Volunteer Story- Kent Schlawin

To share the sites and stories of all 4,900 miles of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the National Park Service Trail headquarters relies on a volunteer who loves history and the outdoors.

"Lacing up my hiking boots, tossing a backpack in the car and heading West for a few weeks is something I would love to do several times a year. But, even though I’m 90% retired, it would be a challenge for me to find the time for on-site volunteer work," says volunteer, Kent Schlawin. "Instead, I was blessed to discover the Trail staff in Omaha, Nebraska needed someone to help develop content for their daily social media posts – a perfect match, it seemed, with my career in advertising and my love of 19th century American history and our country’s National Parks."

Kent helps the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Office research and write content for the Trail's online readership, many of whom are history buffs themselves. In addition to this virtual volunteering, Kent has also had opportunity to grab those hiking boots and get out on the Trail. Kent has joined Trail staff in the Rockies and along the Columbia River to photograph cultural, historic, and natural landscapes. Kent's photos have helped to build the Trail's image library.

Kent enjoys his volunteer work just as much as Lewis and Clark Trail staff enjoy having him on the team.

"Being a National Park VIP (Volunteers-in-Parks) is a hugely rewarding experience", says Kent. "There’s a place for you to help, a way for you to share your skills and talents, and an opportunity for you to make a positive impact."