New Bedford, MA—Beginning April 25th, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park (NHP) will kick off its annual spring volunteer training program. This free training program, which lasts 8 weeks, offers participants opportunities to learn about local history while, at the same time, acquiring the skills needed to serve visitors who come to the National Park and the City of New Bedford. Sessions will be held Monday evenings and Saturday mornings and will last anywhere from 1-2 hours. Upon completion of the program, “graduates” will conduct walking tours in the national park, staff the visitor center information desk and/or assist at special events.

Training sessions cover a range of topics and are conducted by local historians. Some of the sessions planned for this spring are a lecture on the history of New Bedford, a session titled Architecture in the Park, a walking tour of Underground Railroad-related sites in and around the national park and an informational session on the contemporary fishing industry in New Bedford. The training program will conclude with “How to” sessions on putting together a walking tour and providing stellar customer service.

Currently, 60 volunteers give anywhere from 2-8 hours of their time per week to the park. Some stay on year round, others come only during the busy summer season. Last year, volunteers at New Bedford Whaling NHP gave just over 6,000 hours to the National Park Service. Jennifer Gonsalves, Chief of Visitor Services and Volunteer Coordinator at the park comments on the critical role volunteers play at the park, “Last year, over 30,000 people came into the park visitor center and many of those people took a volunteer-led walking tour. In most instances, it was a volunteer who was the first point of contact for these visitors. Our volunteers are the lifeblood of New Bedford Whaling NHP. Over the last couple of summers, the park has received a very high visitor satisfaction rating on our annual summer visitor survey. This is a direct correlation to the high quality service our volunteers provide to everyone who walks through the visitor center doors. It is my hope that, as word gets out about this year’s training program, others are enticed to get involved with all that’s going on here in the city and in the national park.” Gonsalves continues, "It’s a great way to give back to this wonderful community. Come and learn how you can join this very talented and dedicated group of people.”

Those who are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at New Bedford Whaling NHP are asked to attend one of two informational sessions being offered at the park visitor center located at 33 William Street. The first is set for Monday, April 25th at 7:00 p.m. and the other is scheduled for Saturday, April 30th at 10:00 a.m. Seating is limited so please call 508 996 4095 ext. 14 in advance if you plan to attend one of the sessions.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996. One of over 380 National Park Service areas, it is the National Park Service site addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social and environmental history of the United States. The park includes New Bedford’s 13-block waterfront historic district, Schooner Ernestina, the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum and several sites along the waterfront. The legislation establishing the park also established a connection between the NPS and the Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska.

For more information about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, contact at the Visitor Center at (508) 996-4095, or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/nebe.