Lamar Campus and Program Volunteer

Position: Lamar Campus and Program Volunteer

Location: Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Yellowstone National Park

Reports To: Field and Fleet Director

Summary Description:

Yellowstone Forever (YF) is the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park. Our mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Yellowstone National Park through education and philanthropy. YF provides opportunities for all people to connect with Yellowstone, turning wonder into impact. YF’s operations include Park Stores in and around Yellowstone; the Yellowstone Forever Institute, which offers in-depth educational programing for people of all ages; and a supporter program which raises funds for projects that support our mission and benefit Yellowstone.

The Lamar Campus and Program Volunteer support YF programs and the Lamar Buffalo Ranch campus. The Lamar Buffalo Ranch is an off-grid campus on the national historic registry. It is located in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park. The campus is a co-used site used by the National Park Service and Yellowstone Forever. It provides a location for adult students and youth groups to stay in comfortable lodging during their stay while participating in YF and NPS programs. The Park also has employees housed on site and runs stock, law enforcement, EMS, research and maintenance activities from the site. 

Campus and Program Volunteers welcome and host students, orient them to Yellowstone Forever and the facility and assist instructors in logistical aspects of courses. They also provide daily in-person campus coverage and maintain and clean the campus. Each YF program at Lamar Buffalo Ranch is supported by a small group of our in-residence Campus and Program Volunteers. Depending on schedule and abilities, some volunteers will be trained as program field assistants and drivers. These volunteers will drive the 14-passenger mini-buses for field trips and will assist in risk management in the field. Not all Lamar volunteers are program drivers. Drivers are required to go through additional training at the start of volunteering and will need to pass a practical driving course run by our staff. 

Success as a Campus and Program Volunteer requires a welcoming demeanor, being a responsible and independent worker and being able to assist with the needs of various students. Depending upon the needs of Yellowstone Forever, Campus and Program Volunteers may spend more time or less on certain duties.

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Greet and check-in students and instructors
• Assist students and instructors in the classroom as well as in the field
• Oversee student safety and risk management in the field
• Clean and maintain assigned vehicles and facilities daily 
• Represent Yellowstone Forever and its mission accurately and positively 
• Foster a collaborative, team-oriented environment with YF employees, volunteers and partners
• This position involves driving YF vehicles, therefore applicants must hold and maintain a valid US driver’s license, and maintain a favorable driving record for insurance purposes
• Travel into Yellowstone, throughout the Greater Yellowstone area and other, as required
• Other tasks as assigned by the Field and Fleet Director, or other designated leadership 

Basic Qualifications: 

• Willingness to live in close quarters, with a roommate at a remote facility in potentially extreme environmental conditions
• Proven interpersonal and customer service skills for greeting and orienting students, instructors and visitors
• Ability to maintain friendly, cooperative working relationships with a diverse population
• Willingness to keep facility and vehicles clean, safe and maintained
• Ability to perform basic cabin cleaning and maintenance tasks proficiently
• Physically able to bend, squat and perform basic maintenance skills like shoveling snow, moving furniture and mopping. 
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds, and to accompany courses into the field on hikes of 2-10 miles at elevation on uneven terrain
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate student and facility needs and work with minimal supervision
• Attention to safety and risk management
• CPR certification
• Willingness to support the needs of Yellowstone Forever through multiple assigned tasks in a volunteer capacity
• Ability to represent YF in a courteous and professional manner
• A satisfactory motor vehicle record and criminal background check are conditions of volunteerism, annually

Program Drivers Only:

• Transport course participants in 14-passenger mini-buses
• Ability to pass a DOT Medical Exam, (only 14 passenger vehicle drivers, Reimbursed by YF)
• Wilderness First Aid certification (only field program assistants, reimbursed by YF)
• Pass YF driving practical

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working and living in a campus environment
• Experience with risk management
• The ability to pass and maintain a Department of Transportation medical exam

Benefits:

This is a volunteer position located at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, inside Yellowstone National Park. Campus and Program Volunteers will be provided with a comfortable cabin that may be shared with other volunteers. Volunteers will be provided a nominal fee of $15 per day to help offset out-of-pocket expenses. This may be taxable income; therefore, volunteers will receive a 1099 from Yellowstone Forever. Volunteers must provide their own health insurance for any health issues unrelated to the volunteer duties. Yellowstone Forever volunteers also receive a 30% discount on most Park Stores products and a free Yellowstone Forever Institute Field Seminar each year with over 10 days volunteering.  Discounts on other courses and products are also offered.  Benefits of this position include knowing that your efforts directly benefit Yellowstone National Park and having the opportunity to work in one of the world’s premiere wilderness areas.

Yellowstone Forever is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to comply with all applicable local, state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, political beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.