Earth Systems Science, Inc.

Call for Volunteers at Manzanar

Mar 08, 2004

The National Park Service Staff at Manzanar NHS has put out a call for Volunteers in the Park (VIP) to assist in general site preparation for the annual pilgrimage on Saturday, 24 April 2004. Equipment, training, and work will be supervised by Park staff. Key activities include (but are not limited to):

?· Dead/Fallen Wood removal by chipping. This is primarily a fire hazard reduction/removal effort. The chipped wood is composted for use on the site.

?· Signage visibility enhancement. Equipment, training, and work supervised by Park Staff. Prior to the pilgrimage, brush, weeds, and grass need to be trimmed back around critical signs throughout the Park. These signs provide visitor information about the various places, features, and facilities at Manzanar.

?· Debris removal. Equipment, training and work supervised by Park Staff. This work involves general clean up ranging from trash to earth, rubble, and weathered asphalt debris along the major traffic areas of the park.

This is a volunteer program. Participants are unpaid volunteers in the National Park who provide their own transportation and meals throughout the program.

This volunteer effort consists of two phases:

Phase One, Independent Volunteer Teams travel independently to Manzanar NHS and are supervised by Park staff. Teams or individuals choose to go for 1 day or longer. The National Park staff has a limited amount of camping equipment available to volunteers (tents, sleeping bags. Please bring a sheet to use as a sleeping bag liner for sanitation purposes). Participants should contact Ranger Kim Linse at 760-878-2194 to volunteer.

Phase Two, ESSI led volunteers: About 11-13 April, ESSI will organize and lead a team of volunteers. The volunteers would travel independently to Manzanar NHS and camp out overnight (2-3 days) to conduct work supervised by Park Staff. The National Park staff has a limited amount of camping equipment available to volunteers (tents, sleeping bags. Please bring a sheet to use as a sleeping bag liner for sanitation purposes). If time permits, a preliminary habitat survey may be conducted in the vicinity of Bair?’s Creek of the park. Participants should coordinate with Saifon Lee who will notify the Park staff as to the number of volunteers and their names and reserve camping equipment/sites.

Volunteers intending to stay overnight should read the Basic Preparation notes below:
BASIC PREPARATION for all participants:
Basic Field Equipment: Comfortable hiking shoes or boots, windbreaker, day pack, hat, bandana, long pants. Canteen, clipboard, binoculars, camera, magnifying glass/hand lens, magnetic compass, whistle, signal mirror, large leaf trash bag, personal first aid kit, pocket knife, flashlight (with spare batteries) sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm. Camping equipment: sleeping bag, ground pad, tarp/tent (stove and/or lantern optional).

Health and Safety: Field work exposes you to hazards from all 4-environmental spheres. You are responsible to take all reasonable precautions to assure your personal safety. But you also have an obligation and responsibility to contribute to the overall safety of the group. Consult Your Medical Practitioner and get all routine immunizations updated before going to the field. Recent studies revealed that nearly 80% of adults in industrialized countries have not kept their immunizations current!

To volunteer, contact Saifon Lee by a brief e-mail to: earthsystemsscience@yahoo.com