By Poppy Benson, Outreach Chair
It is a sign of the times that refuges are looking for help in winter. These and future opportunities are posted on our Volunteer web page. Summer volunteer opportunities will be posted about March 1.
Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center –January, February, March or April
Kodiak has lost half their staff in the past year. The young, very capable visitor center manager is the only one working out of the visitor center and has no other help to keep it open Tuesday through Saturday noon to 4. The prime responsibility would be the visitor center desk and assisting the center manager. However, if you could bring other skills to the table – social media? environmental education? event organization? – so much the better as it might allow them to restart abandoned programs like First Friday Art Walk and children’s programs. The refuge would supply very nice housing at refuge headquarters on the Buskin River and a refuge vehicle. Airfare from Anchorage is under discussion. They would prefer a three to four week (or longer) commitment. See our description of volunteering in the Kodiak Visitor Center this past September. This will be a quiet time of year and not like we experienced but – it’s Kodiak! and the staff is wonderful! For more details on this project visit our Volunteer web page.
Kodiak Refuge Visitor Center is located right in the heart of downtown Kodiak in the midst of other visitor destinations: The Baranof House, the Alutiiq Museum, the Chamber Visitor Center, the ferry dock, and the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral. PC Poppy Benson/Friends
Save the Data!
Do you have a scientist’s curiosity and respect for data or a librarian’s desire to make information available? The Fish & Wildlife Service needs help in selecting Refuge files for inclusion in the public-facing database: ServCat. You can do this at home on your own schedule selecting which file batches you want to work on from Yukon Delta, Izembek, Selawik, Kodiak, or Kanuti national wildlife refuges. You must have a computer. An ideal way for our out of state members to help. For more details on this project visit our Volunteer web page.
Make the Magic Happen; Homer’s Ice Lantern Walk Saturday, January 10, 5 – 7:30 pmHomer people we need volunteers to make this popular event happen at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Can you make ice lanterns ahead of time at home? Help set up Saturday afternoon from 2 – 4:30 pm, tend the fires, the s’more making or the craft station during the event and clean up afterwards from 7:30 to 8 pm? Walk the trail Sunday to clean up any trash? And lastly, Friends will have an outreach table that will need staffing. Contact visitor center manager Lora Haller, at lora_haller@fws.gov by December 24 to help with the activities and me, poppyb.ak@gmail.com to help with the outreach table.
Photo Above: The Beluga Slough Trail walk by the glow of dozens of ice lanterns is a very popular free event for all ages but it needs Friends volunteers to make it all happen. If you can’t volunteer, just come dressed for the weather and with ice cleats. There will be a warming fire, s’mores, and hot chocolate.