Friends of
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
|
|
Friends of
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
|
Founded in 1993, Friends of Crater Lake National Park is a non-profit organization cooperating with the National Park Service in the stewardship of the natural and cultural resources of Crater Lake National Park. Cooperation may be provided through supporting appropriate visitor opportunities to observe, experience and understand the character of the area; working with park staff in completing special projects; and taking the lead in fund raising for special projects.
2002 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of Crater Lake National Park. The Friends of Crater Lake National Park has been actively working with the park in planning a number of events to help celebrate this milestone event. Check the park's Centennial Web site or our Web site for Centennial Events as they are announced.
Crater Lake Employee Reunion
Is Part of Centennial CelebrationAll present and former employees of Crater Lake National Park are invited to a reunion on Monday, August 26, 2002. The reunion is open to National Park Service employees, volunteers-in-parks, concessioner employees, and employees of major contractors, partners, and cooperators. The reunion will take place at the park, and will include a picnic luncheon, tours of the current administrative areas, and interpretive tours of the park. The reunion is scheduled for the day after the official Centennial Rededication Ceremony that will be held at Rim Village on Sunday, August 25th.
If you're interested in attending the reunion, contact the park by mail at Reunion, Crater Lake National Park, Box 100, Crater Lake, OR 97604 or by email at crla_reunion@nps.gov. Include names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, former duties, and the years employed. Park staff are seeking help in locating former employees. Please spread the word about the reunion and how to make the initial mail contact. Official invitations, registration forms, and programs will be sent beginning on April 12, 2002 to those who respond to this article.
Crater Lake is still the incredible blue gem that you remember from your times working here. If you haven't returned to visit the park recently, this is a great opportunity to reacquaint yourself, both spiritually and intellectually, with its natural and cultural wonders. The reunion will provide an opportunity to visit with old friends, swap stories about park experiences, and see how the park operates today. Current employees will be available to talk about the latest in park research projects, the new General Management Plan which is being developed, internet based administrative tools, new snow removal equipment, and a variety of other topics of interest.
| WORK PROJECTS |
Each year we sponsor several projects. Our summer program activities include:
| Fire Lookouts |
Each summer we offer a workshop to train volunteers for duties associated with fire surveillance at the Watchman Peak and Mt. Scott fire lookout towers. Following training (usually in July), volunteers can sign up for a day or a weekend and staff either the Watchman or Mt. Scott Lookouts. In addition to looking for smokes, a major portion of this job consists of chatting with park visitors. This activity is best suited for those in good physical condition.
2002 |
|---|---|
| Trail Project Weekend |
Each summer we help maintain or build a trail in the park. In previous years we have helped reroute the Pacific Crest Trail to include a portion for lake viewing, rehabilitated the North Junction Overlook, and helped maintain existing trails. 
Lost Creek Campground was the base camp on July 26, 27, and 28 for our 1996 summer trail project. 1996's project was trail sign inventory and culvert removal on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). We hiked the Annie Creek connector trail which follows a portion of the old wagon road that went from Fort Klamath to Jacksonville in 1865. We made a significant contribution to the park and had a lot of fun! The trail project for 1997 was held July 25,26,27. Annie Creek Canyon Trail was the site for Saturday's projects and included bridge replacement, installation of water bars, trail inventory wtih a mileage wheel and basic trail enhancement. The Sunday morning project was trail enhancement of the Discovery Point Trail (along the Rim) and additional work on the Annie Creek Canyon Trail. The trail project for 1998 had to be delayed until early August due to a lingering snowpack in the park. We spent the weekend working on the ever popular Castle Crest Wildflower Garden Trail, doing trail tread and drainage work and replacing a creosote-treated bridge with a natural wood bridge using a historical design for the structure. 
Also due to heavy snowpack, the 1999 trail project was held in mid-August and involved the construction of the first interpretive trail in the park since 1963 -- the Park Headquarters Historic Walking Tour in the Munson Valley Historic District. Visit our photo page for a look at Friends-in-action at 1999's event. An additional project was conducted once again in 1999 of planting rare Collomia Mazama. This planting project took place one weekend in June. Our 2000 Trail Project Weekend started off the new century with relocating the trailhead to Crater Peak. The old trailhead was on the busy Loop Drive and had inadequate parking. The new trailhead is now in the Vidae Falls Picnic Area. See our photo gallery for all the fun and hard work. We continued this project in 2001, including installing new picnic tables plus additional trail work. 2002 Friends of Crater Lake National Park have also adopted a highway. Additionally, the Friends will be engaged in a Adopt-a-Trail and Adopt-a-Boundary project this summer on July 12-14, 2002. Details forthcoming. |
| Field Seminar |
Each summer we offer a seminar, workshop, or walks hosted by experts in their field. "Roads Less Travelled" was presented August 12-14, 1996 by former Crater Lake National Park Rangers Lloyd C. Smith and Larry B. Smith. The seminar included a field exploration of the park's natural and cultural resources. In conjunction with the 1997 summer trail project, Amy Mark lead a wildflower walk at Castle Crest Wildflower Garden. Steve Mark, Park historian, retraced the old wagon road and trail to Crater Lake as the 19th century visitors would have experienced it. In 1998, Steve Mark, Park Historian, gave a slide presentation and exhibit titled, "Rim Drive As A Cultural Landscape." Amy Mark presented a talk titled, "Research Natural Areas in Crater Lake National Park." Guide walks have been given on the Sunday afternoon following the trail project weekend the past several years. |
| Winter Rim Information Desk |
Each winter many Friends have enjoyed staffing this desk in the cafeteria during winter weekends. A short training meeting is usually held in mid-November for those interested in participating. 2002 |
All of the above projects and many more to come in future years are ways you, as a "Friend", can both help Crater Lake National Park and enjoy it at the same time. You can be involved as much as you wish. For further details on this season's projects, or to submit your own ideas, please write to us at the address below.
| MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS |
The Friends of Crater Lake are looking for a broad cross-section of membership. Membership brochures are available at either park visitor centers or by writing to our address below. By becoming a member, you are entitled to:
Membership Rates (U.S. funds) are:
| Park Pal (12 or under) | $5.00 | Individual | $25.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | $15.00 | Family | $35.00 | |
| Senior (55 or over) | $15.00 | Patron | $50.00 | |
| Senior Couple | $25.00 | Sponsor or Organization | $100.00 | |
| Life Member | $250.00 |
| HOW TO REACH US |
Friends of Crater Lake National Park, P.O. Box 88, Crater Lake, OR 97604.
| NEWSLETTER |
