The National Park Service is recruiting volunteers to assist in staffing its visitor center at Grandview, near Beckley, West Virginia, this summer in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, according to National Park Service officials.
The center is open daily in summer from noon until 5 p.m., and ideal volunteers will able to commit to full shifts on multiple days weekly June through August, though arrangements may be made for interested individuals that are willing to commit to fewer hours.
The Grandview area is renowned for its panoramic views of the New River and beautiful rhododendron blooms in mid-May, according to Julena Campbell, public affairs officer for the service in southern West Virginia and its chief of interpretation and cultural resources.
Volunteer duties will include answering visitor questions, providing directions and assistance with trip planning, distributing park maps and brochures, and selling items from the park bookstore, she said.
The position requires excellent communication skills and the ability to read maps, follow standard operating procedures, use a cash register, and the ability to provide basic first-aid. Basic first-aid and CPR training can be provided by the service, Campbell said.
Most work will be performed indoors, although the ability to hike in the Grandview area will provide for additional opportunities for visitor assistance.
A nearby RV site with full hook-ups is available for volunteers that commit to at least 32 hours weekly.
Interested individuals should contact volunteer coordinator Adrienne Jenkins at by email or by calling 304-465-2634. More information about this opportunity and other volunteer positions available with the National Park Service can be found at Volunteer.gov.