Reflections of a Volunteer Information Assistant

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SourDough News | October 30, 2015

 

 

I started volunteering when I was a young child collecting coins for UNICEF in San Francisco. As an adult I had a gratifying 40-year career in community and school health nursing, from which I retired 5 years ago. My retirement began with service in Peace Corps Botswana and then in Peace Corps Response Guyana.

 

This summer I had the opportunity of a lifetime and in mid-May began training to be a Volunteer Information Assistant in Alaska’s Chugach National Forest. Embracing a new adventure, I left behind my comfortable tools of lectern, computer, PowerPoint, and notes and entered into the world of thematic interpretation where I would not be using my usual props.

 

The drive from California to Portage Valley was incredibly long, but rewarding for the breathtakingly beautiful wildness of Alaska we took in along the way. Wow, what a gift to work and live here surrounded by a magical landscape of majestic glaciers, great and small natural waterways, and young and old-growth forests! Alaska is truly the last frontier.

 

After 2 weeks of intense, outstanding instruction and training on topics that included the USFS, our partners, interpretation, wilderness, Alaska Native heritage, bear awareness, geology, and more, I was totally overwhelmed by all the new and exciting information I needed to absorb. Not only did I need to know what I was taught during training, I also needed to, at a minimum, learn a lot more about the history, ecology, glaciers, and flora and fauna of the area. All of this was new to me.  I was, however, motivated by this new knowledge and fascinating facts. In the weeks that followed, I threw myself head long into learning the material and delivering engaging interpretive talks that I hoped would inspire awe for nature and provoke thought for visitors from all walks of life.

 

I appreciate the variety of duties I had at the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center: providing information at the front desk; interpreting on the M/V Ptarmigan and on the Moraine Nature Trail: sharing at the Wildlife Table and on the Williwaw Salmon Viewing Platform; and filling in wherever I was needed. It was a special treat to meet Molly Postlewait (who portrayed Alaska Nellie), authors Dan Seavey and Doug Capra, and their spouses.

 

As expected, the skills and new knowledge from that intense 2-week training were applied during my volunteer work here. What was not expected was an opportunity to apply my nursing expertise. It was at the end of August, as I was concluding an interpretive presentation on the M/V Ptarmigan, that we spotted two non-responsive hypothermic kayakers in our glacial Portage Lake. The captain and crew immediately went into emergency response, and I instinctively did likewise following their lead. After many tense moments the kayakers were safely pulled onto shore, and transported by ambulance to the hospital. I was reminded how connected and interdependent we all are not only to nature but to one another. That day I also realized how comfortable and confident I was using both my newly acquired interpretation skills and deeply ingrained nursing skills.

 

It has been a joy working with our visitors, and I love the challenge of presenting interpretive programs. I come away from this position with a great sense of accomplishment and life-long memories. I want to especially thank Lezlie Murray and Nick Racine who have such an amazing breadth of knowledge. They supported and inspired me and fostered the camaraderie that makes working with the BBVC staff as a team so rewarding and fun. As the season draws to a close, I find myself reluctant to leave. I eagerly look forward to returning next season for unforgettable new experiences.

 

By Geri Keh, Volunteer at Begich, Boggs Visitor Center