Happy National Volunteer Week!
This week, we're recognizing and celebrating our fabulous volunteers at Point Reyes National Seashore.
The National Park Service's volunteer program,
Volunteers-in-Parks, or VIP, program,
engages thousands of volunteers across the country each year
in accomplishing priority work that would not be done otherwise.
And this year happens to be the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service VIP program!
My name is Anela Kopshever, Park Ranger at Point Reyes National Seashore.
I'd like you to meet one of Point Reyes National Seashore's volunteers,
Michael Aspiras, so he can tell us some stories about his volunteer work.
Hi Anela, pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me aboard.
[Anela] Hi Michael! Thanks for being with us today.
[Anela] Could you tell us how long have you been volunteering at Point Reyes and what do you do?
Absolutely, Anela!
So, I'm actually one of the newer volunteers at Point Reyes National Seashore.
I've been volunteering for several months as a Trail Patrol volunteer since November of 2019.
[Anela] And could you tell us a little more about what you do as a Trail Patrol volunteer?
Absolutely! So as a Trail Patrol volunteer,
we work with the park rangers in Visitor and Resource Protection.
So, what we do as a Trail Patrol volunteer is, we head out and rove
the many trails located within the Seashore.
For example, in the Philip Burton Wilderness, along Bear Valley Trail
and what our emphasis is is on visitor contact.
We just want to make sure that everybody is observing the rules and regulations of the park,
not only for the safety of the animals that are located within there,
but also, most importantly, for visitor safety.
Much like the national parks within the United States and outside the United States,
there are hazards that are present.
So, we're out there to...uh...basically.... uh...also rove the trails
to ensure that there's no hazards present that might harm the visitors out there.
For example, like, fallen trees after a recent storm.
Or, in more urgent circumstances, if a visitor needs a medical attention,
we have the capability to call our dispatch to provide emergency response.
[Anela] Well, thank you for being out on the trails.
[Anela] And can you tell us more about or tell us... tell us one of your most memorable...
[Anela] ...memorable moments as a volunteer?
Absolutely! So, one of my most memorable moments as a volunteer
was being out on Tomales Point Trail observing some of the tule elk
that just happened to be grazing near one of the trails there.
As I was observing, making sure that the animals and visitors have been keeping their contact,
I heard one of the calves kind of calling out to its mother.
Almost in an instinct, I stopped hikers on both ends.
It was fairly crowded on the trail that day,
And then, as soon as I did that, almost instantly, the tule elk began to cross the trail.
To share that moment with the visitors there as a tule elk were crossing the trail,
seeing the awe and wow from children there,
as it gracefully crossed the trail to meet each other,
was something spectacular to share, and to be in that same moment with the visitors.
[Anela] Oh, what a wonderful memory!
[Anela] And, when you're not volunteering at the Seashore,
what would we most likely find you doing?
So, when I'm not at the Seashore, you'll most likely definitely find me outside,
whether it's at a regional park, or even at one of our many national parks.
I do a lot of photography, so you can say I got a little bit of a Ansel Adams inspiration in me.
Capturing these amazing, beautiful landscapes that are located throughout.
Not only that, I am an active member serving with the United States Coast Guard.
So, with them, we do search and rescue, law enforcement, maritime environmental response.
So, we also work in partnership with the National Park Service in certain of these missions.
[Anela] And what advice would you give someone
who is thinking about volunteering at Point Reyes?
Do it! That's all I can say really.
For anybody that's willing to volunteer
or wants to volunteer at Point Reyes National Seashore,
we're looking for a lot of volunteers, you know, in a variety of skill sets.
It doesn't necessarily, you know, have to be very physical intensive,
you know, it can be out there, just talking to visitors
and helping them learn more about Point Reyes.
There's just so much to share within the Point Reyes National Seashore.
For example, in my specific skill set,
I like to do a lot of, like, backpacker contact.
See, the seashore provides a great opportunity for anybody
who wants to try backpacking for the first time.
And it enables me to let them know,
"Hey, based on my prior experiences,
here's some tips and tricks to help you succeed
when you're hiking out to the campgrounds."
And to also hear from them saying,
"Hey, yeah you know, as an avid backpacker,
here are some of my tips and tricks that we can all share."
It's something great within the backpacking community out there.
[Anela] Great!
[Anela] And what is your favorite place to visit at Point Reyes National Seashore?
Oh gosh. There is so many places at the seashore that I could probably call my favorite.
But one of my most favorite places to visit at the National Seashore is
actually along Bear Valley Trail.
It's about one and a half miles from the visitor center, but it's the Divide Meadow.
I always like to stop there when, at the end of my trail patrols,
just to kind of relax and take in the scenery and landscape that's there.
Especially during sunset, when you have that nice golden glow.
Sometimes you might see coyotes out there frolicking, playing around.
Other days, I've seen deer just, kind of, gracefully grazing out there.
It's just an absolutely phenomenal scene to be out there and to just take it all in
and just say, "Wow! This is a National Seashore,
a National Park, right in my backyard here in the Bay Area."
[Anela] Thank you, Michael, for sharing with us your experiences as a volunteer,
[Anela] And thank you so much for your service!
If you are interested in volunteering at Point Reyes National Seashore,
please visit our website at
nps.gov/pore
Thank you for spending time with us today!
We hope you all have an opportunity
to visit Point Reyes National Seashore in the future!