Cabrillo National Monument VIP Newsletter |
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March 2022 Updates for VIPs |
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Women's History Month - NPS Celebrates! (U.S. National...
Women have played an important role in the preservation and stewardship of many places that are now national parks since before the creation of the National Park Service. Today a tradition of service and leadership continues with employees...
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www.nps.gov
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- VIP Spotlight: Karen Scanlon
- VIP Kudos: Greenhouse and Roving
- Upcoming VIP Engagement Opportunities
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- COVID-19 Updates and Safety
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To Right a Wrong: Ballard Mountain
In 2010, the mountain known as a racial slur was renamed Ballard Mountain in honor of John Ballard. A 13-minute documentary film, released in February 2022, called To Right a Wrong: The Story of Ballard Mountain documents the renaming effort. It also chronicles the inspirational resiliency of the Ballard family who overcame incredible hardships.
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VIP Spotlight: Karen Scanlon |
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NPS Photo | Group of volunteers and rangers at the bluffs area. |
Last month, VIP Karen Scanlon wrote a wonderful tribute in remembrance of VIP Joe Janesic. It was the perfect homage to the work Joe had done for our park, Fort MacArthur, and the history community. She did a wonderful job in facilitating the gathering and it would not have been possible without her and everyone in attendance. It was an extra special day, as we had Joe's father and sister join us.
The following message was shared by VIP Joe's father. It's a reminder to us as to why we volunteer. What is your own true meaning in serving as a volunteer?
"Dear Karen,
You will never know how much closer I feel to my sweet heroic son Joey than I did after hearing of the many others he had touched with his abilities, sense of humor and commitment to the causes that were near and dear to him. I find he had a network of friends in the military history community all across the United States and was called upon by many others for his stored knowledge and expertise in researching the subject. I owe all the folks at CNM and especially you Karen, a sincere thank you for opening your hearts to my daughter and myself and the wonderful tribute you all paid him this past weekend! ... [Let's] keep in touch as more of Joe’s accumulated research comes to light and as I continue to explore his “library” and related documents. And of course, let everyone know of our plans for a celebration of life when eventually planned. Thank you again for caring about my son and the reputation he earned at the CNM revitalization project. It is because of him I find my own true meaning in serving as a “volunteer”.
Thank you all!"
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VIP Kudos: Greenhouse and Roving |
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A big shout out to the greenhouse crew for a successful restoration season. A lot of hard work went into it. We completed 7 projects, planted nearly 400 plants covering over 3,000 sqft. of land.
– Patricia Simpson, Greenhouse VIP Supervisor
VIP Rovers Annelise, David, John, and Gary have been integral in the implementation and beta testing of the new roving backpack! They have already cleaned many signs and helped to abate moisture on benches during their many roving shifts. Thank you for being willing to try something new while out roving the park!
– Amanda Gossard, Roving VIP Supervisor
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
Plants in the greenhouse.
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Let's keep it going! Thinking of a fellow volunteer who deserves to be celebrated? Send us your Kudos and Spotlights to cabr_volunteers@nps.gov so we can share them in the next newsletter, and celebrate each other together!
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Join us Monday, March 21st from 8am to 10am for a deep cleaning of our beloved Old Point Loma Lighthouse and Assistant Keeper's Quarters. The exhibits need some love. Will you join us?
RSVP required as space is limited. Sign up on Volgistics. Link below!
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Early Detection Rapid Reporting (EDRR) Training |
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
VIPs join Lonie Brown at an EDRR session mid-summer.
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VIP supervisor, Lonie Brown, is offering another Early Detection Rapid Reporting (EDRR) class! The plants highlighted have not changed, but they are at a different stage of growth and at a different location. If you want to learn about the key invasive plants that we are targeting for immediate removal from the park and how you can help without getting dirty, please join us.
When: Thursday, March 17th at 3:15pm
Where: Just before the first set of stairs from parking lot 1 on the Coastal Trail
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Volunteer Navigation Committee Returning! |
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The Volunteer Navigation Committee (VNC) is so much more than just another committee and another meeting. The group provides volunteers with a voice in the decision-making processes related to the VIP program at CNM. It also helps define, describe, and archive all the information related to volunteer opportunities at CNM and provides it to the National Park Service (NPS) staff and San Diego community.
Join us Saturday, April 2nd in the auditorium for our first VNC meeting since 2020! We will be reviewing the old VNC charter and filling a few vacant committee leadership positions. |
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We have an updated mask policy. As of March 7, 2022, San Diego County COVID-19 case numbers have been in the LOW category on the COVID-19 Community Level tool for 3 days. This means masks will not be required the week of March 7 - March 14.
But don't throw your masks out yet! If case numbers go into the HIGH category for 3 days, we will be required to reinstate the indoor mask mandate. This will be assessed every week.
While masks are not required, staff and volunteers can continue to wear a mask if they are comfortable doing so. Please respect the decisions of your colleagues either way, as some people have very good reasons for continuing to wear a mask.
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As of January 10th, VIPs are required to complete a vaccination attestation form when they arrive to the park for a shift, if they have not done so already. Please see this message with full details and instructions.
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Please reach out to the cabr_volunteers@nps.gov or your VIP Supervisors should you have any additional questions or concerns.
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
VIP interacting with visitors at the TPERP education table, properly equipped with protective clothing, hat, and sunglasses.
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Safety Message: Sun Protection |
We have been getting some warmer weather in San Diego. While some exposure to sunlight can be enjoyable, too much can be dangerous. Please keep sun safety in mind when reporting for volunteering shifts. Here are five easy tips to keep you safe:
5 Sun Safe Tips
- Apply sunscreen
- Put on a hat
- Wear sunglasses
- Protective clothing
- Seek shade
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Interpretation & Education |
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NPS Photo
Drive-thru naturalization ceremony at Cabrillo.
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Naturalization Ceremonies |
Naturalization Ceremonies continue on Tuesdays throughout 2022!
The next Naturalization Ceremonies will be Tuesday, March 29th and volunteers are still needed.
Never volunteered at these ceremonies but would like to give it a try?
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We will be moving the information desk back to the Visitor Center the week of March 14th (Soft-opening Wednesday/Thursday, and officially inside on Friday). Join us for a cleaning day on Tuesday, March 15th at 9am to help prep and organize the visitor center desk!
Shifts are available for sign-up on Volgistics. Please sign up ahead of time, so we can expect you.
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NPS Photo
VIP stationed at Visitor Center desk.
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Email cabr_volunteers@nps.gov so we can provide more details and ensure you are able to sign up! Please also email us if you are interested in getting trained to sign up as a Visitor Center volunteer. All are welcome!
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Resources Management & Science |
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
Resource Management and Science Division at the Coast Trail leading to the tidepools.
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Spring rocky intertidal monitoring will be ongoing in March. California gnatcatcher surveys and Argentine ant surveys also starting up this month.
Compliance, trail brushing, and other activities for the Future Trail will take up much of the Resources team time over the next several months. We are all very excited!
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Park staff and VIPs found 8 dead birds in the coastal area today last week, which is highly unusual and met the trigger to notify the National Wildlife Health Center. Please keep an eye out for ANY dead ravens, crows, or gulls or birds showing neurological symptoms. It is transmissible to humans in rare cases, please do not handle or approach wildlife and radio Resources (any 500). Please ask Resources staff for more details.
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NPS Photo P. Simpson
A gull opens its beak wide.
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Weed Warriors
Weed Warriors have started working on the Coastal Trail from Tide Pool Parking Lot #1. The difference along the trail is obvious.
Hope you can venture down and look at the differences in worked and unworked areas along the edge of the trail!
NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
Coastal Trail plots.
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There is no doubt that the rocky intertidal area at Cabrillo is extremely popular. The area had 380,000 visitors in 2020 … that’s a lot of footsteps. The Resources Management and Science team led a discussion with the TPERP Advisory Board on how to help mitigate those footsteps. Cabrillo’s rocky intertidal is a valuable public resource. It’s critical park staff and volunteers demonstrate low-impact stewardship for park visitors. With that in mind, we reached out to the Marine Protected Area Council (MPAC), California State Parks and other agencies for advice. With the help of park staff and the TPERP Advisory Board, we took the advice that was shared and created stewardship guidelines that are consistent with Marine Protected Area (MPA) rules and Federal Regulations (CFR).
The Rocky Intertidal Stewardship Strategy provides both park staff and volunteers with the framework to demonstrate the type of low-impact stewardship needed to help preserve the tidepools at Cabrillo for current and future generations.
Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this new strategy by using the link to the right.
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
VIP walking along tidepools.
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NPS Photo C. Aurrecoechea
VIP waters plants growing in greenhouse.
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Thank you also to those of you who have recently signed up for greenhouse duty. At this time, we will focus on training the new recruits and will press the pause button on accepting new volunteers. The greenhouse crew will be working on salvaging plants from the new trail, watering and weeding current restoration areas and transplanting our ‘babies’ to individual or larger containers. Seed collection events may start before the end of April considering some species are blooming early this year. |
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Partner News: Cabrillo National Monument Foundation |
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Gallery Walk
It is important to review the additional COVID-19 policies below and to inform your guests. These policies are required by Cabrillo National Monument Foundation and supported by the National Park Service for the well being and health of all event ...
Read more
cnmf.org
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Volunteers needed for gallery walk on April 21st!
Never volunteered for a CMNF Special Event, but would like to give it a try? Email cabr_volunteers@nps.gov so we can provide more details and ensure you are able to sign up!
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Don't Forget to Log Your Hours! |
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