CABR Monthly News & Updates |
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Please review for important messages and updates from the park. |
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Congratulations Elizabeth and welcome Junior Ranger Julian Gregory Whalen! |
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From Elizabeth:
My husband Alex Whalen and I are happy to announce our son Julian Gregory Whalen was born Friday, July 30 at 10:56 pm weighing 6lbs 0 oz. and 19 inches long. Julian decided to arrive one month early so he needed some extra time at the hospital but he is home now and thriving! Thank you all for your support.
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Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Skinner |
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Save the Date: Annual Volunteer Recognition
Saturday, September 18th
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Please join us for this year's VIP Recognition Rendezvous Saturday, September 18th from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM, where we can celebrate and thank you all for your enduring service and dedication.
In order to host our VIPs with everyone's health and safety in mind, this year's recognition event will be hosted at the monument outdoors and masks are required. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the sunset with us at Ocean View Parking. Live music and desserts provided by Cabrillo National Monument Foundation.
There will be a drive up only area as an alternative option as well.
Make sure you have logged your hours contributed for the year in Volgistics and RSVP by Wednesday August 25th.
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
The sun dips along a hazy horizon with dormant Bushmallow silhouetted in the foreground.
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NPS Photo T. Jordan
At the traffic circle, soft clouds break up a vivid blue sky with the lighthouse visible in the distance.
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It's that time of year again! In order to stay up to date and compliant with service wide policy, VIPs will need to renew their paperwork.
This is a great time to review the roles assigned on Volgistics and make any changes to those roles should you wish to expand or narrow the scope of your service at the park.
Current forms will be expiring by October 31st.
Starting next week, forms will be available at the Interpretation office for VIPs to complete when arriving to the park for their shifts.
In order to assist in making this process as smooth as possible, Carmen will host desk hours throughout the month of September for volunteers to visit the park and complete their paperwork.
If you have any questions please email cabr_volunteers@nps.gov for assistance. Please do not email your forms, no digital signatures will be accepted.
Sign up to attend desk hours using the doodle poll below.
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Keep your submissions coming for the theme: Summer Sun!
Summer is here and the sun is doing it’s best to shine through the residual June Gloom. This month share that summer feeling with fellow VIPs! Whether it's a lizard soaking up the rays trailside or a sunset from the park during extended hours, get creative and share with us the best of summer at Cabrillo National Monument!
The good news? You have the rest of summer's extended park hours to take some excellent new photos (now through Labor Day weekend) or dig through your summer archives!
Requirements:
- Photos must be submitted by their photographer (you, our VIPs!)
- Photos must be taken at Cabrillo National Monument (of course!)
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Photos must reflect the theme- remember to peruse your archives as well, photos do not have to be taken this year
- Don't forget! Include your name, how long you have been a volunteer, and a brief caption explaining why you chose this photo for the theme
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Photos must be emailed to cabr_volunteers@nps.gov by Wednesday, September 8th to be considered
- You can reply to this email with your submissions, or email with the subject line: Newsletter Photo Submission: Summer Sun
Reminder: this is not a contest. Think of this as a fun way to share what you see and your experiences with your fellow volunteers.
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NPS Photo P. Geisler
A bank of clouds obscures the sun's glare as its rays reflect off the ocean at sunset.
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With many recent changes in staffing and absences, below is an overview of staff at the park and temporary assignments.
Current staff adjustments by Division:
- Facility Management
- Deric Johnson is acting Facility Manager.
- Resources Management and Science
- Patricia Simpson has joined as a Biological Technician and official Volunteer Supervisor for the Greenhouse role.
- Visitor and Resource Protection
- Chad Riggin taking over Ralph's position as Chief of Visitor and Resource Protection.
- Madison O'barr has joined on as a Visitor Use Assistant at the entrance station.
- Interpretation and Education
- While Elizabeth is out on maternity leave, Ralph Jones is stepping in as Chief of Interpretation and Education.
- Sandy Hernandez will be joining the staff as Park Ranger and Volunteer Coordinator, expected late September.
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The Delta variant of COVID-19 has had tremendous ramifications for the rate of virus spread over recent weeks. Please see the updated guidance below as you prepare for upcoming volunteer shifts.
The Department of the Interior released guidance on July 27 following updated guidance from the CDC.
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In areas of substantial or high community transmission (which includes San Diego County in the high rate of spread), masks are again required in federal buildings, by everyone - staff, partners, contractors, VIPs, and visitors. Please be prepared to wear masks whenever you are inside any of the buildings at the park.
- People who are not fully vaccinated need to continue to physically distance consistent with CDC guidance.
- Park management will continue to monitor status and will relay changes in operations as guided accordingly.
Thank you to everyone for your actions to reduce the spread of the virus.
VIPs no longer need to email cabr_volunteers@nps.gov to confirm COVID-19 self-screening. Please continue to perform the COVID-19 self-screen on your own, but only notify the coordinators at cabr_volunteers@nps.gov if answering “yes” to any of the 3 questions. We will cancel your shift.
- Have I had any recent known potential exposure (household contact or close contact within 6 feet) to anyone with COVID-19 infection?
- Have I had COVID-like symptoms* or fever (temperature of 100.4˚F or higher) within the last 72 hours including today? [Note: Check for fever before entering the workplace.]
- Did I develop COVID-like symptoms* or fever during the day while working?
Remember we cannot ask others if they have been vaccinated or not. We have plenty of disposable masks if you need one for your shift!
Please reach out to the cabr_volunteers@nps.gov inbox or your VIP Supervisors should you have any additional questions or concerns.
Updates to guidance have been coming out quickly from all governmental sources. We will continue to keep you all apprised as more information is received. Your understanding and patience are greatly appreciated.
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Please welcome Lana Longwell Seasonal Interpretive Ranger as she embarks on her season at Cabrillo National Monument!
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NPS Photo courtesy of Lana Longwell |
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Lana Longwell arrived in July for her season at Cabrillo National Monument. Originally from Kansas City, Lana has spent the last three seasons at Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. She has several seasons as an Interpretive Ranger under her belt from diverse parks across the National Park Service including Bandelier National Monument, Manhattan Project National Historic Park and Joshua Tree National Park. She has also worked as Public Affairs Officer for the Santa Fe National Forest and as Volunteer Coordinator for the Frontier Army Museum. Lana grew up in a military family and they were stationed in San Diego on several occasions. She has fond memories of visits to Cabrillo National Monument and hiking the Bayside Trail with her family. Lana is very excited to return to Cabrillo as a Park Ranger, sharing its historical and cultural resources with the next generation of Junior Rangers. |
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NPS Photo
The Interpretation Rangers in the Summer of 2020 show off their expertise in pointing at things.
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Cabrillo will continue to host Naturalization Ceremonies once a month and we added dates to continue hosting ceremonies through the end of 2021! 2 VIP sign-up slots are posted on Volgistics for each date from 9:00am – 3:00pm. Please email cabr_volunteers@nps.gov for more information.
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
VIP Jo Rummelhart distributes Junior Ranger Activity books to visitors in the breezeway.
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Visitor Center Contact Desk Volunteers Needed
If you volunteered at the desk prior to the pandemic and are interested in coming back, please send an email to cabr_volunteers@nps.gov about re-onboarding into this position so that we may update you on new protocols and provide training on the new contact desk that is outside the visitor center.
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Image courtesy of Michael J. Ready |
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Next Naturally Speaking free virtual science talk!
Have you heard? It’s time for the next Naturally Speaking virtual talk! Join San Diego Zoo’s curator of entomology Paige Howorth as she discusses San Diego’s endangered butterflies and the conservation efforts to preserve and protect them.
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When: Wednesday, August 18th 6:30 PM Pacific time - 7:30 PM Pacific time
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Where: Cabrillo National Monument Foundation's Zoom
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Who: Paige Howorth – McKinney Family Curator of Entomology at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
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How: Register
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Audience: All are welcome!
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Cost: Free!
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Resource Management & Science |
NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
Resource Management and Science Division at the Coast Trail leading to the tidepools. From Left: Pauline Geisler, Renee Heidelberg, VIP Patricia Simpson, Lonie Brown, Dr. Linh Anh Cat and Dr. Lauren Pandori.
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We have great news about the Tidepool Education Table. Thanks to the hard work by VIP’s Dan Wieder and Bob Sharp, we are close to reopening the table. Look for an announcement about the reopening and the ability to sign up for shifts on Volgistics in the near future. |
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NPS Photo P. Geisler
VIP Dan Wieder diligently working on improvements to the TPERP Education Table.
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Lonie and the California Conservation Corp have been working hard and making great progress throughout the park. This has left Weed Warrior shifts less active in recent weeks but we are excited to have their help at the park. Keep your eyes out for continued updates from Lonie and more shifts available soon! |
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NPS C. Aurrecoechea
CCC and Lonie Brown delicately working around the spines of cactus off Gatchell Road.
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NPS C. Aurrecoechea
CCC hard at work on a clear and warm summer morning.
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NPS Photo: Volunteer Photographer L'Ecuyer |
Our friends at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO) and SAMO Fund will be hosting their zoom series once a month on Thursdays from 12 pm - 1 pm!
Here are the next few dates and their topics:
- Thursday, August 19th- Vegetation Monitoring in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills: 2.5 years post-Woolsey
- Thursday, September 16th- Fire and Cultural Resources
Zoom sign on information is the same for the entire series, so save it for future sessions!
Meeting ID: 819 0689 8251
Passcode: 996607
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Here is the link for last month's Zoom Session you may have missed to watch at your leisure: |
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Did You Know - History of CNM's Bunker
Did you wonder how the bunker at Cabrillo came to be? Well with the help from Ken Glaze, a new document has been added to the ebinder about the history of the bunker at CNM. Entrance to the Bunker ...
Read more
cnmvipvoice.org
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VIP Voice is a blog site run by volunteers for volunteers to keep connected to the Cabrillo National Monument VIP community. It is not a federal website. This link does not imply endorsement of any opinions shared on the website. |
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Don't Forget to Log Your Hours! |
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