Get SMART about Camp Hosting--not STUNG

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 WorkampingReviews.com Provides a Needed Resource for the Workamping Community

A Voice for the Thousands of U.S. Workampers

On the road, Wyoming – September 18, 2014

A new website has been launched giving workampers and traveling volunteers a voice. WorkampingReviews.com is an easy-to-use free website that allows workampers to share their experiences.  Users will help their fellows to avoid possible bad situations, and encourage the organizations that provide positive employment and service opportunities.  This website equips workampers and volunteers with information so they can determine which opportunities are best for them.

Each year, thousands of workampers and volunteers cris-cross the country filling vital roles in short term and seasonal positions. By all accounts, full-time RVing and workamping is a growing lifestyle.  “A website like this has been needed for sometime,” said Christian Dunn of WorkampingReviews.com. Who, along with his wife, is a full-time RVer and workamper.  “Most workamping and volunteer experiences are positive, but when a situation is bad, it can be a tremendous drain on time, money and emotions,” said Dunn.  “Prior to developing this website I had often wished there was such a resource.  A situation this past year prompted me and my wife to do it ourselves, in the spirit of community.”

The website relies on users to review and share their experiences.  “We wanted the website to be free, easy to use and allow users to post reviews anonymously.  Hopefully, people will come to the website regularly, and share honestly without concern of employer blow-back,” said Alayne Dunn of WorkampingReviews.com.  “So far there is not much in between, people either really enjoy their experiences or not,” said Dunn.  WorkampingReviews.com is the only website of its kind and is solely dedicated to the workamper with no other interests.  It is free, requires no registration, and users can begin posting and searching immediately.   

Christian & Alayne Dunn, also known as the TheRVNomads.com, are non-retired aged full-time RVers that have been traveling around the US with their two cats since March 2013. 

Contact:

Alayne Dunn

TheRVNomads@gmail.com

TheRVNomads.com

443 794 4596

Camp Hosting Positions - Fabulous? ...or... Farce?

We know the dream:  The idealized view of a camp host.  Can you see it?  The cute carved sign with your name on it, the Christmas lights hung and the potted plants blooming all around your shiny rig.  And there's probably a cute pet or two in your vision of the perfect hosting site.  Fantasy?  We found more than one such site at California's Carlsbad State Beach.  Hosts had been delighting visitors by inviting them to decorate a rock.  Fun idea, since the beach was made up of wave-worn rocks...all of them natural beauties....wanting a bit of paint.  If you host in a national park or forest, then you will be asked to leave your host site "natural" looking.  This Forest Service "rule" is often ignored...especially by returning camp hosts who have become much-loved by their managers.   Besides, it's always some kind of holiday....isn't it?  And we must do a bit of celebratory decorating.

We were just offered what I thought was a fabulous dream job in Everglades National Park.  We got an email from Environmental Ranger Greg Litton asking if we were interested in working at their Hidden Lake Environmental Education Center.  He included a brief description of duties:  "Provide logistical support to rangers leading 5th grade curriculum-based environmental education programs.  Two people needed who want to be a part of a nationally recognized environmental education program.  Lots of opportunities for making a difference in urban kids’ lives – this can be hard work too."

This was like candy to a former science teacher who likes working hard and misses working with kids a GREAT DEAL .  I read everything I could about the program.  Greg seemed like a super-star keeper of the Earth.

Ranger Greg passes out periphyton to 5th grade students at Long Pine Key.

 Then the "Fabulous" job started its decline. Here's a bit of sad news we received on Dec 15, 2011, from Greg:  "The only real concern I have is that you don't have a vehicle to get you to camp and back.  It is 10 miles round trip across paved and unpaved roads in a variety of environmental conditions.  That may end up being a real sticking point since some of the VIP duties involve hauling bags of recycling and garbage from camp.   I'll be talking to my supervisor today to see if there is really any other solution."

The Everglades is a Sea of Saw Grass filled with life.

I was thinking we'd just ride our bikes to the camp each day, but it was clear we were supposed to provide a "garbage truck" of some type 5 days a week.  I seriously thought of renting a car.  I wanted to do this!  But thoughts of "farce" started to sneak into my mind.  The previous volunteers quit this job....that's why it was open.  I already knew it was a big commitment.   The work schedule is Mon-Fri with hours as short as a half day to as long as 10 hours.  I started to read the fine print about our duties.  They included: 

Duties include python checks under tents.

Pressure wash, mow grounds, “take care” of unwanted rodents, cockroaches, snakes and ants in tents, care for activity boxes and touch tables, split all of the wood, clean fire pits nightly, cut out poisonwood and poison ivy (it’s around the bathrooms where you have to do string trimming) launder kids’ sleeping bags, spray structures with bleach to control mildew, repaint surfaces damaged by bleach...on and on....

Slough Slogging - a kid favorite!

A big job is being “dock master” for the kids, getting them set up in their canoes, hauling, maintaining and locking up the canoes, camp and trail maintenance, cleaning camp and restrooms, helping students to follow the rules (behave)…and lending a hand to the park staff. You are warned it may be humid, buggy, sweaty work with no showers, and as said...you have to haul the garbage away in your own vehicle.   But you get the weekends off! And we’ve heard the staff is wonderful to work with. They are much younger (and stronger) than we are and tend to wonder why volunteers struggle with the work load. 
Greg put a stop to my trepidation over this "volunteer opportunity" with this Dec 20th email:

Bob and Eileen,
Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm for volunteering at the Everglades next month. The January - April Hidden Lake camp caretaker VIP positions have now been filled. I will keep your applications and info close by since you both were in the running for these positions. [If we only had an extra vehicle to offer in addition to our labor.]

Will work for Badge on Hat

So what do you think?  Fabulous job or a Farce??   I'll give you a hint:  I have heard many volunteer coordinators and managers exclaim:  "I cannot believe what volunteers will do for us and the time commitments they will make to one location."  They say it with appreciative wonder, but also with an incomprehensible gasp or two thrown in.   

Ranger Linda at Bahia Honda State Park gave me this insight:  "They [the bosses] think you volunteers walk on water."

A REAL Job Offer on Nov 10, 2011

I wanted to share what an actual job offer looks like.  This is a great example, as it gives the expected duties you would perform.   A pitfall to avoid is jumping into a job without knowing what you are going to be asked to do!  We received the following offer via email:

Highlands Hammock Catwalk - a Favorite!

Thank you for requesting information about the camp host program at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, Florida via the online system. I currently have three positions available.  [If you like what you see in an offer, you just have to shoot an email back...but make sure to make a phone contact first to get full job details.]


Our camp hosts primarily clean restrooms, [The fact that she bolded this item makes me think it has been a problem getting camp hosts to do this chore.  Bob and I don't mind it at all...which was a surprise to us.]   mow & trim grass, clean BBQ grills, pick up trash, trim trails, patrol the parks, perform minor maintenance (carpentry/plumbing/electrical), use a gas-powered log splitter for firewood, operate park vehicles (current driver's license required) and other campground-related duties.

Our hosts work five hours a day, four days a week (Sun/Mon/Tues/Weds or Weds/Thurs/Fri/Sat). Special events, heavy day use or camping attendance may require additional volunteer hours from our camp hosts, particularly on holiday weekends or during our high season (Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar). During high season, we also have ranger station support positions that are typically filled by the wives.

[Count on working weekends and holidays because, naturally, that's when you have almost all of your campground business.]


CCC Masonry Masterpiece at Highlands Hammock

Camp host positions can be strenuous at times, requiring the ability to walk over uneven terrain for several hours in duration as well as bend, stoop and twist to clean, mop large floor areas, pick up debris, etc. Moderate lifting of boxed materials, shoveling of heavy cinders from campfire rings, emptying of trash cans and loading firewood will require the ability to lift and carry. Several hours of work each day will expose hosts to high heat & humidity during the summer months and chilly, damp weather during winter cold snaps. Hosts work independently most days and thus these positions are best for self-starters and those that can identify and problem-solve situations. [This is a well-written disclosure.  You can't be sensitive to smoke and ash or temperature changes, or the job will be intolerable.]

We offer a free campsite with water & 30 amp power hookup for our camp hosts. We do not have sewer connections, but have a dump station on site. Hosts camp in the family campground with the general public and our campsites are very close together with little or no buffer between sites. Our lettered sites (A/B/C/D/E/F) are our camp host sites. We are pet-friendly and remain nearly full to capacity from November through May and then experience our low season June through September.

Our campground has 158 campsites and four large restroom buildings. Most campsites are shaded and have a dirt base. Our park is located four miles west of US Highway 27 in Sebring, Florida. Major shopping/dining facilities (Walmart/Publix/CVS/Walgreens/Lakeshore Mall) are within ten miles of the park as are two hospitals. [This is a BIG factor for me...what's close by?...especially whether there is a church.] 

If you are interested in serving as a camp host, please download the attached form and fill it out for both you and Bob and forward any letters of recommendation highlighting your previous host/campground experience with your application.

Please keep in mind that the months of January, February and March are most in demand and that I am holding a waiting list for possible openings for 2012. Any possible openings will be filled from this waiting list so if you are interested in that, please let me know. Our web address is listed below in the event that you would like to browse our site for additional information/photos.
Dorothy L. HarrisPark Services Specialist
Highlands Hammock State Park 5931 Hammock Road, Sebring, Florida 33872
(863) 471-5324 Office





Want to be paid Cash Money?

There ARE many, many camp hosting positions that are paid (in real money).  One of the must varied lists of camp host jobs is found at http://www.simplyhired.com/ .  You can get your free spot without even being in a campground.  Another surprising site is jobsonline.net  with an easy search gadget.  You could be involved with anything from camp counseling to RV sales.

We worked with a couple who had happily been employed by Hoodoo Recreation.  She had been an area manager, and he drove a nice truck around with a spray system mounted on the back.  He could clean outhouses in a whole forest in one quick run.  Word is they all smelled great, too.  The secret?  Jasmine air fresheners and biological agents which contain not only potent enzymes, but also bacteria to break down the mess.  Anyway, click on the following site for an excellent description of both host and attendant jobs... It also explains why some jobs pay more than others:  Hoodoo Campground Host Job Descriptions

Recreation Resource Management has contracts to staff many campgrounds throughout ten states. They hire about 500 seasonal employees per year to work at one of 175 different campgrounds.  You can apply with Recreation Resource Management in one of three ways; you can apply online, download an application from the website and mail it in, or receive a paper application by mail to mail back in.   Click here to learn more or go to CampHost.org .  One caveat:  Some hosts have complained area managers with RRM have given them such a hard time that they felt they had to quit.  We do not know if some situations have really been that bad, do you?

I was told ALL of the state parks in Texas pay their camp hosts.  See How to apply for Texas State Park jobs  It turns out SOME of the jobs are paid.  The State of California has had paid camp hosts in the past but is going toward using more and more volunteers.  Check out their jobs at California Host Positions .    Don't forget Older and Bolder for paid jobs.

Legacy RV Resorts hires for their RV resorts in eight states. Visit http://www.legacyrvresorts.com/ to learn more about the job opportunities available.  Their online application is very easy to fill out.

Are you interested in employment at a Jellystone Park™? Check out the parks who are looking to fill  positions by visiting http://www.campjellystone.com/.  Please contact the individual parks directly for detailed information.  Bob and I paid to stay in a Jellystone campground here in Florida, and it's a great place if you miss having kids around.

If you go to http://koa.com/community/ there's a list of KOAs you can contact for employment.  As always, it's best to go in person to the campground you are interested in.  You want to see what the job is, and the employer will feel so much more comfortable meeting you in person before offering you a position.

Fishing & Hiking - Important Camp Hosting DUTIES?

RU...kidding? What are the most common questions we get as hosts? "How's the fishing? Where can we fish? What trails are around here? How do I find the trailhead? Are there trails to any good fishing spots?" So...with each of our campground managerial jobs...one of the first things we've done is find where the fish are and where the trails are. See why hosts love this job so much?