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Your Very Next Step newsletter for March 2012

By Ned Lundquist www.yourverynextstep.com

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

“I think that travel comes from some deep urge to see the world, like the urge that brings up a worm in an Irish bog to see the moon when it is full.”

~ Lord Dunsany

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

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You may note that our website (www.yourverynextstep.com) has received a make-over. Bear with Ned as he learns how to use it.

*** In this issue:

*** Can I touch your hair? Shhhh. Listen. *** Brian Kilgallen “Along the Elbe”

*** Travel news

*** Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Backcountry Hut Caretaker, Maine Huts & Trails, Kingfield, Maine 2.) Volunteer position, Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone, WY 3.) Volunteer opportunity (Removing illegal campsites & site naturalization), Three Sisters Wilderness, Deschutes National Forest, OR 4.) Volunteer at The Mountaineers Summer Camp, The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA 5.) Chapel Ledges Trail Maintenance, AMC, Ashfield, Berkshires, MA

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: March 2012 Nevada’s Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Outdoor Educator (Part Time), Shangri La Education Department, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX 2.) Intern – Environmental Education, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX 3.) Instructor Position, High Trails Outdoor Science School, Big Bear City, CA 4.) Wild Turkey Program Coordinator, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, FL 5.) Governmental Communications Manager, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Washington, DC 6.) Chief Executive Officer, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** “Can I touch your hair?” — More from Heather Murphy:

Shhhh. Listen.

At Ned’s urging, I’ve shared several adventures from my September 2011 trip to Iceland. Ned has asked me to contribute to YVNS again.

If you’re reading this, you very likely work in communications or the defense business or both. My career to date has been in communications, public affairs, crisis management, branding and marketing. For the past 13 years, I have served panels of elected officials at the state and county level. I spend a lot of time listening…and probably a bit too much time talking. A vacation is an essential opportunity to escape but also a chance to challenge myself and hone my creativity.

Photography has been my passion since I was a very young girl, receiving my first camera as a gift at age seven. Vacation destinations are selected based on a host of criteria. What do I want to see? What will recharge my creativity? What might challenge my thinking? What is so remote that I can really get away? Where can I be assured that I’ll see something truly unexpected?

Sometimes the criterion just needs to be in someplace remote and quiet.

The rigor of a military upbringing took me a lot of places but was not conducive to maintaining strong bonds with lifelong pals. Holly and I met in seventh grade and – despite many moves and jobs since then – we managed to keep our friendship strong. She took up photography long after I did but is an absolute natural with an impressive portfolio. A photography trip to Albuquerque and Santa Fe about a dozen years ago started a series of trips to destinations ranging from the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico to Newfoundland and Iceland.

We leave our jobs, our men and our pressures behind and go to a destination with no specific plans in mind. A moose or bear by the side of the road is the perfect reason to linger…at a safe distance. (It’s amazing how crazy some tourists can be – rushing up to bull elk that weighs in excess of 500 pounds or trying to lure a bear a little closer…)

There is always something worth capturing on camera. Even if it’s a pair of bighorn sheep butting heads along a major roadway. (Trust me, it was waaaay more entertaining than elected officials butting heads!) There have been some close calls and comedic moments on these trips. Stay tuned…I may elaborate in future installments.

These getaways force creativity and adventure to the surface. Conversation is natural or non-existent, depending on the situation. The ability to acutely listen and observe is paramount. Seeing trumps talking about. And agendas and schedules are cast by the wayside – except for the flight in and flight out!

That said, there is plenty to see, observe and photograph in our own communities. Keep your minds, eyes and hearts open and the creativity will follow. Consider travelling, golfing or adventuring with a peer or long-time friend – take a moment to break the mold. You just might find that you are sharper having found a new edge to hone.

Questions or feedback for Heather can be addressed here in YVNS by sending an email to Ned at lundquist989@cs.com. Heather through

*** From Brian Kilgallen:

I’m catching up on past adventures, with the hope that there will be many more to come. This was my first trip to the former East Germany….

Brian

Along the Elbe

Once in a while, you stumble onto a gem off the beaten track, hidden away from the mainstream yet remarkably accessible. The village of Bad Schandau on the north bank of the Elbe River in the former East Germany is such a place. It butts up against dense forests and rolling hills, a scant six kilometers from the Czech border and 30 kilometers east of Dresden in the heart of the Sächsische Schweiz, or the Saxon Switzerland, an area many Germans refer to as their Grand Canyon. And the scenery is, indeed, breath-taking, with soaring granite cliffs and rock formations chiseled out by the Elbe over countless millennia.

I arrived mid afternoon during one of those rare heat waves in July. Most of the townspeople were watching a soccer match on a big screen that had been set up outside the 5-star Elberesidenz Hotel on the river. Several bars were dispensing high octane beer and there was a kiosk where a local family was grilling bratwurst and pork steaks. Germany won that match and the fans celebrated the victory well into the night as the beer flowed as freely as the river. Before long, I had locked arms with the revelers on either side of me and was swaying to the raucous rhythm of the oompah music.

“You are English?” the man next to me asked. He was unshaven, unkempt and his unruly chestnut hair was shot through with gray. He smelled like a brewery and quite possibly had slept in his clothes most of the week.

“American,” I said. It sounded hollow, almost like an apology and I regretted that.

“You like foosball?”

“Foosball? Sure.”

He clinked his half-liter mug with mine and flashed a tobacco stained grin. His wife leaned over his shoulder and smiled. She was thick waisted with rosy cheeks and one of her lower teeth was missing. He was Rolf and she was Helga. They were born and grew up in Bad Schandau. Rolf was a farm worker and still remembered what life was like under the East German communist regime before the reunification in 1990. His English wasn’t good, but it was easier for me to understand than his Saxon dialect. And after a few more beers, it didn’t matter much anyway.

The following morning broke clear and fresh. I strolled down to the dock behind the hotel and boarded one of the many steam-powered vintage paddle boats that ply the Elbe daily between Bad Schandau and Dresden. Built in the late 1800s, they have been maintained to the highest standards, with polished brass and deeply lacquered wood trim, giving the impression that the boats had only recently come off the assembly line. But these were the real thing. Antiques, not reproductions.

Tables were set up throughout the boat and the waitresses, wearing pale blue waistcoats and aprons, took orders for light meals, snacks and drinks. I ordered a double-double cappuccino alfredo with a lemon twist and a side of whipped cream. She brought me coffee and a miniature hazelnut cookie.

The Elbe is a shallow river, prone to flooding after long heavy rains and snow melts in the spring. Many of the buildings along the banks have high-water marks and dates on their walls to show where the flood waters reached and when. I’ve often wondered why people continue to live in places prone to recurring disasters. Perhaps because it has been home for several generations and, so, when the floods come, as they must, the residents prepare as best they can and then shovel the mud from their houses and repair the damage when the water finally subsides. Such is life on the river.

The three-hour journey to Dresden took us along banks of lush grassland, past small farm villages and spectacular palaces. The steam whistle wailed long blasts as we approached the piers in the larger towns to take on more passengers. Königstein. Stadt Wehlen. Pirna. And, Pillnitz with is Chinese-style castle, vineyards and classic gardens.

As we rounded the last bend, the spires of Dresden appeared in the distance. The city is steeped in cultural history, marred somewhat by the allied bombing during World War II and the decades of communist rule that followed. In the years after the reunification, significant reconstruction has transformed Dresden into a modern cultural, educational and political center, while the restored historic city center with its baroque and rococo architecture is now a major tourist destination.

I stopped for lunch in the main square near the Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, with its distinctive dome that somewhat resembles a massive stone bell. Most of the restaurants had tables outside under awnings and umbrellas and a casual, refreshing breeze from the river provided a pleasant respite from the sweltering heat. A quartet of young, vacationing students at the next table were attacking generous portions of sausages, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. I ordered the same and a radler – half beer and half lemon soda – so named after the German cyclists who popularized the drink as a thirst quencher.

I spent the next few hours walking around the impressive Zwinger Palace in the old town. While the Frauenkirche is regarded as the symbol of Dresden, the Zwinger was once home to the Saxon kings. After the destructive bombings of the Second World War, it has been restored to its former magnificence. Truly a masterpiece of baroque architecture.

As the afternoon wore on and the heat became more oppressive, I headed across town to the station. A friend once commented that train travel takes you through the backyards of the world. The ride back to Bad Schandau was no different except that it was like stepping back 50 years to another place, another time. We passed by drab, windowless shells of long-abandoned factories and deserted houses surrounded by scrub plants and high, uneven sun-scorched grass where there once were gardens. Most of the stations bore the ravages of neglect during the post-war communist era, while scaffolding at the more important stops indicated that at least some of them were being renovated.

Back at the hotel, I showered and changed my clothes. The Elberesidenz had air conditioning and the bar had cold beer, but they came at a price. The thirty-something bartender dropped the receipt for six Euros in front of me. I paid it.

“You are American,” he said. A statement.

“I get that lot,” I said.

“American?”

“Yes.”

“Quentin Tarantino stayed here. You know him?”

I shook my head. “No. Not personally.” Then, “ Not at all, really.”

“He was filming ‘Inglorious Basterds’ here.”

“Interesting.”

He smiled broadly. “Very nice man. He was wearing a T-shirt and sandals and shorts. He went in there to eat,” he nodded toward the adjoining upscale restaurant. “He came back a few minutes later and ordered a pizza. Very nice man.”

I later discovered that Kate Winslet also stayed in the area while filming “The Reader.”

There are a host of attractions within 10 kilometers of Bad Schandau and there is a fleet of period buses to get you there. The route is circular, with stops among the cliffs in the bosom of the national park and finishing in Königstein where the largest fortress in Germany towers over the Elbe. The castle dates back to 1233 with the finishing touches applied during the 17th century during the reign of King Augustus the Strong, so named for his legendary strength which he apparently demonstrated by breaking horseshoes with his bare hands. That, or his reputation for having fathered more than 300 children.

As Mel Brooks once famously said: It’s good to be da king.

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for March:

*** The World’s Best Cities for Beer

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?group=304

*** US Airways to link San Diego and Washington Reagan

http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/US-Airways-to-link-San- Diego-and-Washington-Reagan/?cid=eltrMtgNews

(Maybe this isn’t a big deal to most of you…but it’s a big deal to me.)

*** Foreign visitors to hit record in 2011: Commerce Department Reuters

http://news.yahoo.com/foreign-visitors-hit-record-2011-commerce-department-1 85812929.html

*** World’s Most Beautiful Spring Flowers: When to Travel

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/index.cfm?group=1008&p=1#ixzz1qH8qQkyA

*** New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

April 27 – May 6 2012 http://www.nojazzfest.com/

*** Ned recommends the Chouara Tannery in Fes, Morocco

http://www.intltravelnews.com/2011/07/chouara-tannery-fes-morocco http://www.manuelcohen.com/en/report/82-Chouara_Tannery_Fez_Morocco http://athomeintheworld.com/2012/01/06/pictures-of-the-chouara-tannery-in-fe z-morocco/

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Backcountry Hut Caretaker, Maine Huts & Trails, Kingfield, Maine

About Maine Huts & Trails

Maine Huts & Trails is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve a recreational trail corridor in Maine’s Western Lakes and Mountains region. Upon completion, our system of trails, backcountry huts, and waterways will run 200 miles from the Mahoosuc Range to Moosehead Lake. Our trails ensure perpetual public access to some of the most spectacular backcountry in Maine, and our off-the-grid huts provide ecotourism destinations that facilitate outdoor adventures and learning.

Maine Huts & Trails currently operates three backcountry huts accommodating up to 48 guests each, and 50 miles of trails open to the public free of charge, year round. In the winter, trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing. In the summer, hiking, mountain biking and paddling are possible.

Summary

Maine Huts & Trails requires volunteers to serve as backcountry hut caretakers. This position is a unique opportunity for someone interested in recreational or outdoor resource management, green building design and operation, conservation education, or similar fields.

Caretakers live on site in staff quarters at the huts for four to twelve weeks. The huts have wood and propane heat, solar and hydro power, composting toilets, hot showers, and water from a well. This is an opportunity to live rent-free and off-the-grid, with a recreational playground at your fingertips. Kayaking, canoeing, bicycling, hiking, and camping are all possible from the huts.

Caretakers must be attentive to the needs of visitors and the cleanliness and maintenance of the hut to assure the best possible visitor experience. The caretaker will ideally be an outgoing person who enjoys sustainable living and outdoor recreation and appreciates the Maine outdoors.

Responsibilities •Serve as primary contact person between the MH&T office and the hut. •Welcome arriving visitors, familiarize them with the operation and rules concerning the facilities, and provide information about Maine Huts & Trails and Leave No Trace outdoor ethics •Monitor daily operation of green energy systems, implementing energy conservation and environmentally sound practices (training provided). •Maintain an appropriate and consistent presence at the hut.

Qualifications •Friendly, outgoing manner •Proven ability to work alone and unsupervised for long periods of time •First aid certification, desirable •Strong interest in backcountry management, desirable •Minimum four week commitment •Able to hike to the huts – facilities cannot be reached by vehicle.

Dates

Spring season – April 1st – June 15th

Fall season – November 1st – December 15th

Compensation

This is a volunteer position. Room and board are provided at no cost.

How to apply

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to:

Skylar Purdy Maine Huts & Trails 375 Main St Kingfield, ME Phone: (207) 265-8001 Fax: (207) 265-2209 spurdy@mainehuts.org

http://www.idealist.org/view/volop/FZfXB4pxj5Xd/

2.) Volunteer position, Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone, WY

Opportunity Description:

This volunteer position will be stationed at Old Faithful within Yellowstone National Park. The purpose of this position is to assist the Rangers throughout the park by taking non-emergency reports that require no follow up by investigators or immediate action by an on duty Ranger. Work contributes to the protection of natural resources and visitor safety by supporting the work of the Resource and Visitor Protection Division and in cooperating with other divisions.

Major Duties

Work in cooperation with Yellowstone National Park Law Enforcement Rangers. Take non-emergent police reports. Provide park information to visitors. Assist park personnel or Rangers as needed or directed. On occasion will drive a government vehicle and will use the park radio system, direct traffic, assist with search & rescue and any other duty appropriate for the current circumstances.

Knowledge and Skills Required

•A background in law enforcement to include experience with taking police reports, crime investigations, taking witness statements •Basic use of computers and word processing •Ability to work well with the public, fellow employees, and other agencies. •Ability to communicate verbally and in writing. •Valid State Driver’s License Will provide support to other NPS work units on a short-term basis as specifically directed.

Physical Demands

Light to moderate physical effort is required. Some duties at the job site require sitting, standing, or walking for extended periods of time, as well as carrying equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.

Work Schedule

Desk Office is open 7 days a week from 8-5. Work schedule is set up by the Desk Officers to ensure the office has coverage.

Area Information

Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone National Park sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Summer temperatures vary from 0 degrees at night to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the day. Medical Clinics are open in the park during the summer at Mammoth, Lake, and Old Faithful. Cell phone and internet service is not available in many locations but it is at Old Faithful. There are 9 visitor centers open to the public with one at Old Faithful. Hotels, stores, bookshops, restaurants, post offices, and fuel are available at Old Faithful. Limited groceries are available in West Yellowstone, MT (1hr drive). Full range of services available in Bozeman, MT, Jackson, WY and Idaho Falls, ID – all approximately 3 hrs drive. Housing Availability: Available • Housing Type: RV Pads • Housing Description: Trailer site with hookups

http://www.volunteer.gov/gov/results.cfm?states=WY

3.) Volunteer opportunity (Removing illegal campsites & site naturalization ), Three Sisters Wilderness, Deschutes National Forest, OR http://www.wildernessvolunteers.org/php/project/Three+Sisters+Wilderness%2C+ Deschutes+National+Forest/5aab6babb4035945dc35ae9482f7ebc7.html

4.) Volunteer at The Mountaineers Summer Camp, The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp1056086.jsp

5.) Chapel Ledges Trail Maintenance, AMC, Ashfield, Berkshires, MA http://activities.outdoors.org/search/index.cfm/action/details/id/59212

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: March 2012 Nevada’s Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail

Looking for a safe bet in Las Vegas? You won’t find it at the gaming tables or the slot machines in casinos along the Strip. But if you head just 30 miles southeast of the city toward Hoover Dam, you’ll find a sure winner in the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail (sometimes referred to as the Historic Railroad Hiking Trail).

This seven-mile trail hits the jackpot on several counts. One, as the name suggests, is the history: Built over one of the rail lines that serviced Hoover Dam, this corridor played a role in one of America’s most famous construction projects. Two is the scenery: The trail offers breathtaking views not only of Lake Mead—the huge body of water created by the dam—but also the harshly beautiful desert around the lake. Three is the natural life: It’s not unusual to encounter desert bighorn sheep scaling the rugged hills, bats clinging to tunnel walls, and lizards slithering or scampering across the path.

“Having Hoover Dam as a destination is a marvelous pot of gold at the end of the trail,” says Jim Holland, a park planner at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service that manages most of the trail. “But it’s the combination of the spectacular outdoor setting, Hoover Dam and the fact that the trail is not too long that makes it one of the most popular trails in southern Nevada.”

Holland’s connection to this trail stretches back before his birth. His grandfather moved to the area in 1930 to help build the dam; he was one of thousands of unemployed men who were lured to Nevada by the prospect of steady wages in the midst of the Depression. Settling first in “Ragtown,” a makeshift workers’ camp on the banks of the Colorado River, Holland’s grandfather helped construct what was then the tallest dam in the world. The elder Holland stayed on and put down roots in Boulder City, a company town for workers about eight miles from the dam, and where Jim Holland grew up.

The rail line’s history also goes back to the early 1930s, when the government and its contractors were beginning to work on the dam. They needed a way to transport construction materials from Boulder City down to the dam site on the Colorado River, so they laid tracks across the desert and blasted cuts and tunnels through the red volcanic ridges above the river. The five tunnels on the trail are each 25 feet wide and about 30 feet high, large enough to accommodate the huge sections of pipe, generators and other materials that were carried down to the dam. (Years later, Holland recalls, the tunnels were designated as fallout shelters for Boulder City because they were so big.)

After the dam was completed in 1936, the rail line saw only intermittent use, and the last train trip was in 1961, to transport a new generator to the dam’s hydropower station. (The electricity generated here is still a major source of energy for Los Angeles and other parts of southern California.) The tracks and ties were removed in 1962, and the grade was largely neglected for the next three decades. In the early 1990s, the superintendent of Lake Mead recreation area assigned Holland the task of creating a recreational trail on the unused railroad line. With the help of grants from the federal Transportation Enhancements program, work to stabilize the tunnels and smooth the grade got under way, and the first section of trail opened in 1995.

In the following years, the trail was gradually extended to the parking lot adjacent to Hoover Dam, and joined on its other end (toward Boulder City) with about 3.5 miles of the River Mountains Loop Trail. The park service has installed several trailside informational kiosks, and plans are in the works to add more, so that trail users can learn additional history of the dam.

Not surprisingly, the dam is the big draw here. More than a million people visit each year to marvel at its huge size—the 726-foot-tall structure is still the highest solid concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere—and listen to stories about how it was built. The vast majority of these visitors drive on a nearby highway, so the rail-trail offers a more peaceful entrée to this engineering marvel. (Hoover Dam and a zone immediately around it are managed by a separate federal agency, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the portion of trail on these lands is only open from dawn to dusk as part of security measures to protect the dam.)

But the trail has many other pay-offs besides a 6.6-million-ton monolith. “It’s pretty awesome,” says John Holman, chair of the River Mountains Trail Partnership, a local coalition that helps build and support trails in the area. “Where else can you hike through five 300- to 400-foot-long railroad tunnels and have the views you’ve got? This whole trail was carved out of the edge of a mountain overlooking Lake Mead. You have all kinds of different colors and shading and variations in the light. In spring, you’ve got wildflowers along it. Tunnel five has a bat colony. You can also see bighorn sheep on the trail. So it’s extremely unique.”

Both Holman and Holland emphasize that the best seasons to visit are spring and fall, when temperatures are mild. If you plan to come in the summer, time your excursion for the early morning; daytime temperatures regularly exceed 105 degrees in this season. And be sure to have plenty of water and sunscreen on hand year-round.

Whatever the timing of your next trip to Vegas, take a gamble on the historic railroad trail. The odds are decidedly in your favor. http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Wild, Denver, Colorado

Colorado-based conservation organization with offices in Denver and Durango seeks a highly motivated and personable executive director with superb managerial skills to lead our organization in fulfillment of our mission to protect, connect and restore wildlife and wild lands in the Rockies.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Executive Director is responsible for the fiscal health and strategic direction of the organization. The Executive Director will propose an annual budget for Board of Director approval, control expenditures and monitor progress toward revenue goals.

The Executive Director will continue to build a proactive, engaged Board of Directors; provide direct supervision and support to the Conservation Director, Development Director, and Communications and Development Coordinator; provide strategic input on campaigns; guide the organization’s long-term vision; develop and implement a strategic communications plan; build relationships with elected officials; represent Rocky Mountain Wild in local coalitions and oversee the overall functioning of the office.

The Executive Director works with the Board of Directors and Development Director to plan and execute fundraising strategies and monitor progress toward $850,000 annual revenue goal. The Executive Director will cultivate and solicit gifts from individuals, sponsorships from corporations, and grants from foundations and government agencies. The Executive Director will engage in fundraising activities via one-on-one meetings with donors, telephone solicitations, grant writing, direct mail and online appeals, special events, and public presentations.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Commitment to taking on a leadership role in the organization A passion for the organization’s mission and values Capacity to clearly articulate that mission and inspire others Strong planning, monitoring, time management, and strategic thinking skills Passion for networking and relationship-building Demonstrated fundraising success Knowledge of principles related to fundraising, marketing, communication and public relations; strategic planning and partnership development Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred. Concentration in nonprofit management or related discipline preferred.

Experience: Minimum of five years of progressively responsible growth and experience preferred in the area of non-profit management or fundraising. Must have demonstrated ability to manage budgets and control expenses. Experience with conservation or animal welfare-related fundraising considered a plus. Experience with donor management database such as Raisers’ Edge or Salesforce a plus.

SALARY: Between $50,000 – $60,000 commensurate with experience and comparable to other mid-sized nonprofit organizations. We offer a competitive benefits package including group health insurance, paid time off, sabbatical, and bus/rail pass. Rocky Mountain Wild offers a dynamic work environment and is committed to workplace diversity.

About Rocky Mountain Wild: We envision a biologically healthy future for our Rocky Mountain region of Colorado, southern Wyoming, and eastern Utah. In order to achieve this, we work to prevent extinctions and promote recovery of native species and ecosystems. We restore a connected landscape for wildlife by ensuring safe passage across roads and highways. We secure biologically important natural areas and healthy watersheds for the benefit of people and wildlife. We seek a sustainable coexistence for wildlife with the people of our region. Created from the merger of Center for Native Ecosystems and Colorado Wild, we draw on more than a dozen years of conservation success, including more than two million acres of wildlife habitat protected.

Application Instructions

Send cover letter, resume, required salary range and three references to Rocky Mountain Wild, 1536 Wynkoop St., Suite 303, Denver CO 80202. Applications accepted until position is filled. Interviews will be scheduled starting March 15th. No phone calls or office visits. Send inquiries to lindsey@rockymountainwild.org, Attn: Executive Director Search Committee.

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=373800017

2.) Field Staff for year-round wilderness program, RedCliff Ascent, Enterprise, UT

RedCliff is an extraordinary program with research based outcome studies to back it up. The effectiveness of the program and the significant changes made by students and families, as born out through the research, has a direct correlation to the quality of staff employed at RedCliff. Therefore, we search out the best.

If you prefer a hike in the backcountry to a walk in the park, or waking to the wind in the trees over the sound of an alarm, then this career might be for you.

If you have any questions concerning employment with redcliff ascent or would like to talk to someone live feel free to contact Darren in our Human Resources department by phone at: (435) 592-4422, or by email at jobs@redcliffascent.com

Apply online for our Field Staff Position

Interested in becoming a member of our staff? Contact our recruiter at:

RedCliff Ascent Recruiting Attn: Darren 709 E. Main Street PO Box 1027 Enterprise, UT 84725

Phone: (435) 592-4422 Phone: 1-888-588-HIKE(4453) Fax: (435) 878-2860 Email: jobs@redcliffascent.com http://www.wildernesswork.com/?gclid=CPqOwuaY664CFYbe4AodZFHuIg

3.) Visitor Centre Assistants, Newport Wetlands Reserve, Wales

Full Time Established contract 37.5 hours per week Salary range £13,800 to £15,500 per annum Are you looking for an exciting job in a stunning location then why not join the team at Newport Wetlands. You will work in a busy retail and people engagement role meeting and greeting visitors to the centre and maintaining a high quality retail operation. You will assist the visitor centre in achieving its recruitment and retail objectives whilst providing a high quality customer service. Previous experience in a retail and/or sales background would be advantageous. You will also need to be flexible and willing to work regular weekends and bank holidays. Closing Date 23 March 2012 Interview Date 30 March 2012 http://www.countryside-jobs.com/cjsdailyonline/Mar12/1603_6.html

4.) Visitor and Publicity Officer, RSPB Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Essex, UK

To increase support for RSPB Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve by raising the profile of the reserve, highlighting its relevance to the surrounding area and its importance for wildlife, You will be responsible for attracting visitors to Rainham Marshes and for helping ensure that they go ‘Wow!’ when they get here. You will be instrumental in steering our communication work, and then managing its delivery, integrating core RSPB aims and messages into reserve based communications and working with colleagues and local media to maximise press coverage. The work will range from press and publicity to interpretation and publications. As a senior member of the team, you will also assist with the hands-on running of the visitor operation, including working regular weekends and some evenings and Bank Holidays. You will have sound experience of working in a public-facing role, and be highly competent with both the written and spoken word, be familiar with a variety of communication and promotion techniques, and enjoy working with people in a busy year-round visitor operation. An interest in wildlife and the environment is not essential, but would be desirable.

Salary

£16,000 to £18,000 pa

Hours & contract information

Hours: Full time Replacement post: No

Closing date: 5 April 2012 Interview date: 16 April 2012

How to apply

For complete details of this post (including an application form) please download an application pack. When you return the application form, ensure that you include reference number 4640212 on any correspondence.

For questions about this post TerryRobinson terry.robinson@rspb.org.uk 01708 899840

Send application forms to: Terry Robinson terry.robinson@rspb.org.uk The RSPB, Rainham Marshes, Purfleet Environment & Education Centre, Rainham Marshes nature reserve, New Tank Hill Road, Purfleet, Essex, RM19 1SZ, 01708 899840

http://www.rspb.org.uk/vacancies/details/308116-visitor-and-publicity-office r

5.) Program Assistant/ Office Coordinator, Conservacion Patagonica, Sausalito, California http://www.idealist.org/view/job/Ffhfb5pP8kh4/

*** From Mark Sofman:

6.) Another Fishing Job for Bass Masters Everywhere, Escanaba, MI

7.) Eagle Education Coordinator, Ketchikan Indian Community, Ketchikan, AK

8.) Development Director, HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, UT

9.) Canoe Livery Attendant II, City of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

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