Yes, it is already April. The countdown to opening day at Chimney Rock National Monument on May 15 has begun.
Things here at the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) office are really hopping. We have moved to a new location (the suite right next door), inventory for the gift shop is arriving, special event plans are in the works, tours and workshops are being reviewed and revised, school-week programs will soon be scheduled and, most important of all, the annual new volunteer orientation is being planned.
A couple years ago I attended the new volunteer orientation after visiting/touring Chimney Rock several times and attending multiple night programs the previous summer.
I enjoyed my experiences at the monument so much that I decided that I had to volunteer there. Through a connection with the San Juan Stargazers and an article in The SUN, I found myself at the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) new volunteer orientation.
I was excited to see what volunteer opportunities there would be and was amazed to see the number of opportunities there were. There were opportunities to greet and interact with the public, to support and mentor youth, to preserve the history and culture of the site, and to help visitors of all ages enjoy the beauty of nature that abounds there.
Volunteer positions are available for mesa host, plaza host, tour guide and gift shop sales. In addition, volunteers are needed for CRIA’s numerous special programs: Night Sky, Full Moon, Geology Tour, Flora Tour, Birding Tour and youth summer workshops, among others. As the program progressed, I found that I wanted to volunteer for everything, and I volunteered for a lot.
It was a great start and continues to be a fun and exciting adventure for me as a CRIA member.
I invite you to come join the fun and volunteer with us. An easy way to find out more is to attend the volunteer recruitment open house.
The recruitment will be held at the Ross Aragon Community Center on Thursday, April 11, from 5 to 6 p.m. CRIA members will be there to provide firsthand knowledge of the various duties and activities at Chimney Rock and explain the CRIA organization and our mission. We’ll gladly answer your questions, give you information about Chimney Rock and share our personal experiences of volunteering. Please join us and bring a friend, a neighbor or anyone you know who may be interested in becoming a CRIA Volunteer.
In addition, CRIA offers a yearly volunteer orientation for those of you interested in joining our team.
This year, the volunteer training will take place on April 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Methodist Church, located at 434 Lewis St. The second day of training will take place on April 27 at the monument from 9 a.m. to noon.
If you cannot attend the volunteer recruitments event, you can find more detailed information about the various volunteer positions on our website: www.chimneyrockco.org.
A volunteer form can easily be filled out online and submitted electronically, or feel free to call our office at (970) 731-7133.
For more information about Chimney Rock National Monument and volunteer opportunities, we encourage you to stop by our volunteer recruitment event.
CRIA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that runs the gift shop and interpretive programs/tours at Chimney Rock National Monument in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the San Juan National Forest.
