volunteers to help organize and run the annual Book Sale Fundraiser held annually. Tasks include sorting donations and pricing books, cash handling, supervising booksale areas. Special projects may include placing leftover donated items on Ebay or other online listing (Amazon.com or Abebooks, etc.), book weeding projects, or updating/cleaning up catalog database.
Volunteer hours are available from 8:30 am – 4:30pm Monday – Friday, except during the booksale weekend when we will need volunteers Saturday and Sunday. Donations or inquiries to volunteer can be made by calling or e-mailing the Librarian Allison Colborne at (505) 476-1264 or allison.colborne@state.nm.us.
Finance Office and General Office Assistance:
Volunteers are needed for basic help in finance with Xeroxing, data entry, and filing, mailings.
Archaeological Research Collections (ARC):
The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture will be moving its archaeological collections to a new repository at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology in a couple of years, and the Archaeological Research Collections staff is looking for some individuals to lend a hand to prepare for this big move of approximately 10 million objects.
Volunteers are needed for various and sundry tasks such as compiling or checking inventories, and re-housing and re-boxing artifacts. These tasks will require attention to detail and a tolerance for repetitive tasks. They may also involve some heavy lifting of boxes of 30-40 lbs, and working in very dusty areas. Volunteers will be part of a team, working during one day per week, in either a morning or afternoon shift (9 am – Noon or 1 to 4 pm). Contact Julia Clifton , Curator of the Archaeological Research Collections at 505-476-1268 or julia.clifton@state.nm.us.
Archaeological Records Management Section (ARMS):
The Archaeological Records Management Section (ARMS) of the Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs maintains a statewide repository of archaeological records for purposes of cultural resource management and research. Working in conjunction with numerous state and federal land managing agencies such as the State Land Office, and Bureau of Land Management field offices, access to archaeological records and survey documentation, either in paper or electronic form through the New Mexico Cultural Resource Information System (NMCRIS) is determined by the registrar as mandated by law through the New Mexico Cultural Properties Review Committee (CPRC).
Volunteers are essential to the operation of ARMS due to chronic understaffing and the need to deal with massive amounts of new material received on a regular basis. Volunteers should have an interest in the archaeology of New Mexico, willing to process paper records, enjoy detail work, and have clear readable handwriting. A willingness to learn new software applications is a plus.
Tasks include:
•filing maps
•housing photographs
•record keeping
•record maintenance
Volunteers are preferred Tuesdays, a.m. or p.m. up until 4pm. Other possible days for volunteering are Monday, Thursday, and Friday. For more information please contact: Louanna (Lou) Haecker at 505-476-1280 or louanna.haecker@state.nm.us or drop by ARMS is located at the Laboratory of Anthropology on Museum Hill, Santa Fe.
MIAC Native Gardens and the Avanyu Trail
Outdoors work with replicas of Historic and Prehistoric structures and native plants
http://www.indianartsandculture.org/volunteer
Volunteer Ranger Program Opportunities, San Gorgonio Wilderness Association, Mentone, CA
Whatever their primary activity, volunteers may be assigned to work at one of our visitor centers up to four days each summer as needed. There is no enforcement work done by volunteers. Volunteers perform as always friendly hosts to provide information and assistance to visitors and to keep trails and camping areas clean and in good repair.
• Naturalist: Give nature walks and/or present programs.
•Information Specialist: Staff the Mill Creek, Barton Flats, Big Falls, and Horse Meadows Stations to provide permits, maps, and other information to forest visitors.
•Trail Crew: Improve trails throughout the San Bernardino National Forest.
•Recreation Maintenance Crew: Improve recreation facilities in the forest.
•Forest Patrol: Backpack overnight in the wilderness, ride your horse along trails and dirt roads, or perform day patrols along the upper Santa Ana River to assist visitors, protect the forest, and perform minor trail and camp maintenance.
Where: In and around the San Gorgonio Wilderness and Big Bear Lake areas east of San Bernardino. The San Gorgonio Wilderness is located on the San Bernardino National Forest, approximately 75 miles east of Los Angeles.
*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:
1.) Philadelphia Community Conservation Crew Leaders, Student Conservation Association (SCA), Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ
The Student Conservation Association (SCA), America’s #1 conservation service organization seeks qualified applicants to lead, educate, and inspire youth crews in the Community Crew Program working in Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ, over an 8 week period of time in the summer of 2014.
Co-lead, mentor and coach a crew of 12 students, ages 15-19, while completing various conservation service projects designed to build an ethic of community and environmental stewardship. Projects include a range of activities such as trail and park maintenance, habitat restoration, revitalization of abandoned urban properties or to urban agriculture.
Program Dates: July 1 – August 8, 2014 and a mandatory Training from June 18 – June 27, 2014.
Primary Responsibilities:
-Follow all SCA policies & procedures as required for the position
-Manage budget and necessary purchasing for crew and project
-Manage relationship with agency partner
-Facilitate crew operations: tools & equipment, work schedule, etc.
-Manage all medical and first aid aspects
-Communicate with full time SCA field staff as required
-Supervise crew members during the work day
-Train & supervise Crew Members in safe and proper tool use
-Organize & lead recreation trip after completion of work project
-Complete required program reporting and documentation
Qualifications:
-Be at least 21 years old
-Must have ability to legally work in the US
-Valid driver’s license
-Successful completion of criminal background check & MVR check within SCA guidelines
-Must possess current First Aid certification & CPR by the start of the orientation training.
-Documented experience working with urban youth or young adults (ages 14-18)
-Experience as a teacher or leader in an informal or formal educational environment
-Preferred experience with conservation work skills or related skills, i.e. trail maintenance, trail construction, chainsaw, carpentry, landscaping, and gardening.
-Ability to perform manual, physical labor for up to 8 hours per day, exposed to the elements. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move 40 pounds or more.
-Attend Mandatory Leader training June 4 – June 13, 2014.
-Must have personal housing arrangements in Philadelphia, Camden or the surrounding areas.
Compensation:
$575/week, depending on experience, for up to 8 weeks. Paid Crew Leader Training & Work Skills ($455/week, travel, food & lodging provided)
Contact Information:
Please visit the link below to view the full position description including application instructions.
http://www.thesca.org/philadelphia-community-conservation-crew-leaders
Email leaders@thesca.org with any questions. – See more at: http://www.conbio.org/professional-development/scb-job-board/philadelphia-community-conservation-crew-leaders#sthash.RotUhqZf.dpuf
*** From Bill Seiberlich:
2.) Facilities Coordinator, Special Events, National Audubon Society, Inc., Audubon, PA
Now in its second century, Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Audubon’s mission is engaging people in bird conservation on a hemispheric scale through science, policy, education and on-the-ground conservation action. By mobilizing and aligning its network of Chapters, Centers, State and Important Bird Area programs in the four major migratory flyways in the Americas, the organization will bring the full power of Audubon to bear on protecting common and threatened bird species and the critical habitat they need to survive. And as part of BirdLife International, Audubon will join people in over 100 in-country organizations all working to protect a network of Important Bird Areas around the world, leveraging the impact of actions they take at a local level. What defines Audubon’s unique value is a powerful grassroots network of nearly 500 local chapters, 23 state offices, 43 Audubon Centers, Important Bird Area Programs in 46 states, and 700 staff across the country. Audubon is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Facilities Manager, the Facilities Coordinator will primarily be responsible supporting special events and rentals at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, including cleaning facilities, supervising the activities of rental parties, securing buildings, processing rental contracts, scheduling event staff, and providing other event related support as needed. S/he will assist with general site maintenance and also help staff the Center’s gift shop during periods when rentals are not scheduled.
The Facilities Coordinator will be scheduled work no less than 20 hours per week, and may be scheduled for up to 30, at times, to accommodate event demands. The majority of events and rentals occur during evenings and weekends and scheduled hours will vary depending on the of events booked; however, the Facilities Coordinator should expect to work some part of every weekend. The Center will attempt to honor occasional requests for schedule changes, which are made at least two weeks in advance, in order to accommodate personal/family commitments.
Essential Functions:
•Act as Audubon’s representative to address guest and vendor needs before, during and after events.
•Clean restrooms, operate industrial floor cleaner, vacuum areas, and thoroughly clean facilities prior to and after events.
•Pick up litter and other debris, including apples and tree nuts, from event areas.
•Conduct inventory, receive and stock event supplies, and report low stock items.
•Assist with and monitor pre-event set-up, including but not limited to setting up tables, chairs, and audio visual equipment.
•Assist with and monitor proper installation and removal of event decorations.
•Oversee day-of events coordination, to include: monitoring noise levels, identifying and minimizing safety hazards, ensuring event users adhere to all rules established by Audubon and Montgomery County.
•Act as a key holder ensuring facilities are both opened and locked at appropriate times, ensure security protocol is strictly adhered to by all parties.
•Initiate and monitor fireplace usage on site; communicate safety instructions to guests.
•Inspect restrooms during events; restock supplies, clean areas, and empty waste baskets as needed.
•Operate the site’s golf cart to shuttle guests and equipment as needed.
•Notify the on-call manager of all major or unusual incidents; notify police, fire or other emergency services as needed.
•Complete nightly reports following events; document major incidents, including all injuries requiring medical attention and/or damage to property, on the Incident Report Form; provide additional information to the Facilities Manager, Director, Risk Manager or others as needed.
•Assist with scheduling, supervising and training other event staff.
•Perform rountine maintenance and janitorial tasks at the site, including but not limited to stocking supplies, weeding/mulching gardens, power washing, raking/blowing, painting, and cleaning.
•Provide staffing support in the gift shop/museum when assigned; process sales and other transactions in the gift shop following established policies and procedures.
•Participate in scheduled staff meetings and trainings.
Qualifications and Experience:
•Minimum high school diploma or equivalent; additional professional training or degree preferred.
•1-3 years’ experience interacting with facilities coordination or similar field in a fast-paced environment; ability to remain composed under pressure; experience working at a museum, historic site, and other sensitive properties highly desirable.
•Demonstrated ability to safely operate equipment commonly used for janitorial and maintenance tasks, such as ladders, vacuums, and floor cleaners.
•Ability to write and speak fluently in English.
•Valid driver’s license.
•Self-starter with the ability to organize/prioritize workload and complete assignments on time.
•Positive attitude and professional work ethic; prompt and dependable.
•Commitment to the Audubon mission.
•Must be able to engage in physical activity, such as lifting, bending, climbing stairs and ladders, and walking unpaved trails with steep hills, as well as have a willingness to work outdoors on a regular basis in all types of weather conditions.
https://careers-audubon.icims.com/jobs/2060/job
3.) Marketing Strategy Officer, Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito, California
The Marine Mammal Center, an equal opportunity, non-profit employer, is seeking a Marketing Strategy Officer to join our team. The Marine Mammal Center’s mission is to expand knowledge about marine mammals—their health and that of their ocean environment—and to inspire their global conservation. Our core work is the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured marine mammals, supported by state-of-the-art animal care and research facilities, a corps of dedicated volunteers, and an engaged community.
Job Summary
The Marketing Strategy Officer is a full-time, exempt position with competitive benefits. This management position is responsible for setting and implementing the marketing, branding and communications strategy for the Center. The objectives of this position are to increase visibility and awareness of the Center and as a result increase the potential to raise critical operating funds through the creation and execution of targeted marketing initiatives. The overarching goal is to increase on-site and on-line visitation at the local level, and improve on-line visitation and awareness on the regional, national and global level. This position manages the Center’s two largest fundraising events, the annual Run For The Seals, and the Gala. The position reports to the Director of Development and Marketing but works across divisions in support of integrated programming and initiatives.
Reports To
Director of Development and Marketing
Responsibilities
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Ability to brand and market the Center, its varied programs and events
- Vast understanding of marketing, branding and communications
- Excellent project management skills – including the ability to create and implement complex marketing campaigns and meet tight deadlines
- Excellent strategist with the ability to evaluate programs within all departments and advance the mission of the organization through targeted marketing
- Ability to produce small to medium-sized fundraising events (30-3,000 people)
- Ability to multi-task while being very efficient with time
- Skill and ability with using marketing databases (Convio) and ability to record, manage, report and analyze data
- Ability to be entrepreneurial – envision and create new programs and utilize mutually agreed decision making tools
- Ability to take initiative and see projects through to completion with minimal supervision
- Embodiment of the following leadership attributes sought by the Center for its personnel. These include:
- An articulate person with creative and strong organizational skills
- An initiator who functions effectively without being autocratic or political; a team player who is inclusive and flexible, creative, energetic and fair minded
- A strong interpersonal and communication skill set and demonstrated ability to work effectively with, and gain the respect and support of, varied and changing constituencies including staff, board members, potential donors, volunteers and the like
- An individual who is equally comfortable to lead and delegate, when appropriate, and who has the sense and humility to dive into and address the most mundane of details, as is warranted by the situation
- A person who is decisive and resourceful, with the willingness to accept responsibility and take charge of results
- Imagination, vision, leadership, integrity and an entrepreneurial “can do” attitude.
- Ability to function well in a balanced culture that combines the richness and relevance of programs with the efficacy of best business practices, fiscal accountability, and institutional impact
- A self-starter who is confident in expressing opinions, has the foresight to forge ahead when appropriate and alternatively hold back when necessary, employing either tactic with a sensitivity to the feelings and opinions of others
- An energetic person who is emotionally mature and dependable; a collegial individual
- Ability to manage contractors and key stakeholders and manage and mentor staff
- Excellent communication, writing, inter-personal, and presentation skills
- Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary, integrated team to advance the mission of the Center
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead the Marketing and Communications Team (70%)
- Define, shape and execute the marketing/communications strategy for the Center
- Ensure that marketing strategies and goals are incorporated into the Center’s visitor programs and on the Center’s website
- Create strategy and implementation for increased visitation in conjunction with education team and other stakeholders
- Set annual revenue goals and suggest annual long term revenue goals with input from the Director of Development and Marketing
- Analyze metrics on a regular basis to determine ongoing progress of online activity
- Oversee the creation and implementation of marketing content online
- Work closely with the Direct Response Membership Officer to help manage the relationship with the web strategy consultant; communicate and disseminate data results and trends and utilize data to drive decision-making
- Manage partnerships with key organizations to promote visitation
- Manage advertising and agency relationships for the Center
- Manage public relations consultant, and serve as liaison to appropriate staff
- Oversee creation of long-lead PR strategy with agency and Event and Marketing Assistant
- Serve as a center PR spokesperson or delegate to staff
- Help Story and Communications Curator manage volunteer Social Media Manager (oversee relationship as necessary)
- Work closely with the Website Specialist and the Direct Response Membership Officer to ensure membership campaigns and all web content is integrated into overall marketing strategy
- Work closely with the Director of Development and Marketing to strategically create and implement new initiatives for the Center
- Work closely with Education and Retail departments and other stakeholders to drive visitation and improve visitor experience, and provide advice and tactical ideas to help retail sales
Personnel Management (20%)
- Manage the Event & Marketing Assistant, Story and Communications Curator, and volunteer Social Media Manager and set goals and metrics for each position
- Measure success through assessment of duties on a routine basis
Major Event Management (10%)
Direct the annual Run for the Seals event:
- Set gross and net revenue goals for the event
- Manage and oversee the creation and implementation of all event logistics, budgeting and marketing elements i.e. event plans, staffing briefs, timelines, expense and revenue budgets, marketing plans, fundraising tactics etc.
- Work with other departments, contractors and volunteers to ensure event success
- Manage and work closely with Direct Response Membership Officer and other key staff to implement a sponsorship plan
- Manage live event
Manage the gala:
- Set gross and net revenue goals for the event
- Devise a theme that threads through the entire event and all marketing
- Create and implement a marketing plan and collateral tied to the theme
- Serve as staff point person to the venue, AV, caterer and other logistics suppliers
- Utilize other departmental staff as production back-up
- Hire external events person if needed
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree
- 7+ years marketing/advertising/branding experience
- Communications/PR experience a plus
- Demonstrated experience with implementing a marketing plan
- Ability to optimize automated systems; Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), and experience with relational databases.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
Compensation
DOE and excellent benefit package
How to Apply
TO APPLY
Please send a cover letter and resume attention Human Resources Director & I.T. Manager to admin@tmmc.org. Please put “Marketing Strategy Officer” in the subject line. Deadline for applications is March 28, 2014. We hope to hire this position as soon as possible. Please no phone calls or faxed submissions.
Marine Mammal Center
(http://www.marinemammalcenter.org)
http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/jobs/8336-marketing-strategy-officer
From Bridget Serchak:
4.) The Manager, Federal Relations, National fish and wildlife foundation, Washington, DC
http://www.nfwf.org/whoweare/careers/Pages/manager-great.aspx
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