Your Very Next Step Newsletter

Your Very Next Step newsletter for January 2012

By Ned Lundquist www.yourverynextstep.com

“Naturam expelles furca, tamen usque recurret”

- Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) (Epistulae, I, x, 24)

(You can drive nature out with a pitchfork, but she will soon find a way back.)

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

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You may note that our website (www.yourverynextstep.com) has received a make-over. Bear with Ned as he learns how to use it.

*** In this issue:

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule: *** Can I touch your hair? *** The Polar Bear Question

Travel news

*** 17th annual Winter Trails Day is on January 7, 2012 *** Airline to let flyers choose who they sit next to *** Reindeer Wrangling *** It’s summer down under: *** Altitude Effects Sierra Nevada (Spain) *** Airports court fliers with rewards programs *** What Did Snakey Eat? *** Bikini Travel Insurance

Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Vernon Greenways Volunteers, Vernon Parks and Recreation, Vernon, CT 2.) Volunteer Opportunities, Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ 3.) Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Boulder, CO 4.) Information Center Host, Ranger District Office, U. S. Forestry Service, Boulder, Colorado 5.) Adopt-A-Trail Program, Friends of White Clay Creek State Park, Newark, DE 6.) Adopt a Trail, Parks and Recreation, City of Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 7.) Adopt-a-Trail Program, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ 8.) Volunteers, Montana Wilderness Association, Helena, MT

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: January 2012 Houston’s Columbia Tap Rail-Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) President and CEO, Friends of Acadia, Bar Harbor, Maine 2.) Volunteer in Conservation in Ecuador, Cosmic Volunteers, Puerto Lopez and other rural areas throughout Ecuador 3.) Newspaper Journalism Internships, Cosmic Volunteers, Quito, Ecuador 4.) Director of Development, Hole in the Wall, Jordan River Village Camp New York, NY 5.) Global Marketing Services Coordinator, Oregon Tourism Commission, Salem, OR 6.) Program Head of Sports & Games, Camp Beech Cliff, Mount Desert, ME 7.) Visual Information and Interpretation Assistant (Media), Zion National Park, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Springdale, UT 8.) Executive Director, Oregon Recreation and Park Association (ORPA), ORPA office may be home-based or in a shared park and recreation agency located within a three(3) hour drive of Portland 9.) Maine Trail Crew Camp Coordinator, Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Garland, ME

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule:

18-22 Jan 12 Pisa/La Spezia/Lerici, Italy 21-26 Jan 12 Paris, France 6-13 Feb 12 San Jose/Arenal/Tamarindo/San Jose, Costa Rica

*** The Lundquist’s Beach/Jungle/Mountain/Volcano adventure:

*** Ned talks with Lisa Cederberg, Travel Consultant with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/, about the upcoming Lundquist family vacation:

Ned: How long does it take to get from the San Jose airport to Arenal?

Lisa: About 2-1/2 to 3 hours if you stop along the way to eat or take pictures, etc.

Ned: What will we see along the way? What are the roads like?

Lisa: You’ll see coffee fields, sprawling green mountains and valleys. You’ll drive through a few small towns along the way. The roads will be mountainous, mostly, with amazing views.

Ned: How many different hotels are there in the Arenal area? Numerous. I don’t know how many there are all together.

Ned: What about the dining and shopping opportunities in the Arenal area?

Lisa: La Fortuna (the little town of Arenal) has a number of good restaurants and bars, as well as banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, numerous gift shops and more. You can get local cuisine for about $5 a plate, or a more upscale meal if you like.

Ned: How about the drive to Tamarindo? How long is that, and what will we see?

Lisa: Driving time from Arenal to Tamarindo can take between 4-5 hours. You’ll enjoy beautiful scenery along the way. As you get closer to Guanacaste/Liberia, you will notice less rain forest and more dry forest. You’ll see small towns along the way, Any drive in Costa Rica is beautiful (except downtown San Jose!).

Lisa Cederberg Travel Consultant Costa Rican Luxury Vacations “Local Knowledge – Global Service” U.S. Toll Free 800-606-1860 x 1243 – I’m available with very flexible hours. Please call at your convenience! In Costa Rica: 506-2296-7715 * Email: lisacederberg@goduesouth.com (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/):

*** Arenal Advice:

When you go to the hot springs in Arenal make sure you go at night. It’s too hot during the day and the different pools are lit up.

Lisa A Kilday

*** Costa Rica comment:

If you have not seen it Arenal is awesome in the true sense of the word – also stayed at Tamarindo – absolutely beautiful and went snorkeling – amazing sights! Enjoy!

Karlyn Messinger

*** Can I touch your hair?

Ned asked Heather Murphy to share some travel adventures. Like Heather, Ned’s wife Laura is a redhead. In some parts of the world that can be pretty exotic. Hence the “Can I touch your hair.”

“Can I touch your hair?” And other really odd moments in travel

Every trip I’ve taken has resulted in “The Experience” — some odd, bizarre and bordering-on-barely-believable situation like ‘Carl-but-that’s-not-my-real-name-in-Chinese.’

The Carl Story took place in late June 2010.

I was headed to Norfolk, VA to celebrate my paternal grandmother’s 90th birthday. A year earlier, my mother’s father celebrated his 90th. To have grandparents at my age is remarkable. Taking time to celebrate these milestones in their lives was an easy decision, even if travel logistics from Phoenix proved challenging.

Back to the Carl story. The World Cup was underway and the field was wide open. Soccer is interesting but I’m not a major fan. The rivalries and cultural insights have always interested me more than the game itself.

On a long layover at Baltimore Washington International, I ordered a beer at a place that was airing World Cup soccer. The game provided opportunities for conversation. To my left was an American who had studied in Argentina. To the left of her was a man from Bosnia.

Carl, the aforementioned Chinese man, was also watching the match. He was immediately to my right. He introduced himself as “Nice to meet you. I’m Carl…but-that’s-not-my-real-name-in-Chinese.”

Having not fallen off a turnip truck recently, I pretty much figured that out.

Carl, I learned, was his rival in soccer…or so he said. When it came time to pick a name in English, he chose Carl. Or so he said. Oh, and he works for the Department of Defense. Or so he said.

During a commercial break, he complimented my red hair and then asked: “Can I touch your hair?”

Huh?

Uh. Ummmm.

Okay, YVNS or JOTW fans: What IS the proper way to handle that?

Given my profession, I’m rarely at a loss for words.

I finished my beer, paid my tab and hurried off to wait at my gate.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t handle it properly.

*** More from Heather:

In my last installment for YVNS, I shared some excerpts from my trip to Iceland. Ned encouraged me to continue.

The Polar Bear Question

In the first installment, I referenced how the Glacier Hike guides came equipped with the Emergency Stupid Tourist Kit for the woman who was ill-prepared for the day’s activities. Well, after she was loaned the appropriate footwear and rain gear, the trek began.

Age, experience and fitness levels of my fellow trekkers meant that the guides would take periodic rest breaks and make small talk. The Ill-Prepared-Woman (sounds much better than Stupid Tourist) asked “Do you have polar bears here in Iceland?”

Now I confess, a few people asked me that same question before I left. I had researched this. The biggest mammals on the land in Iceland are the horses. In the water, there are whales. But polar bears will not find the land habitable and, despite the country’s name, it’s really not cold enough.

Our guides were very polite and had names like Thor, Hilmar, Bjarnar and Galdur. Or something like that.

“Nay. We don’t have polar bears,” one of them said. “Unless they come by mistake on an ice floe.”

Ill-Prepared-Woman says: “Then what do you do? Capture and fly them back?”

Hilmar: “We shoot them.”

Awkward pause.

Ill-Prepared-Woman (in shock): “Why don’t you tranquilize them and transport them back?”

Hilmar: “Much too costly. And it was probably an outcast or one who wandered away.”

Now the Icelandic are, at their core, eminently practical people. They’re also hardy souls who live on a beautiful if unforgiving island of volcanoes and glaciers. I didn’t get the idea that killing a wayward polar bear was something locals would look forward to – but it was practical. Wayward polar bears would seek food and there are sheep, horses, children and adults to protect.

While Ill-Prepared-Tourist was still processing this, I made a wisecrack to the two American ladies who trekked alongside me.

“Bullet: 39 cents. Tranq, crate, handler, flight: $4,000. Cost-benefit analysis? Done.”

We all had a very good laugh over the comedic timing of my MasterCard-ad-rip-off quip.

In the spirit of full disclosure, one of my dream photography trips is to see polar bears in their natural habitat. I’m not suggesting the Icelandic are brutal in any way. They’re practical, charming and wonderfully welcoming. But a polar bear relocation team would be hard to come by at the exact moment that one wandered ashore, weak and hungry from days at sea. The best approach is to ensure habitable conditions on their native turf.

Questions, feedback or your ideas for future trips are welcome!

Heather

Questions or feedback for Heather can be addressed here in YVNS by sending an email to Ned at lundquist989@cs.com. Heather through

Next month: “These People will Eat ANYTHING.”

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for January:

*** 17th annual Winter Trails Day is on January 7, 2012

Winter Trails Day offers children and adults new to snow sports the chance to try snowshoeing and cross country skiing for free, and to discover the great fitness and social benefits with these easy-to-learn winter sports.

The 17th annual Winter Trails Day is on January 7, 2012 and involves almost 100 resorts and Nordic Centers nationwide, and gets 11,000 kids and adults on the snow each year.

Winter Trails programs and activities vary in size and scope, as each venue chooses a program that will introduce these sports to their communities. Select the state or area to see the locations that are participating. Each Winter Trails event is run by a local organization or business. If you have questions about the location nearest you or if you have a group you wish to bring, please contact the venue directly for details.

The sport offering at each location varies, so please check the specific venue listing for details. Most Winter Trails events are located at Nordic centers or on public lands operated by the U.S. Forest Service or the National Parks Service. Many locations offer education programs and trail tours. Equipment and trail fees are free.

For information about Winter Trails, please contact Reese Brown (rbrown@snowsports.org) 802-236-3021.

*** Don’t sit next to the creepy guy:

Airline to let flyers choose who they sit next to Dutch airline KLM is set to offer passengers the choice of not only where they sit, but who they sit next to, the Irish Independent reports. The carrier hopes to introduce the technology next year, although plans remain in their infancy.

To be known as “meet and seat,” the online service will give passengers access to the profiles of their fellow fliers’ Facebook and LinkedIn pages, from where they may choose – using guidelines such as looks, interests and career fields – which passengers they’d most like to sit next to.

The airline has thus-far refused to say if the new “matchmaking” service will involve a fee, but many airlines currently charge passengers to decide seat preferences – via widely available seat maps – in advance.

The Independent reports the new service could have many beneficial aspects, from the ability to avoid the “traveler from hell,” to finding business connections, to stumbling upon a love interest. Though this service would be a firm step outside the box, airlines are now heavily involved in social networking, with British Airways boasting more than 136,000 Twitter followers and regularly running competitions on Facebook.

A recent poll by a flight comparison website found that of 1,000 flyers surveyed, some 45 percent admitted flirting whilst airborne. One third of those polled said the chance meeting lead to further contact once the plane reached its destination, with eight percent claiming it led to a relationship, the Independent reports.

http://www.irishemigrant.com/ie/go.asp?p=story&storyID=10692

*** Reindeer Wrangling

Director Eva Weber Braves the Arctic to Capture the Majesty of Santa’s Sleigh Pullers http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/12/23/1784/reindeer-wrangling

*** It’s summer down under:

Kiwis and Visitors Urged to ‘Be AdventureSmart’ this Summer

Every year thousands of people enjoy New Zealand’s outdoors and for the vast majority it’s an enjoyable and safe experience. However, sometimes unfortunate incidents do occur and often they involve people who underestimate the planning, preparation and sometimes the skills required for the outdoors activity they are undertaking.

In a joint initiative, leading outdoor organisations and government agencies have created and expanded the AdventureSmart.org.nz website. The aim of AdventureSmart is to provide both residents and visitors to New Zealand with one online location for safety information and planning support, prior to engaging in land, snow, water, boating and air activities.

Duncan Ferner, from the NZ Search & Rescue Council, says: “AdventureSmart has good advice for everyone, regardless of ability or experience. “Access to this information means that those taking part in recreational activities on offer in New Zealand will be better prepared and make better decisions which will in turn hopefully reduce incidents.”

AdventureSmart is also the home of New Zealand’s Outdoor, Boating and Water Safety Codes. The message is make sure you ‘know before you go’ by reading and following the 4 or 5 simple and easy to remember rules.

The rules are especially useful for overseas visitors who may have little knowledge of New Zealand but equally applicable to Kiwis, especially those who may be trying a new activity or visiting a different part of the country.

Examples of the simple rules include: • Tell someone your plans and leave a time and date for when to raise the alarm if you haven’t returned. (Outdoor Safety Code). • Watch out for yourself and others – always watch children around water. Swim with others and in lifeguard zones. (Water Safety Code). • Skipper Responsibility – keep everyone safe – stay within the limits

of your vessel and your experience. (Boating Safety Code).

Other features of AdventureSmart include; more than a thousand links to safety information from appropriate organisations, detailed information including videos on avalanche awareness and the outdoor safety code, plus links to where people can upskill and learn more about their chosen activity, for instance Coastguard’s boating education programme. www.adventuresmart.org.nz

*** What to Wear for Snow Sports (from www.snowlink.com)

Wearing clothing designed specifically to keep you warm and dry in one’s comfort level when playing outdoors can make a big difference. Versatile, functional winter apparel is worth the investment. Here is basic information about dressing for winter:

Layering

The best way to dress for winter is to wear multiple layers of clothing. This system gives participants the flexibility to add or remove layers depending on the weather and activities. Most commonly, winter sports participants wear three layers: wicking, insulating and weather protection.

Wicking layer:

 This is the layer worn next to the skin, usually, thermal underwear.  Look for thermal underwear made of a synthetic — usually polyester — fiber that has “wicking” power. As participants perspire, the fibers will wick (move) moisture away from the skin and pass it through the fabric so it can evaporate. This keeps skiers warm, dry and comfortable. Silk is also a good, natural fabric that has wicking abilities.  Even though it’s cold, snow sports will make participants sweat — especially if they are cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. This is why the wicking layer is very important.

Insulating layer:

 This middle layer includes sweaters, sweatshirts, vests and pullovers. The purpose of this layer is to keep heat in and cold out, which is accomplished by trapping air between the fibers.  Popular insulation materials include fleece, a synthetic material which maintains its insulating ability even when wet and spreads the moisture out so it dries quickly, and wool, which naturally wicks away moisture.

Protection Layer:

 The exterior layer serves as the guard against the elements of winter. It should repel moisture from snow, sleet or rain; block the wind, and let perspiration escape to the outside to evaporate. Specially engineered fabric is used in snow sports jackets and pants to accomplish this moisture blockage and transport. The common industry term for this fabric is “waterproof/breathable.” It is this fabric that makes snow sports jackets and pants so effective in keeping participants warm, dry and comfortable.  Most genuine winter shells, parkas and pants are made waterproof/breathable by using tightly woven fabrics teamed with a coating or laminate. This keeps moisture on the outside but allows perspiration to escape.  Look for functional hoods, cuffs, pockets and zippers — details that truly make garments comfortable in a snowstorm.  Some jackets and pants are shells (no insulation), some include built-in insulation, and others have zip-in insulation layers. Choose your protection layer based on temperatures and snow conditions in your area or where you like to vacation.  Although less baggy than in previous years, most snowboard clothing is still designed to fit looser than alpine skiwear, giving snowboarders freedom of movement. In addition, many snowboard pants are reinforced in the seat and knees for extra protection when kneeling or sitting on the snow.

Headwear

Up to 60 percent of the body’s heat can escape from an uncovered head. This is why wearing a hat, headband or helmet is essential when it’s cold. There are thousands of styles of hats and headbands, usually made from fleece or wool. Many wool hats have non-itch liners. Helmets are becoming very popular. Not only do they protect the head during falls, but they also provide warmth. A fleece neck gaiter (like a collar) or facemask is a must on very cold days.

Sunglasses and goggles

Snow, because it is a reflective surface, makes ultraviolet (UV) rays stronger. On sunny days, sunglasses are essential to protect the eyes. On flat-light days or when it’s snowing, goggles are vital. Special lens colors increase the contrast in order to properly discern terrain features.

Gloves and mittens

Look for gloves and mittens that use waterproof/breathable fabrics. Mittens, in general, are warmer than gloves, but offer less dexterity. Consider the type of activity when choosing between gloves and mittens. Snowboarding gloves and mittens often have a reinforced palm because of extra wear from adjusting bindings and balancing on the snow. Some snowboarding gloves and mittens also have built-in wrist guards, which are excellent for novice snowboarders. Gloves for cross-country skiing tend to be lighter-weight to allow for extra movement and a higher degree of perspiration.

Socks

One pair of lightweight or medium weight socks works best for skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing. Socks are made from a variety of materials, including polyester, silk and wool. Socks designed specifically for snow sports have wicking properties similar to thermal underwear, meaning your feet will stay drier and more comfortable.

http://www.snowlink.com/WinterTrailsHomePage/CrossCountry/WhattoWear.aspx

*** Altitude Effects Sierra Nevada (Spain)

Extracts here are taken from the handbook “TRAVEL AT HIGH ALTITUDE” published free by MEDEX. This handbook is highly recommended reading for anybody going above 2500 metres. Copies of the handbook can be downloaded free of charge at www.medex.org.uk

What is High Altitude?

“Altitude starts to have an effect around 1500-2000m. The body starts to behave slightly differently as it tries to make up for the change in oxygen levels. Go up too fast above 2500m and altitude illnesses are common. If you go slowly you should stay healthy.”

Acclimatisation

“When the body slowly adapts to lower oxygen levels the process in called acclimatisation. Different people acclimatise at different speeds, so no rule works for everyone, but there are good guidelines. Over 3000m go up slowly, sleeping no more than 300m higher at the end of each day. Going higher during the day is OK as long as you go down to sleep.”

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

The common symptoms for AMS are: headache; nausea (feeling sick); vomiting (being sick); fatigue; poor appetite; dizziness; sleep disturbance.” A simple scorecard is shown below. Keep check on your score.

Before you go: Learn about the symptoms of AMS

At altitude: If you have a headache and a total of 3 or more for the others, do not go higher.

If you have a headache, and a total of 3 or more for the others, have got no better or worse – go down

Observed effects in the Sierra Nevada during the last 6 years We have, in reality, had very few instances where AMS has resulted in having to bring a client down to a lower level. When that has been the case, the client has recovered immediately on getting to lower ground and has had no further problems.

These mountains have much high ground over 3000m, but provided that the advice above is followed, ie go slow, then the altitude effects are lessened considerably. On countless occasions we have parked the car at 2500m (having driven up in 1hr from 650m!) and someone has gone off too quick. It is very tempting! Our guides take it very easy, a snails pace, especially for the first 30 minutes after leaving the car. We find that in that time our body adjusts better and we can then continue a little more rapidly. However, we live and train here in these mountains. Clients coming straight in from sea level will find it harder.

The suggestion for clients therefore is to follow behind your guides. Forget records and competitive instincts. Go their pace. They know the speed at which you should be going. They have the experience.

http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/altitude-sickness-sierra-nevada.html

*** Airports court fliers with rewards programs By Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011-12-26/Airports-court-fliers-wi th-rewards-programs/52233586/1

*** What Did Snakey Eat?

By National Wildlife Federation

Open iTunes to buy and download apps.

In this delightfully silly game, preschoolers develop thinking skills by matching 
the shape in Snakey’s belly to one of the three suggested objects. Did Snakey swallow an umbrella? A rhinoceros? Or even a school bus? The giggles never stop when preschoolers see the crazy things that Snakey has eaten. Choose the correct object 
and Snakey will spit it back out, then swallow something even funnier

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/what-did-snakey-eat/id483259852?ls=1&mt=8

*** Bikini Travel Insurance

Bikini Travel Insurance is designed to meet the needs of female travellers – but not forgetting partners & kids. It covers the things you’d expect like medical & repatriation, cancellation & curtailment. Added to that, the personal belongings cover is tailored to reflect the kind of things women travel with. http://www.bikinisure.com/home.aspx

(And here I thought it covered what might happen if your bikini didn’t cover what it’s supposed to.)

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Vernon Greenways Volunteers, Vernon Parks and Recreation, Vernon, CT

The Vernon Greenways Volunteers are individuals who assist the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department through the maintenance, enhancement and proper use of the 30+ miles of trails in Vernon, CT. Sponsors adopt a section of Vernon’s trail system or finance a trail project through an annual tax deductible donation to supply the funds to support our work.

We are individuals who have chosen to give back to the community and make their own experience more satisfying by participating in the maintenance, enhancement and proper use of the trail system.

Maintenance – We assist the Vernon Parks and Recreation staff on trail projects. We execute our own trail projects. We keep trails clear of trash and debris. An assigned Trail Manager takes ownership of a trail segment. We have periodic clean-up sessions. To see trail accomplishments, click here.

Enhancements – We provide free biodegradable dog litter bags at pet stations, a receptacle for deposit of the full bags and we service both at selected high dog traffic locations. We provide free tri-fold trail specific maps at selected locations. A “Pick Up after your Pets (PUP) Project” was executed in the spring of 2007 to educate pet owners as to why they should pick up after their pets on the trail. In May 2009 the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department introduced a No Smoking Policy in parks, trails and ball fields to reduce the cigarette butt litter per our request.

Proper Use – All volunteers must participate in sound trail practices: follow posted restrictions, comply with town ordinances, “carry out what you carry in”, periodically pick up trash while using the trail, etc.

How will I be expected to participate?

All volunteers must agree to follow the “Proper Use” policies shown above. Participation in maintenance projects is not mandatory as we realize time and physical restrictions may not allow all members to participate at this level; we value your head and heart as well as your hands. However, some of the greatest enjoyment in this program is through the interaction with fellow volunteers and seeing the results of your labor on a completed project. Send ideas and suggestions to our e-mail address. Attend meetings, usually twice a year, and the annual picnic.

What is a Trail Manager?

All members are Vernon Greenways Volunteers. You may also elect to be a Trail Manager who takes ownership of a trail segment (most segments are 0.8 to 1.9 miles) which has not already been assigned. A Trail Manager’s duties may include but are not limited to: removing sticks, rocks and other debris; pruning small limbs; cutting back encroaching vegetation to maintain a trail corridor; servicing any of the enhancements listed above; replace missing signage; reporting vandalism and maintenance needs that are beyond our capabilities to the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department. Heavy duty trash bags and a trash picker will be supplied if requested.

Why should I join?

It is a way for those who use the Vernon trail system to participate in their community while improving this resource and experiencing the fun of interacting with like minded people. You will be kept abreast of trail happenings and events through periodic e-mails. Vernon Greenways Volunteers T-Shirts and baseball caps are issued to members.

How can I learn more or become a member?

Contact us via our e-mail address at BellinghamDL@att.net with questions. If you would like to join include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Virtually all contact is via e-mail.

http://www.vernongreenways.org/

2.) Volunteer Opportunities, Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ

Enjoy being outdoors? Have a love for Mother Nature and the beauty of the Park Commission’s diverse gardens? Join our volunteer team.

Pyramid Mountain is a natural historic area that includes three mountains and two stream valleys. It has over 1,500 acres of beautiful terrain and 20 miles of nature trails in Montville, Boonton Township, and Kinnelon with scenic views and several prominent geological formations. The Visitors Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10am to 4:30pm. http://www.morrisparks.net/volunteer.asp#gs

3.) Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Boulder, CO http://www.wlrv.org/

4.) Information Center Host, Ranger District Office, U. S. Forestry Service, Boulder, Colorado http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/1800Vol/volunteerconnection/LoadOpportunityRe view.do?opportunityId=13362

5.) Adopt-A-Trail Program, Friends of White Clay Creek State Park, Newark, DE http://www.whiteclayfriends.org/adopt_a_trail.php

6.) Adopt a Trail, Parks and Recreation, City of Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=529

7.) Adopt-a-Trail Program, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ

The Adopt-A-Trail Program is a great way to give back to our outstanding trails system. We have the largest trail system in New Jersey. Volunteers are needed to help with light maintenance and keeping us informed about trail needs. •An orientation session provides training in pruning skills, blazing, and more. •Our volunteers independently work their adopted trail. We ask for trail reports three times per year. •A 2 year commitment is required. •This is a great way to stay fit!

For more information, contact: Janet McMillan Trails Coordinator Phone (973) 326-7604 http://www.morrisparks.net/volunteer.asp

8.) Volunteers, Montana Wilderness Association, Helena, MT Montana Wilderness Association exists because of strong volunteer activism. Our members engage in a range of activities, from participating on the State Council to leading Wilderness Walks. We will help you focus your energy on an activity that best fits your talents and desires to contribute.

Volunteers who are interested in spreading a pro-wilderness message in their community can now participate in a program developed by the MWA State Council. The Council has produced a professional quality PowerPoint presentation, with script, about the positive values of wilderness. The show is suitable for a wide variety of audiences including service clubs, chambers of commerce, sportsmen’s groups, schools, churches etc. Training is available to coach volunteers through the presentation process, although the show is designed to be easy to use. Support materials include FAQs. Contact Doug Ferrell or call 827-4341.

http://www.wildmontana.org/takeaction/volunteer.php *** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: January 2012 Houston’s Columbia Tap Rail-Trail If there wasn’t already a Motor City in America, Houston would surely vie for the title. Cars and trucks play such a central role in this sprawling metropolis that, until recently, cyclists and pedestrians here were viewed as strange or foolish—or both.

But a combination of enlightened leadership and government investment is starting to change that. As an article in the Houston Chronicle in 2010 noted, “This city ruled by the combustion engine is beginning, tentatively, to recognize that walking and biking are legitimate forms of transportation, and beginning to give them a little infrastructure of their own.”

Exhibit A in that attitude shift is a new, four-mile path, the Columbia Tap Rail-Trail. This trail not only serves as a safe transportation and recreation venue for residents of Houston’s Third Ward, but it provides a vital link to other trails and on-street bike lanes in the city—and a magnet for cycling advocates.

“It’s a really great thing,” says Veon McReynolds, head of the local nonprofit cycling group Tour de Hood, who lives just a few blocks from the trail. “Right here in the neighborhood, you see a lot of people using it for walking and cycling.”

The roots of the Columbia Tap go back more than 150 years, when Houston was a small but growing center of commerce in the newly minted Lone Star state. The underlying rail line—known back then as the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railway—opened in 1856 and served as an important route for moving crops and people into the heart of the city from plantations and ports to the south. It eventually became part of Union Pacific Railroad’s network before falling into disuse.

With federal and local funding, a four-mile section of the corridor from Dixie Drive to Dowling Street was later converted into a rail-trail and opened to the public in March 2009. Today, the 10-foot-wide concrete trail cuts a scenic line through Houston’s Third Ward, the historic heart of the city’s African-American community. Along the way, it passes through neighborhoods of small homes and apartment buildings, dotted with churches, schools and playgrounds.

Among the noteworthy sights along the Columbia Tap is Hermann Park, a 445-acre green space just two blocks from the southern trailhead. With its wide lawns, large ponds and meandering paths, this city park offers a peaceful respite from the bustle of the city. It also offers public parking, something currently in short supply along the rail-trail. The park and its surrounding neighborhood provide a wealth of educational diversions, including Rice University, the Houston Zoo, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Children’s Museum of Houston and the fascinating Buffalo Soldier National Museum and Heritage Center.

The multi-use Brays Bayou Trail (which follows one of several west-to-east flowing waterways that give Houston its nickname of the Bayou City) skirts the southern edge of Hermann Park and connects with the Columbia Tap. Less than a mile north of this trail access, the Columbia Tap slices through a 150-acre expanse of red-brick buildings, grassy fields and walkways criss-crossed by book-toting students. This is the campus of Texas Southern University (TSU), one of the country’s largest historically black colleges and home of a nationally ranked football team, the Tigers.

Four blocks west of here is the home of McReynolds, a former TSU professor and administrator who is widely known as ‘Dr. V.’ McReynolds has a long history as both a competitive cyclist and community activist, and about eight years ago he began taking friends and family on informal rides through neighborhoods in the downtown area, and nicknamed the rides “Tour de Hood.’

The rides grew in popularity and turned into weekly events, and McReynolds began supplying bicycles and helmets to youngsters who couldn’t afford their own equipment. The new rail-trail has provided another venue for his outings, especially those with young riders. “That’s one of the things the trails provide is a safe haven for a lot of the little kids to ride up and down.”

Equally important, the rail-trail is encouraging people in the neighborhood to get out of their cars and be more active, which improves their health, McReynolds says. “Obesity is a preventable disease and it comes from us being overly dependent on our cars and our technology.”

McReynolds’ is not the only group along the Columbia Tap looking to improve the lives of underprivileged residents. A few blocks north of the TSU campus and adjacent to the trail is the Third Ward Bike Shop, a project of Workshop Houston. This nonprofit provides area children with job-skills training, resources and academic tutoring.

At the bike shop, local students learn how to build and repair bicycles—and, by working there, can earn credits to obtain their own bikes. The bike shop moved to this location a few years ago because the group’s founders wanted to be next to the new rail-trail. Now, it’s not unusual to see youngsters testing bikes or riding to the workshop on the Columbia Tap.

North from the Third Ward Bike Shop, the trail runs through a hardscrabble section of the neighborhood, under a busy highway and into a warehouse district. From here, it curves northwest and spills onto downtown streets near the George Brown convention center and Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball; the stadium actually incorporates part of the city’s historical Union Station.

Work is under way on a new soccer stadium only two blocks from the downtown trailhead—”the first time the city has built a sports arena where cycling is part of the planning,” says Dan Raine, Houston’s bikeway program coordinator. From the northern trailhead of the Columbia Tap, it’s just a short ride on city streets to two other rail-trails—the Harrisburg and Sunset, and the MKT/SP (Heights)—and one that’s still under construction, the Heritage Corridor.

These trails take riders to neighborhoods east and northwest of downtown. And together with the Columbia Tap and other multi-use paths, they form a ‘critical mass’ that is encouraging Houstonians to get out of their cars.

“People who once said, “I won’t bike to work, ever,” now are,” says Raine. “They are also out recreating on the trails, and there’s a lot of pedestrian activity. I get a great deal of satisfaction from seeing a variety of folks out there using these trails. The Houston bikeway program is really on a roll these days.” http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) President and CEO, Friends of Acadia, Bar Harbor, Maine http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23258

2.) Volunteer in Conservation in Ecuador, Cosmic Volunteers, Puerto Lopez and other rural areas throughout Ecuador http://www.cosmicvolunteers.org/ecuador_parks.html

3.) Newspaper Journalism Internships, Cosmic Volunteers, Quito, Ecuador http://www.cosmicvolunteers.org/ecuador_media.html

4.) Director of Development, Hole in the Wall, Jordan River Village Camp New York, NY http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23299

5.) Global Marketing Services Coordinator, Oregon Tourism Commission, Salem, OR http://www.prichardcommunications.com/macs-list/Oregon-Tourism-Commission/Gl obal-Marketing-Services-Coordinator/p5LmYZkdQ08W#top

6.) Program Head of Sports & Games, Camp Beech Cliff, Mount Desert, ME

Join us on stunning Mt Desert Island (Bar Harbor)! Bordering Acadia Nat’l Park, newly renovated day camp with 50 acres on Echo Lake. Head of Sports & Games plans creative activities to help every camper enjoy/participate; adheres to the health/safety laws of Maine/ACA.

Job Requirements

Min. req: 19 years old, year exp leading activities, enjoys working with kids of all backgrounds, passionate about outdoors & engaging campers ages 6 – 14, ability to plan wide range of activities. Pref’d Qual: BA Deg and 2 yrs exp leading sports & games. If no degree, equiv work exp. Salary DOE ($400 – $500 / wk) w/ poss. housing. www.campbeechcliff.org, contact sylvie@campbeechcliff.org.

http://www.varietymediacareers.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=7307&jb=9314042

7.) Visual Information and Interpretation Assistant (Media), Zion National Park, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Springdale, UT

This position will assist the lead visual information specialist and other personnel with work that communicates information through visual and digital means. Work will include managing, developing, and/or expanding several media databases, multimedia products, and creating visual materials such as images, diagrams, and charts for use in publications, exhibits, multimedia products, and park website resources. The incumbent will assist in managing and maintaining park websites, intranet sites, social media sites, and other digital resources. The work requires knowledge of and ability to apply the principles of visual design; knowledge of the technical characteristics associated with various methods of visual display; skill and ability to use required software and equipment, and the skill and ability to present information in a way that will appropriately convey the message to, or have the desired effect on, the intended audience.

Full Time – Term NTE 13 months

With guidance from the lead visual information specialist, the incumbent will develop a variety of publications and other printed material. These resources may include site bulletins, newsletters, and articles for newspapers and periodicals. The incumbent performs other duties including writing and editing text for publications, exhibits, and park websites.

The position will serve as a front-line representative of the agency. The incumbent may work in visitor centers, museums, and other visitor contact stations. As a front-line representative, the incumbent is responsible for providing answers to recurring visitor questions concerning the specific park area, explaining the area’s recreational opportunities, distributing maps, brochures, and other printed material, providing directions and routes of travel through the park, informing visitors of potential safety hazards, and conducting informal interpretation when appropriate. The incumbent may also independently research, design, and present interpretive programs varying in formats about park resources that employ appropriate interpretive techniques geared to the characteristics and interests of particular audiences.

Duties may be performed on or off-site at locations designated by the park. The incumbent may operate a variety of audiovisual and other equipment used in connection with interpretive material, such as computers, projectors, and audio equipment.

The incumbent will perform various administrative duties, such as scheduling, coordinating tasks, gathering routine information for reports, compiling statistical data, and other related activities.

The incumbent must be knowledgeable about a variety of resource-oriented topics, emerging technologies, and related software, and will continue to keep this knowledge current by pursuing training and other professional development opportunities.

The incumbent will be responsible for completing other assigned tasks and projects that support division operations.

The incumbent must be able to operate a motor vehicle.

Physical Demands The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items. This is typical of work involving personal production or installation of exhibits, illustration work “on location”, or on-site inspection or supervision of one or more phases of the production of a visual product. Much of the work may require sitting for long periods of time and performing repetitive motions.

Incumbent must be able to hike several miles over uneven terrain in extreme weather conditions (e.g., heat). Assignments include extended periods of standing at information desks, hiking outdoors in hot weather, speaking for long periods of times, climbing and descending stairs, lifting, bending, sitting and working at a computer work station. Incumbent is generally assigned daytime schedules but will also work some evening and late night shifts.

Work Environment Work may be performed indoors and outdoors. The work is typically performed in an adequately lighted, climate controlled office and requires no special safety precautions.

Work is occasionally performed in settings in which there is regular and recurring exposure to moderate discomforts and unpleasantness. Work may result in exposure to high or low temperatures, confined spaces, or adverse weather conditions.

Area Information Zion National Park is located in southwest Utah, where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert provinces meet. Ranging in elevation from 3,666 ft. to 8,726 ft., the park’s 232 square miles encompass a startlingly diversity of plant and animal life. It is characterized by high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep sandstone canyons, and striking rock towers and mesas. The climate is generally hot with daytime high temperatures averaging 100°F in the summer and 50°F in the winter. Nighttime lows range from 80°F in the summer to 20°F in the winter. Minimal shopping is available in Springdale, Utah located two miles from Park Headquarters. A full range of shopping, medical, dental, religious, and recreational facilities are available in Hurricane (25 miles), St. George (45 miles), and in Cedar City, Utah (63 miles). An elementary school (grades K-6) is available in Springdale (closest town to the park), with bus service provided. Junior high and high school facilities are available in Hurricane, with bus service provided. Dixie State College is located in St. George and Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City.

This is a Term position. Initial appointment is 13 months with possible extensions up to 4 years. This position is also seasonal in nature and does not provide employment on a year-round basis. You may work a minimum of 26 weeks but it is expected that the candidate will work at least 48 weeks a year. Actual work schedule and period of furlough is contingent upon funding and operational needs.

http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/305768400

8.) Executive Director, Oregon Recreation and Park Association (ORPA), ORPA office may be home-based or in a shared park and recreation agency located within a three(3) hour drive of Portland http://www.prichardcommunications.com/macs-list/Oregon-Recreation-and-Park-A ssociation/Executive-Director/ph1NNtdP9p63#top

9.) Maine Trail Crew Camp Coordinator, Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Garland, ME http://www.jobmonkeyjobs.com/career/40435/Maine-Trail-Crew-Camp-Coordinator- Maine-Garland

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC © 2012 The Job of the Week Network LLC Edward Lundquist, ABC – Editor and Publisher Your Very Next Step 7813 Richfield Road Springfield, VA 22153 Home office phone: (703) 455-7661 lundquist989@cs.com www.nedsjotw.com

Your Very Next Step newsletter for December 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

- Maria Robinson

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

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Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule:

*** Glaciers in the Himalyas

*** Christmas goodies from Italy

*** The Lundquist’s Beach/Jungle/Mountain/Volcano adventure:

*** Ned talks with Lisa Cederberg, Travel Consultant with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations *** Can I touch your hair – Heather Murphy visits Iceland

Travel news

*** The moving walkway…is ending…

*** JetBlue, WestJet win airport slots at LaGuardia and Reagan National

***Top 10 Things Airlines Don't Tell You

*** 10 Survival Tips for Holiday Travel

*** Ten Ways to Do Theme Parks on a Budget

*** World's Best Cities for Bargain Shopping

Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) High Cascades Forest Volunteers, Willamette, Deschutes, Umpqua, Siuslaw and Ochoco National Forests,

2.) Third Saturday Work Parties, Forest Park Conservancy, Portland, OR

3.) VOLUNTEER Opportunities, Mayan Hope, Nebaj, Quiché, GUATEMALA

- Special Education Teacher’s Aides

- Eco-Tour Guides

- Agricultural Production and Marketing positions

- Maintenance Person

- Mayan Hope Restaurant and Hostel Workers

4.) Pemigewasset Wilderness, White Mountain National Forest, NH

6.) Billy Goat Trail Steward Volunteers, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

7.) Camp Host, Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks, Clallam County Parks, Fair and Facilities Department, Port Angeles, WA

8.) Adopt-a-Trail, Santa Clara County Parks, San Jose, CA

9.) Volunteer Roles, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

10.) Adopt-A-Trail Volunteers, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

11.) Continental Divide Trail, Gila National Forest, NM

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: December 2011

New Orleans Levee-Top Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) SCUBA Instructor, Seacamp Association, Inc., Key West, Florida

2.) Outdoor Adventure Instructors, Absolute Adventure, Dibba, Musandam, Oman

3.) EVENT AND MEMBERSHIP MANAGER (Park/Recreation Specialist I), Park Authority, Fairfax County, Laurel Hill Golf Club, Lorton, Virginia

4.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

5.) Mountain Trail Outdoor School, Kanuga Conferences Inc., Hendersonville, NC

6.) Ice Rink Zamboni Driver, Vail Resorts, Keystone, CO

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule:

8-10 Dec 11 Beltramie County/Bemidji/Northome, Minn.

21-27 Jan 12 Paris, France

6-13 Feb 12 San Jose/Arenal/Tamarindo/San Jose, Costa Rica

(The low tomorrow for Northome is 0 degrees F.)

*** From Bill Ryerson:

From Population Matters.

The climb to Everest base camp is a journey into a monochrome world, a landscape reduced to rock, ice and grey sky. The only spots of colour are the bright, domed tents of the few climbing teams willing to attempt the summit in the off-season. There are no birds, no trees, just the occasional chunks of glacier splashing into pools of pale green meltwater like ice cubes in some giant exotic drink. The stillness suggests nothing has changed for decades, but Tshering Tenzing Sherpa, who has been in charge of rubbish collection at base camp for the past few years, remains uneasy. “Everything is changing with the glaciers. All these crevasses have appeared in the ice. Before, base camp was flat, and it was easy to walk,” he said.

Climbers had reported that they barely needed crampons for the climb, there was so much bare rock, Tenzing said. That's not how it was in Edmund Hillary's day. Tenzing pointed towards the Khumbu ice fall – the start of the climb, and part of a 16km stretch of ice that forms the largest glacier in Nepal. “Before, when you looked out, it was totally blue ice, and now it is black rock on top,” he said. He's convinced the changes have occurred in months – not years, or even decades, but during the brief interval of the summer monsoon. “This year it's totally changed,” he said.

This much is known: climate change exists, it is man-made, and it is causing many glaciers to melt across the Himalayas. Beyond that, however, much is unclear or downright confusing. For that, scientists blame a blunder in a United Nations report that was presented as the final word on climate change. The 2007 report – which included the false claim that the Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035 – probably did more to set back science, and delay government action on climate change, than any other event. The scandal, known as Glaciergate or Himalayagate, was a gift to climate-change deniers when it came to light early last year, and a deep embarrassment to glaciologists. Now they are desperately trying to recover.

Mention melting and Himalayas to almost any glacier expert working in the region, and they will instantly plead for caution: please do not repeat the mistake of thinking all the ice will be gone in the next few decades. “It was just nonsense,” said Alton Byers, the scientific director of the Mountain Institute. “It's absolutely staggering when you look at some of those high mountains. They are frozen solid, at minus 15 or 20 degrees, and they are going to remain that way.”

At lower elevations, it's a different scenario, Byers acknowledged. Low-lying glaciers are melting, and far more rapidly in the past 10 or 15 years than in previous decades, scouring out new landscapes and creating a whole new realm of natural disasters for countries that are some of the poorest on Earth.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/25/climate-change-himalayas-glaciers-melting

More on climate change: http://populationmatters.org/issues/environment/climate-change-2/

*** Buon Natale!

Christmas for the Lundquist’s this year is all wrapped up in some airline tickets and hotel reservations to Central America. Read below. But we will not forgo our annual tradition of buying several panetone from Italy. We came to know these bready cakes when we lived in Sicily. Our favorites are the crème filled versions covered with dark chocolate, or the tiramisu, with coffee cream inside and dusted with a mocha covering. We actually bought four different ones this year, because we know we’ll have some relaxing holiday mornings together.

We buy them from.Gran Caffé Vuotto here in the U.S.

http://www.grancaffevuotto.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=139_142

We also have found they carry Condorelli torroncini. This is Sicilian nougat candy with pistachios and other goodies—called torrone– covered with chocolate or other delights.

http://www.grancaffevuotto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=86&products_id=554

I first tasted them during my first week living in Italy high up the mountain in the town of Belpasso. I used to go up there often when we lived in Contrada Cuba in Misterbianco, not far from the big city of Catania. The official company name is Industria Dolciaria Belpasso S.p.Ae. We would buy torroncini at the factory outlet store. It was years since I could find them until Café Vuotto came through for us.

http://www.condorelli.it/

*** The Lundquist’s Beach/Jungle/Mountain/Volcano adventure:

It's hard to put together a family vacation that everyone wants. My daughter Barbara wants an all-inclusive resort where she can lie on the beach and drink lava flows all day. I'd kind of like to see some ancient culture, like Mayan ruins, or some natural wonders and exotic wildlife. Laura wants a great room and good food. Tom was pretty amenable, as long as he didn’t have to get on a horse.

We've been to Europe, and there is desire to go back. But we can't agree on where. And you might not find beaches with lava flows during February.

We've been to Hawaii, and want to go back. Maui appeals to us, but there just aren't good vacancies in February.

Mexico has beaches, quality hotels and all-inclusive resorts. And ruins. But, well, Mexico has had some bad press with a certain criminal element there..

We have looked at Costa Rica before, and gave it a fresh look once agin. No ruins, but lots of culture, history, diversity, nature. You've got mountains, volcanoes, jungles, beaches. We looked at packages that offer both the mountains and rain forests as well as the beaches. Some all-include resorts are by the person per night, instead of by the room or suite. Your one daily fee covers just about every activity, even if you never avail yourself of it. Bottom line, we're talking a minimum of $1,000 per night for the resort (although some tours and activities that we would like would be included). With the four of us–technically all adults–we need two rooms or a suite, so maybe it was more to the point to find a place that charges by the room. Barbara says wants the beach option, but doesn't want to pack up and move to another hotel. We see one package with two hotels in very different locations, and I think we could see a lot of the country and what it has to offer in a week. She could get her beach. I could get my nature.

So we hit the “inquire” button on the “Costa Rican Luxury Vacations” website to see what good deal we can get, and what kind of availability when we want to go (in February).. Within a few hours–on a Sunday night–we get a call from Lisa Cedarburg with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations, who is excited to be working with us. We have a long chat about our ideal vacation, which is to say our four different ideal vacations, and want to see how much we can do to satisfy everyone and still have a relaxing time as our hotel hosts pamper us.

By the next day she has a sample itinerary for us, including two very nice hotels, as well as a selection of tours and activities that sounds really fun and interesting without running us ragged–remember, this is supposed to be relaxing. We will fly into San Jose, the capitol. We then are driven several hours into the mountains to our first hotel, located near Lake Arenal, which reflects the simmering plume of the Arenal volcano. We will have two rooms at the Arenal Manoa Hotel (http://www.arenalmanoa.com/index.html).

Here we'll have two rooms. We have some fun tours (see below), and great food. Then we relocate to Tamurindo on the Guanacaste region on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, for four nights at the (http://www.calaluna.com/). Yes they have a beach, and yes they serve lava flows. Here we have a villa to ourselves, with a Jacuzzi on the balcony. Again we have some fun activities, like snorkeling, but not so much as we would push ourselves to exhaustion. On the last day we fly on “Nature Air” in a small plane from Tamarindo to San Jose. The total cost is less than $6,000 for seven nights, with round trip air to and from San Jose as a separate cost. Lisa said that rooms were going fast so we would need to confirm. February is a busy time there, and these boutique hotels are not huge. I told Julie we would book the trip as long as we could get the air reservations.

I thought the package was a good deal, but was concerned the air fare (which we needed to book separately) would be high. Surprise! The air fare on Continental from Reagan National to San Jose via Houston was $393 per person plus taxes and other fees. The total cost to me for the four of us was $1,700 for an eight hour (each way) international journey. We booked the air, and then told Julie to book the package. Our flight from Tamarindo to San Jose on Nature Air (which claims to be the world’s first carbon neutral airline) (http://www.natureair.com/), is included in the package, and would normally cost $100 per person for the one way trip), got us into San Jose with a couple of hours to spare. But, as a United Premier Executive/Star Alliance Gold traveler, I'm entitled to use the Red Carpet Club or equivalent Star Alliance lounge on international travel, and this includes my family when travelling with me. Sweet!

To fly to New York and back from Reagan costs more than it does to fly to Costa Rica. Go figure. In fact, round-trip from Houston to SJO costs more than double what it costs to do the much longer trip from DCA on those very same flights. Go figure.

Then I called United to see if I could upgrade. I never have success doing this. Never. But guess what? I was able to upgrade my entire family on all for segments to first and international business class. I always felt that all those miles I’ve accumulated should be able to do something nice for my family, and here I hit the jackpot. It cost me 200,000 miles. And I'm okay with that (I've used miles for domestic flights which cost me 60,000 miles for a lousy round trip to Spokane, a flight which would have cost me $900). There's a co-pay, but as a Premier Executive the fee is waived.

Sold separately, the trip costs much more than the full itinerary. The Washington to Houston (round trip)by itself is $497. Houston to San Jose, Costa Rica (round trip) is $706. But when I booked, my flights were $336 plus taxes and fees, for a total of $429.65 per person.

Arenal Manoa Hotel (http://www.arenalmanoa.com/index.html)

Arenal Volcano Hike & The Springs Resort Hot Springs (Aventuras Arenal), (http://www.aventurasarenal.com/)

Canopy Ecoglide Tour (Aventuras Arenal), (http://www.aventurasarenal.com/)

Cala Luna Hotel Boutique & Villas (http://www.calaluna.com/)

Snorkel Tour (Pacific Coast Divers),

Tamarindo – San Jose (Nature Air),

*** Ned talks with Lisa Cederberg, Travel Consultant with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/):

Ned: How is Costa Rica different from other vacation destinations in the region?

Lisa: I think the fact that there is no military is a big difference. It's a more diplomatic country than other Central American countries with less corruption than other neighboring countries.

The energy/vibe is very different. Costa Ricans are very peaceful, gentle people for the most part. They believe in working, but don't let work or their jobs run their lives. They take time for their families, friends, and to just sit around and do nothing. Because the people are rushing around everywhere all the time to get here and there, the energy of the entire country is just much calmer. You feel really relaxed and not pressured to do anything you don't really want to do.

Most of the country is middle class. There is not a huge abundance of poverty stricken inhabitants, nor over-the-top wealthy inhabitants. They do exist, but for the most part everyone is about equal.

Education is key–literacy rate is above 90%. People live longer than in other countries because of the non-processed foods, lots of walking, fresh air, and less stress than other countries.

Ned: How far does your money go in Costa Rica?

Lisa: It's all relative, just like anywhere else. Here, you can live a much simpler life, however, the average wage here is much lower (around $600-800 per month).

Your basic bills are much cheaper here. In Los Angeles, my total monthly expenses were outrageous–around $5,500. Here, my monthly bills (rent and utilities) are about $70 My electr0–and that's for a 2 bedroom 1,100 sq ft home with a piece of land. My household expenses are far lower in comparison. My electric bill each month is about $20. My water bill is basically nothing. My cell phone bill is $8, my cable bill is $25, my internet and home phone line together is $30. Car insurance $60 per month.

Gasoline, electronics (TVs, phones, appliances, etc) and cars are more expensive.

If you want to spend more money on things, you can go to the most expensive grocery stores where they sell all the import items. We also have Pricesmart (Costco) and Walmart. However, if you just shop at your local grocery stores, everything is pretty inexpensive.

Labor is much cheaper here–if you need a window fixed, a car repaired, a house painted, etc., it's a mere fraction of the cost in the States. Produce is very cheap. Rent is cheap compared to the States.

Ned: What’s the national food of Costa Rica? What’s your favorite dish?

Lisa: I guess it would be Gallo Pinto (rice and beans, but not just ANY rice and beans). They also have a traditional dish called a “casado” that's a little of everything on one big plate (rice, beans, salad, plantains, vegetables, and either chicken, fish, or other meat.

They also have a salsa that is used everywhere, Salsa Lizano. It's a vegetable-based salsa that can be used on just about everything.

Since I'm a vegetarian, I don't have as many options, but I guess my favorite dish is a vegetarian casado–instead of the meat portion, they'll substitute it with cheese or eggs for me (no, I'm not vegan–just vegetarian).

Ned: Do you put Salsa Lizano on everything, too? Like vegetarian casada?

Lisa: Yes, I put it on a lot of my food! Especially my vege casada. It's really good!! It's especially on gallo pinto with natilla (sour cream, pretty much). It's delicious!

Ned: What’s your favorite place to visit in Costa Rica?

Lisa: Honestly, everywhere. I've lived here for 3-1/2 years, and I find new and amazing places here all the time. Exploring just never gets old. I do love the Arenal area and Manuel Antonio areas. I also love Tortugero. There are so many small little gems that are off the beaten track that I couldn't even name them all (Rio Celeste, Savegre/San Gerardo de dota, Villa Blanca Cloud Forest, etc., etc.). I also love the secluded beach areas in Nicoya like Santa Teresa and Mal Pais. The beach towns of Tamarindo and Montezuma are always fun for a couple of nights.

Ned: Does that mean that after a couple of nights they wear thin?

Lisa: No, not at all. I'm just the kind of person who likes to move around a lot, so I never usually spend more than a few nights in any one place. However, many people love to spend a week or more just relaxing in one location without moving around. There's plenty to see and do in both Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo for more than a few days! That's part of why I moved here–so I can go back for a few days whenever I feel like it!

Ned: Do your dogs speak Spanish?

Lisa: Funny…. I have 2 dogs that I rescued from the street here that were in bad shape. I brought the other 4 with me from the States. When I first rescued the street dogs from here, they wouldn't listen when I'd tell them to come inside, etc. I realized that it was because they didn't speak English!! I said the commands in Spanish instead and they listened right away! Now all 6 of them are bilingual–they'll come, sit, stay whether I say it in English or Spanish.

Ned: What prompted you to move to Costa Rica?

I wanted to experience another way of life. I wanted to live in a Latin American country and absorb myself in the culture. I wanted to get away from the pretentious people in LA who only cared about what car they drove, what brand purse they carried, who their plastic surgeon was, what screenplay they were writing, etc., etc. I wanted to live a simpler life. From my very first trip here, I felt different. I felt calm, peaceful, alive. I didn't feel hurried or stressed or worried about anything. I fell in love with the people here. They are some of the kindest, most generous, warm people you will ever meet. They're all very smart with great senses of humor and quick wit. I wanted to take a leap of faith and change my life while I had the chance, and I knew Costa Rica was where I was meant to be. It is definitely home now. I actually feel weird when I go back to the States–almost like I don't really belong any more. The things that used to seem so important before (money, stuff, etc.) just aren't as relevant any more. My happiness, peace of mind, ability to get a good night's sleep every night, and waking up to beautiful, unpolluted skies is what drives me now. I just feel like I understand life better now.

But I do miss Target!!! lol

Contact Lisa (book a trip with her, and tell her you read about it in YVNS, and I get a bottle of Salsa Lizano.)

Lisa Cederberg

Travel Consultant

Costa Rican Luxury Vacations

“Local Knowledge – Global Service”

U.S. Toll Free 800-606-1860 x 1243 – I'm available with very flexible hours. Please call at your convenience!

In Costa Rica: 506-2296-7715 * Email: lisacederberg@goduesouth.com

(http://www.vacationscostarica.com/):

*** Can I touch your hair – Heather Murphy visits Iceland

Ned asked Heather Murphy to share some travel adventures. Like Heather, Ned’s wife Laura is a redhead. In some parts of the world that can be pretty exotic. Hence the “Can I touch your hair.” Here’s one of Heather’s adventures:

YVNS was in its infancy when I wrote about a journey that Ned titled “Adventures to Newfoundland or How to Land on the TSA Watch List for Life” (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/blog/_archives/2007/11/22/3584241.html). I am happy to report that recent travel has been hassle free so maybe I’m off the TSA Watch List.

The trip that landed me on the TSA list was planned as a more affordable alternative to Iceland. At the time, travel to Iceland was cost-prohibitive. The unfortunate crumbling of Iceland’s economy has made travel more affordable. Early in 2011, a popular travel website promoted air and hotel packages in celebration of IcelandAir’s plans to fly out of Washington/Dulles.

The specials were especially great for off-prime travel. My photographer friend and I took advantage of a package trip in September, complete with airfare, hotel and a glacier hike.

Iceland is otherworldly. Dinosaurs never roamed Iceland. The island did not exist when dinosaurs roamed Earth. It is entirely volcanic and glacial. Trees are sparse outside of Reykjavik. If you think it must be bleak, you would be mistaken. Colorful mossy plants grow atop the lava rock. There are areas that look like peat bogs…moist pastures with rolling clumps of green grassy, mossy ground cover. Sheep and Icelandic Horses, a breed unique to the nation, dot the pastures.

The “Over-Sharing, Detail-Driven Rental Guy”

When you arrive at the airport, rental car reps bring the car to you…it took a few minutes of guessing to figure that out. The contact with one of our names on his placard had keys to the Toyota Yaris we would use. He proceeded to detail everything from how to drive in Iceland and road conditions to driving on gravel, road signs and so forth. Too much detail.

And if you drive the countryside, you should be “afraid of the sheep.”

“They’ll just ‘yooomp’ right out at you!’”

With his exuberant hand gestures, our rental car guy made us very afraid that aggressive jumping (yooomping!) sheep were everywhere!

Forced march or moderate hike? The Glacier Walk.

A Glacier Hike was included in our air-hotel-tour package. Before departure, we were advised to bring: a) sturdy hiking boots to which crampons could be attached. b) ski pants or properly insulated and weatherproof clothing.

I’ll do my best not to disparage the majority who disregarded or ignored the orientation message. The lady in mary-jane style shoes, well, she took the prize for most ill-prepared. The guides must be used to this because they had an Emergency Stupid Tourist Kit with loaner boots and gear. The glacier walk was a fantastic experience to march up the side of a glacier, get close miles-deep crevasses and come back down alive.

Waterfalls, Rainbows, Lagoons and Shepherds

Glaciers cover more than 11 percent of Iceland’s land mass so waterfalls are not uncommon and the ones we saw were breathtaking. The fall rains and mists also bring lots of rainbows. By far, the falls I enjoyed most were Gullfoss with its thundering water and multiple tiers and Skógarfoss, a tall and wide fall that plunges to black sand.

We took two long drives from Reykjavik and my favorite was our journey to Jökulsárlón. Imagine a deflated balloon. The lagoon itself is the round part of the balloon. At the top is a glacier that calves giant chunks of ice into the lagoon. They become trapped in the lagoon because there is just a small, shallow path out to sea – the neck of the balloon. It was well worth the all day, round-trip drive. Had we more time, there are several worthwhile stops along the way for puffin colonies, black sand beaches and dramatic seascapes.

It was on the return from this day trip that we happened upon a group of shepherds herding their charges down from the mountains to lowland pastures. Traffic ground to a halt as men on horseback and 4-wheelers kept the sheep moving.

Questions, feedback or your ideas for future trips are welcome!

Heather

Questions or feedback for Heather can be addressed here in YVNS by sending an email to Ned at lundquist989@cs.com. Heather through

Next month: “The Polar Bear Question” and “These People will Eat ANYTHING.”

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for December:

*** The moving walkway…is ending…

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7388156n

*** JetBlue, WestJet win airport slots at LaGuardia and Reagan National

http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/JetBlue-and-WestJet-win-airport-slots-at-LaGuardia-and-Reagan-National/

***Top 10 Things Airlines Don't Tell You

http://away.com/top-ten-travel/away.com/features/travel-ta-top-ten-secrets-of-airline-travel-from-the-pilots-themselves-sidwcmdev_154874.html

*** 10 Survival Tips for Holiday Travel

Whether you're jetting off on a beach vacation or heading home for the holidays, use these 10 foolproof strategies to battle the crowds and make your flight more bearable.

By Tracy Stewart

Airfarewatchdog.com

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/articles/7522.html#ixzz1eiH74Wye

*** Ten Ways to Do Theme Parks on a Budget

A theme-park vacation can be pricey. It can cost hundreds of dollars a day just to get in the gate! Though the coasters are thrilling, the racing heart and sweaty palms shouldn't continue once you're homebound and cash-counting. Here are ten ways we've found to do theme parks on the cheap

http://away.com/travel-advice/travel-ta-family-theme-parks-on-a-budget-sidwcmdev_156366.html

*** World's Best Cities for Bargain Shopping

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?group=351%20

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) High Cascades Forest Volunteers, Willamette, Deschutes, Umpqua, Siuslaw and Ochoco National Forests,

Volunteers are needed for a wide range of activities and there are plenty of opportunities to match everyone’s interest and skill. Tools and equipment will be provided. Horses or llamas will help carry equipment for some of the organized summer projects. Here’s a sampling of projects:

To be a forest volunteer we ask that you attend one of two training weekends. There is no charge for either weekend and free camping is available. The first weekend is scheduled for May 13th through 15th at the Westridge School near Oakridge, OR. The second weekend is scheduled for Friday June 3th through 5th at the Allingham Guard Station located west of Sisters, OR near Camp Sherman. We suggest you consider a donation of at least 16 hours of your time over the year volunteering on the many projects offered by the High Cascades Forest Volunteers and the Pacific Crest Trails Association. If you wish to be a volunteer click on Volunteer Application

Classes may include trail maintenance, trail crew leadership, First Aid/CPR certification, cross-cut and chain saw re-certification, wilderness stewardship, adopt a trail/lake programs, map/compass, identify/remove noxious weeds, monitoring historic sites, survival tips and more.

Who can volunteer:

Anyone over the age of 18 may apply to volunteer. If you are under the age of 18 you may still participate by working with your family, group, club, or responsible adult(s).

Benefits of volunteering:

Besides the great benefits of helping your National Forests, you will:

Gain a sense of self satisfaction and accomplishment in performing a much needed service.

Learn new skills, which you can share with others.

Make a positive contribution to the forest areas you have enjoyed using.

Meet new people and make new friends.

http://www.highcascadesvolunteers.com/

2.) Third Saturday Work Parties, Forest Park Conservancy, Portland, OR

http://www.forestparkconservancy.org/park-programs/volunteer.html

3.) VOLUNTEER Opportunities, Mayan Hope, Nebaj, Quiché, GUATEMALA

- Special Education Teacher’s Aides

- Eco-Tour Guides

- Agricultural Production and Marketing positions

- Maintenance Person

- Mayan Hope Restaurant and Hostel Workers

http://www.mayanhope.org/volunteering.htm

4.) Pemigewasset Wilderness, White Mountain National Forest, NH

Jun 10th – Jun 16th 2012

One of the most extensive roadless areas in the eastern United States, the Pemigewasset is New Hampshire's largest Wilderness Area at 45,000 acres. A wild mixed forest of hardwood and conifer, the “Pemi” is centered on the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River and bordered by treeless granite peaks including the alpine tundra summits of Franconia Ridge. The area is known for its ecological recovery from extensive logging in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its inclusion in the White Mountain National Forest and later designation by congress as a Wilderness Area has resulted in a dramatic rebound in the forest ecosystem. This is New England backpacking at its very best!

2012 will be our fifth year in the White Mountains, following previous greatly successful projects. In late August 2011, Hurricane Irene hit the entire area with devastating rainfall and floods, wiping out many access roads and trails. Pending an ongoing assessment of the damage and recovery plan, participants must remain flexible as our tentative project may be adjusted to help the White Mountain NF managers with their highest priority needs in response to the damage. Be assured that our volunteerism will be greatly needed and appreciated.

Our tentative project piggybacks on past year's work. It involves a backpack of three relatively flat miles to set up a comfortable basecamp. From here, our service project will involve trail maintenance and improvement such as removing downed trees, repairing and building waterbars, building check dams, steps etc. On our day off, participants can climb one of the nearby peaks, tag a section of the Appalachian Trail, or relax and take a dip in the beautiful wilderness river.

This project is suitable for well-conditioned beginners to backpacking and service work. It is rated as strenuous, including occasionally long hikes to worksites, bending, lifting, and work with hand tools such as Pulaskis, shovels, McLeods, rakes and loppers.

Contact Wilderness Volunteers, Flagstaff, AZ

http://www.wildernessvolunteers.org/php/project/Pemigewasset+Wilderness%2C+White+Mountain+National+Forest/bef90937301f701a5c39280d255e9e86.html

(Ned notes: The Pemi is probably one of my most favorite places on Earth. I suggest you take a week or two and get lost in there. The Wilderness Trail follows an old logging railroad right of way. It’s wide and level as it follows the river. Be careful to avoid tripping on the old rail ties. Although the area was extensively logged and there have been some big fires in this area it is still thickly forested and the many trails that come off of the Wilderness trail lead to some steep peaks, rocky slides, alpine lakes and old growth trees. I’ve found old logging camps with barrel hoops placed around trees as saplings that are now fully grown. I’ve seen trees tied in knots by bored loggers. And firepits where I’ve dug out horseshoes that were once used for the draft animals that pulled trees out of the forest. This is still a vast and wild place, surrounded by really challenging mountains. If you don’t thing some of New Hampshire’s 4,000 and 5,000 footers are challenging, just try hiking them with a pack, and watch the weather closely because it’s the worst weather in the world. Trust me on that, too.)

http://www.hike-nh.com/trips/readers/owlshead.shtml

6.) Billy Goat Trail Steward Volunteers, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

We're looking for volunteer trail stewards willing to hike parts of the trail, or educate visitors at the trailheads, to protect the incredible natural resources of Bear Island, which this rugged trail traverses.

Stewards have been active now for several years, educating hikers about Leave No Trace principles, helping to ensure they are prepared for the strenuous hike, sharing stories about the sensitive vegetation, and reducing trampling of the Bear Island's many rare plants. Active trail stewards can go out any day of the week, can hike the whole trail or just part of it, or can stay near the trailhead and connect with hikers before they begin. Trail stewards wear park volunteer identification, carry park radios for emergency communication, and can benefit from basic first aid training to help with minor injuries. They are the eyes and ears for the National Park Service, and The Nature Conservancy, who co-own this biologically diverse island, and help us protect the rare habitats from the estimated 50,000 hikers on the Billy Goat Trail on Bear Island, known as “section A”. Stewards have also been instrumental in reporting emergencies back to park staff for a more rapid response.

http://www.nps.gov/choh/supportyourpark/billygoattrailstewardvolunteers.htm

(Ned notes: There can be a lot of people scrambling over the rocks along the Maryland side of the Potmac near Great falls. As close as it is to Washington, DC, the river here is wild and untamed, and the trail is, too. Not for people with bad knees and bad shoes. Walking along the adjacent C&O Canal towpath is an equally pleasant walk, and much easier.)

7.) Camp Host, Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks, Clallam County Parks, Fair and Facilities Department, Port Angeles, WA

http://www.clallam.net/CountyParks/html/parks_volunteer.htm

8.) Adopt-a-Trail, Santa Clara County Parks, San Jose, CA

Do you have a trail you use that you would like to help maintain? Do you have a group that is looking for some good, physical service work in a beautiful outdoor setting? If so, we’d like you to adopt–a-trail. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers, after completing Department training, will take care of a trail, or section of trail, within a County Park. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers conduct trail brushing/pruning, litter/debris removal, routine trail tread/drainage clearing, and major trail problem reporting. Participants who agree to participate for one-year will receive in-park signage acknowledging their commitment.

Please email us at volunteer@prk.sccgov.org or call (408) 355-2254 if you are interested in volunteer opportunities.

http://www.sccgov.org/

http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/parks/parksarticle?path=%2Fv7%2FParks%20and%20Recreation%2C%20Department%20of%20(DEP)%2FVolunteer%20and%20Job%20Opportunities&contentId=b6b698ba77784010VgnVCM10000048dc4a92____

9.) Volunteer Roles, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

Volunteers build and maintain our hiking trails, as well as provide off-trail support. Here are the types of work done by our volunteers:

On-Trail roles include trail building, trail maintenance and land monitoring.

Off-Trail roles in areas such as administration, publishing, conservation and fund-raising

http://www.nynjtc.org/volunteer

10.) Adopt-A-Trail Volunteers, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Individuals or groups may adopt a trail or segment of a trail by volunteering their time to help keep the trail clean and safe. It may be a state trail or a trail within a state park, forest or recreation area. Adopt-A-Trail sponsors collect litter and perform minor trail maintenance, assist with the control of invasive species and the planting of native species, record and report to the property manager any major or hazardous trail obstructions, and gather and return any “lost and found” items to the property office. If you are interested in adopting a trail, complete the Adopt-A-Trail Application and Permit [PDF] or contact the park, forest or trail manager.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/voljobs/#adoptatrail

11.) Continental Divide Trail, Gila National Forest, NM

Jul 8th – Jul 14th 2012

Contact Wilderness Volunteers, Flagstaff, AZ

http://www.wildernessvolunteers.org/php/project/Continental+Divide+Trail%2C+Gila+National+Forest/205ded2984e1daf6e3b9373767e8bf6e.html

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: December 2011

New Orleans Levee-Top Trail

The Mississippi River gave birth to New Orleans, depositing the silt on which the city was built, and carrying the ships that made it into a thriving port. But the Crescent City is now separated from its mother: Tall earthen levees, erected to protect residents from floods and improve river navigation, cut people off from the winding river.

Luckily, the New Orleans Levee-Top Trail (more commonly known as the Mississippi levee trail) helps bridge the divide between land and water. “There's this huge mile-wide river next to us, that over the decades we've protected ourselves from—so any opportunity to get to the river is very important,” says Jennifer Ruley, a pedestrian and bicycle engineer who works as an advisor to the city of New Orleans. “It really helps us to connect to the geography and history of the city.”

The levee-top trail—running 25 miles along the east bank of the Mississippi—provides New Orleanians with a place to get back to their roots. Equally important, it offers residents and visitors a safe recreation and commuting venue removed from the city's busy streetscape. And it forms an important link in the 3,000-mile-long Mississippi River Trail—an ongoing venture to establish bike and pedestrian pathways along the entire length of America's most storied waterway.

As with many other pathways around the nation, the levee-top trail was made possible by seed money provided by the federal Transportation Enhancements program. The local parish (county) governments raised additional money and teamed up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (which built and maintains the levee system along the Mississippi) to turn existing gravel paths on top of the levees and a short section of former railroad track into a paved trail. The first trail segment opened in the mid-1990s, and the pathway has subsequently expanded in sections as additional funding has become available.

Today the trail stretches from Audubon Park—a former plantation in the city's Uptown neighborhood that is now home to the city's zoo—upriver to the community of Destrehan in St. Charles Parish. Along the way, it passes through residential areas; past busy commercial wharves; alongside hospitals, shopping centers, parks and golf courses; near chemical plants and oil depots; within a few blocks of the city's busy airport; through suburban neighborhoods; and past 224-year-old Destrehan Plantation, the oldest documented plantation home on the lower Mississippi and a portal to the region's antebellum era. “The diversity of places you can go on this trail is incredible,” says Ruley.

There's also the unique diversity created by the levee itself. On the protected side of the berm, much of the land has been built over or plowed under, and few signs of its natural beginnings are evident. On the other side, between the levee and the river, you'll see stands of cypress, willow and oak; swamps and marshes; and perhaps glimpse the herons, ibis, egrets and other wildlife that frequent these areas. “You can get a glimpse of what the area looked like before it was developed,” says Ruley.

All of these qualities, and the trail's strategic location near homes, businesses and two major universities (Tulane and Loyola) make it extremely popular with residents. The college crowd favors the trail as a scenic hangout and meeting place. Serious cyclists use it for early morning training rides, and bicycle commuters appreciate the car-free pathway to work. The trail is also a magnet for people who stroll, inline skate or walk dogs. And it is an important part of a network of bicycle lanes and paths in New Orleans that has quadrupled in the past six years to 44 miles, with another 15 miles in development—including the three-mile Lafitte Corridor, a planned linear park and greenway.

“The public has bought into the trail and really supports it, which is evident in the continual expansion of the trail over the years,” says Dan Jatres, director of pedestrian and bicycle programs for the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission. “Residents and elected officials view this as a major asset to the community from a quality-of-life perspective and transportation perspective.”

The levee-top trail is also a regionally important piece of the Mississippi River Trail. This ambitious project seeks to create a mix of on- and off-street pathways (including unused rail lines) paralleling the river from its source in Lake Itasca, Minn., to its mouth about 100 miles downriver from New Orleans. In Louisiana and other states, river trail advocates are hoping to turn hundreds of miles of levee tops into continuous sections of off-street paths, and the New Orleans trail segment provides a successful model for working with the local and federal agencies responsible for these flood-control structures.

“Some of the lessons learned here in New Orleans regarding working with levee districts and the Army Corps to build trails on levees can help other communities,” says Jatres, who also serves on the board of directors of Mississippi River Trail, Inc., the nonprofit group promoting and coordinating work on the multi-state trail. “They can point to the New Orleans area and say, 'It's been done there, it's working, it's not creating issues for the maintenance and operations of levees—in fact the trails have benefits for levee operations.'”

Current plans in Louisiana are to build out the levee-top trail between New Orleans and the state capital of Baton Rouge, about 130 miles upriver, and work is already under way on about a dozen miles of that stretch. “When the whole New Orleans-Baton Rouge section is done, you really have an opportunity for bicycle tourism,” says Jatres. “With an influx of people along the trail, it could be a huge boon for some of the small towns along the river.”

Downriver towns are also clamoring to extend the trail through their communities, Jatres says. “There's an appeal to riding your bike to the end of the Mississippi River and seeing what it's like, which is a pretty spectacular natural wonder.” Ruley notes that New Orleans is working to ensure that its expanding system of on-street bikeways will allow users to connect from the levee trail, through the city center, to downriver parishes.

So the New Orleans Levee-Top Trail is not only helping connect residents of the Crescent City to their history and geography, but it's beginning to link the colorful communities along the length of the great river. Could a two-wheeled version of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or Life on the Mississippi be far behind?

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) SCUBA Instructor, Seacamp Association, Inc., Key West, Florida

http://www.oapn.net/jobdetail.php?id=1625&ref=Date

2.) Outdoor Adventure Instructors, Absolute Adventure, Dibba, Musandam, Oman

Absolute Adventure is an adventure outfitter based in the Musandam Peninsula of Oman; about 2 hours drive from Dubai. We are in an area of outstanding natural beauty within a minutes walk of the beach and at the foot of 2000m high mountains. We are seeking qualified, motivated, and culturally adaptable outdoor adventure instructors to lead half and full day adventure activities for international schools and tourist groups. The successful candidates will be provided with the following benefits: * Direct round-trip flight from a major airport in your home country to Dubai, UAE. You must provide your own transportation to the airport. We will arrange to have you picked up at the airport in Dubai. * Furnished housing while in Oman (near the beach). * Paid utility bills. * Free wireless internet use. * Company cellular phone with monthly credit. * All meals while on school programs. * Monthly salary of US$ 1000 tax free (paid in local currency). * One month paid leave and two months unpaid leave per year (June-August). * Annual leave ticket. * Oman residence visa and work permit. Qualifications required: * REC, WFR or WFA * Recognized certificates in the following fields: Mountain Leadership, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Abseiling, Sea Kayaking, Low Ropes. * Clean driving license. * 2+ years experience instructing * High level of fitness. * D of E award assessor will be an advantage.

Application Info: Email: Managing Director aadibba@gmail.com or info@adventure.ae.

http://www.oapn.net/jobdetail.php?id=1607&ref=Date

3.) EVENT AND MEMBERSHIP MANAGER (Park/Recreation Specialist I), Park Authority, Fairfax County, Laurel Hill Golf Club, Lorton, Virginia

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/jobs/listing/detail.asp?job=11-2663

4.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

American Conservation Experience, a Non-Profit conservation corps with growing nationwide operations, is seeking a Director for our California state branch located in Santa Cruz.

Summary:

ACE is a dynamic organization with the reputation for providing crews to safely and economically accomplish technically complex and physically demanding conservation and restoration projects for the National Park Service, US Forest Service, BLM, USFWS, and numerous state and local land management partners. Recognizing ever increasing agency need for skilled labor crews combined with growing federal and state mandates for youth engagement, ACE’s Board of Directors supports a policy of programmatic expansion in California. ACE’s leadership team is seeking a State Director with the ability to sustain our current excellence of operations while embracing a strategy of systematic growth, including the development of a second base of operations in CA.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess a unique combination of attributes, including substantial management background in either the non-profit or for-profit sector, experience overseeing fiscal policy and budgeting for a large scale organization, a track record of developing successful partnerships, experience working with young adult staff and volunteers, proven ability to generate and sustain a culture of programmatic pride, confidence to bring new ideas to the table and to convincingly express them verbally and in writing, and a history of working cooperatively as a member of a broader management team.

In order to maintain ACE’s reputation for quality work, and to avoid diluting our skill base in favor of programmatic expansion, we wish to recruit a State Director who also possesses a strong foundation of field skills in some combination of trail work, habitat restoration, and/or fuels reduction. While the position is not field-based, ACE strongly believes that staff at all levels of management should be capable of guiding field activities, conducting site visits from a knowledgeable perspective, and imparting high standards to ACE’s field staff.

Specific job duties include:

1) Outreach to local, state, and federal land management agencies and other conservation-minded organizations. Confidence and ability to solicit project opportunities by introducing ACE’s offerings to numerous new prospective partners statewide.

2) Preparing and delivering powerpoint presentations.

3) Grant and proposal writing.

4) Overseeing the effecting implementation of ACE’s AmeriCorps grant through California Volunteers.

5) Supervising/or hiring managerial staff, including ACE California’s Director of Operations, Operations Manager, AmeriCorps Program Manager, Skills Trainers, Volunteer Coordinator, Recruitment Coordinator and future positions as they are generated through expansion.

6) Development of a marketing and outreach campaign for ACE CA, including writing a quarterly newsletter managing web content, and creating a strategy to enhance alumni relations.

7) Preparing accomplishment and data collection reports.

Drug users, including recreational smokers of marijuana, should not consider applying as ACE reserves the right to require drug testing and detests the presence of drug users or proponents of any unhealthy lifestyle in our youth development program. Applicants must have a clean driving record and be willing to submit to background checks.

Start Date: First quarter of 2012 with some flexibility for exact timing.

Length of Commitment: This is considered a career opportunity with a minimum anticipated commitment of 3 – 5 years.

Salary: $48,000 – $60,000 base salary DOE, with potential for performance-based end of year bonuses of up to 20 percent of annual salary. Full benefits start after six months, including health insurance, dental insurance, two weeks paid annual vacation, and sick leave.

Hours: Flexible. ACE Directors set their own schedules in accordance with their management objectives.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2011. Please note that ACE will schedule interviews and may make a selection prior to the application deadline, so please submit your materials as you prepare them.

Application Process: There is no official application form, but please submit the following by email:

1) a detailed resume including three professional references.

2) an introduction letter expressing how a career position as ACE’s California State Director would align with your perspectives and experiences in conservation and youth development.

3) a secondary writing sample such as a previous grant proposal, a position statement/white paper, a newsletter, an excerpt from an academic thesis, etc.

As expressions of interest are received, ACE’s Executive Director will review each packet and schedule an initial round of interviews in Santa Cruz. The leading candidates after the first round of interviews will be invited to Flagstaff, AZ to meet with ACE’s Board of Directors before a final selection is made.

To Apply: Please email your application materials to Chris Baker: cbaker@usaconservation.org with “California State Director” in the subject line.

http://www.usaconservation.org/Home/positions.html

5.) Mountain Trail Outdoor School, Kanuga Conferences Inc., Hendersonville, NC

http://www.kanuga.org/outdoored/employment.asp

*** From Mark Sofman:

6.) Ice Rink Zamboni Driver, Vail Resorts, Keystone, CO

http://bit.ly/vCY7BG

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

Your Very Next Step newsletter for November 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

- Oscar Wilde

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 655 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Connie Mayse in Switzerland

*** Pat Valdata has our rapt attention:

*** Travel news

*** Japan may give away 10,000 flights

*** Two Airlines Battle Mileage-Tracking Websites

*** Delta Cements LaGuardia Grip With Trade of Flight Slots

*** That's Ridiculous! Low-cost Airlines that Cost More

*** Scariest waves?

*** Greening Your Personal Life

*** Best Burgers in the U.S.? What do you think?

*** A Look Inside Oregon State's Bicycling and Driving Simulator Laboratory

*** Texas Master Naturalist Program

*** America's Coolest Coffeehouses

*** Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Nature Area Volunteer Stewardship Days, Chicago Park District, Chicago, IL

2.) Volunteer Opportunity, Journey to Freedom, Karen Elephant Sanctuary Baan Mae Storb, Mae Jeam district, Chiang Mai, Thailand

3.) Volunteer, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Norwich, VT

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: November 2011

Florida's Seminole-Wekiva Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Manager, Marketing, Yakima Products, Inc., Beaverton, OR

2.) Event Services Manager, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Missoula, Montana

3.) Outdoor School – Market Outreach Specialist, REI, Various locations

4.) VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, The Atlantic City Alliance, Atlantic City, NJ

5.) Graphic Designer, AmericanRec, Boulder, Colorado

6.) Instructor Positions, Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp, Silver Springs, FL

7.) Director, Institute at the Golden Gate, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Sausalito, California

8.) n Counselor, Camp Vega, Echo Lake, Fayette, Maine

9.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

10.) Archery Promotions Coordinator, Easton Technical Products, Salt Lake City, Utah

11.) Program Officer, Western Pacific Coastal and Marine Conservation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, California

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** From Connie Mayse:

Hi, Ned! . I went to Basel, Switzerland (the point at which France, Germany and Switzerland meet) on business, recording interviews and video content for an executive production. Spent a lot of time in the old town shooting B-roll.

I enjoyed Basel, walking many miles and becoming adept at trains and trams. Had great Turkish, French, Italian food (though not all at once) and some yummy Swiss chocolate and cheese (again, not all at once). My 31st wedding anniversary occurred during the trip, so I brought hubby along. It was he who pointed out that Coke and beer are the same price in Basel, and beer is often the better value!

The parts of the city in which I spent most of my time exuded a certain old-world charm and could have been located in any of a number of European cities. But there was one building in particular, the rathaus – city hall – on the Marktplatz. There could be no doubt that you're in Switzerland when you see the rathaus (photos enclosed).

One day our videographer set off down a street in the old town that literally teemed with people to capture a few shots of the bustling nature of the street, while I headed into a nearby Starbucks to get him a cuppa joe. When I came back, he was gone and we didn't see him again for nearly an hour. We finally tracked him down, gave him the lukewarm coffee, and he told us that he got wrapped up in “the next shot” – one after another, an interesting angle here, the play of light and shadow there – and must have been off in another world.

Basel charmed us our first night in town. The desk staff at the Hilton recommended a restaurant, Goldenen Sternen, on St Alban-Tan on the Rhine. To get there, we took a tram to the stop just before the river, then walked winding and hilly streets for several blocks. We passed courtyards that reminded us of New Orleans and entryways reminiscent of London.

Finally we found Goldenen Sternen. A group was having a dinner party in the little park out front. Inside, the restaurant was empty of patrons. The maitre d' led us through the house to a delightful courtyard, where we found everyone. The furnishings were upscale patio style, with an elaborate umbrella and awning system that covered almost every table. Large art installations decorated the walls of the building, with ivy growing into the exhibits.

The food was simply incredible. I enjoyed a carrot and ginger soup with crusty bread, followed by pumpkin ravioli, a large portion I could not finish, and I felt guilty about leaving it on my plate! Simply one of the best meals I have had ever, and decidedly among the most expensive. C'est la vie.

Basel is an interesting study in contrasts – old coexisting with new, young with old, old-world charm against a backdrop of American chain restaurants and local adaptations of “American” food – but one contrast really struck me as odd. The city is closely regulated and pretty darn clean, but graffiti is everywhere. Five tram routes run through the central train station, Banhof SBB, and all the cars are sparkling clean but one. Its exterior is painted flat white, and it's completely covered with tags – mostly amateurs, though. The true graffiti artists have prominently tagged the city. Either the city leaders have given up fightign it, or they now honor graffiti as art (and art is everywhere in Basel).

Basel is home to over 40 museums, including the pharmaceutical museum, the doll museum, the cartoon museum, the antique museum – you get the picture. I enjoyed the Historisches Museum Basel and the Kuntsmuseum (art museum), which had a terrific collection of masters – Monet, Cezanne, Picasso – and a surrealism exhibit – Dali, Miro.

I love to take pictures of interesting doors, and tracked one down in the street outside the Munster – a thousand plus year-old church. I looked at the date on the building – 1809, I think it was – and exclaimed “So this is a new building!” My colleagues were kind enough to laugh.

I hope I have the chance to return to Basel. There's so much more I'd like to see. Thanks for listening, my friend. Auf wiedersehen.

Connie Mayse

(See photos at www.yourverynextstep.com.)

*** Pat Valdata has our rapt attention:

Ned, thanks for running a story about hawk watches in YVNS. I coordinate volunteers at the Turkey Point Hawk Watch in Elk Neck State Park here in Maryland. We’re about two hours north of D.C. and about 12 miles south of Exit 100 from I-95. It’s an easy 0.8 mile hike out to the site with a spectacular view of the upper Chesapeake at the two ends of the trail. Turkey Point is on a high bluff overlooking the confluence of the Elk, Northeast and Susquehanna Rivers, which merge to form the head of the Bay. We have hawk watch observers there every morning from Labor Day through Thanksgiving weekend. Our observers are happy to point out what’s overhead and to talk about the migration. We don’t get huge numbers as they do at Hawk Mountain or Cape May, but we get close-up views that those watches rarely see. We have especially good looks at Red-shouldered Hawks from October into November, and see 16 types of raptors, including Golden Eagles and Northern Goshawks. There is more information at http://www.cecilbirds.org/hawkwatch.html.

Elk Neck State Park is a great site for camping and hiking, and the nearby town of North East has good restaurants and shops that feature local crafts. Just a few miles east is the Fair Hill Nature Center, which has 80 miles of hiking trails. There’s also a large equestrian center there.

Cheers,

Pat

Patricia Valdata

www.cloudstreetcomm.com

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for October:

*** Now, Even the Cheap Seats on Airplanes Come With a Fee

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204621904577013914231157508.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

*** Japan may give away 10,000 flights

The Yomiuri Shimbun reports (according to a translation):

The objective is to have the 10,000 tourists discuss their experiences online, and allow word-of-mouth reports to propagate about safe and hassle-free travel in Japan. Visitors will also fill out a questionnaire about how they feel about visiting Japan after the earthquake and any proposals they might have to renew interest in tourism. The Ministry will request $150 million in funding for this program.

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/13/8306125-japan-may-give-away-10000-flights

Amtrak: more popular – and more at risk – than ever

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/07/8207263-amtrak-more-popular-and-more-at-risk-than-ever

*** From Bernie Wagenblast’s TCN News:

Two Airlines Battle Mileage-Tracking Websites

Ruckus Over Online Companies That Display Frequent-Flier Miles, Hotel and Rental Car Points in One Place

Who owns your miles, anyway?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204774604576627142338884936.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/

(The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications )

*** Delta Cements LaGuardia Grip With Trade of Flight Slots

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/10/12/bloomberg_articlesLSYKYM6JIJVA.DTL#ixzz1aiAtfrNp

*** That's Ridiculous! Low-cost Airlines that Cost More

http://www.frommers.com/articles/7472.html

*** Scariest waves?

Raging Seas – Terrifying Surf, Storm Surge and Rogue Waves!

http://wj.la/ph9cFI

*** Greening Your Personal Life

An easy-to-use, economical and understandable four-step approach for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. Learn to make a greener difference!

(You will need to register for this recorded webinar by supplying your email address.)

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/308153313

*** Best Burgers in the U.S.? What do you think?

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/best-burgers-in-the-us

*** A Look Inside Oregon State's Bicycling and Driving Simulator Laboratory

Link to blog on BikePortland.org

http://bikeportland.org/2011/10/19/a-look-inside-oregon-states-bicycling-simulator-laboratory-60778

*** Texas Master Naturalist Program (http://txmn.org/)

What is a Master Naturalist ? Someone who's NOT afraid of digging in the dirt and slogging through the mud while giving back to the community.

Introduction

The natural Texas is home to all of us, no matter where in the state we live. The natural Texas, the real Texas, is still to be found all across out state – from the wilds of rural areas to the squirrels in a city park to a wildflower in our backyard.

But as Texas grows more urban, we hurry to keep up with the hectic pace of urban and even suburban life. And we don't take the time to notice, to enjoy, and ultimately conserve the natural resources around us.

Become a Certified Master Naturalist!

Through the Texas Master Naturalist volunteer program, you can help children and adults in your community learn about Texas's natural resources, inspire them to a new appreciation of their environment, and ensure that others will be able to enjoy the natural Texas for years to come.

In the Texas Master Naturalist program, you will enhance your love of nature with research-based, scientific knowledge. You will receive in-depth training in wildlife and natural resource management taught by recognized experts in the field and customized to focus on the native ecosystems of your home. You will also have the opportunity for advanced training in special subjects that interest you.

In return, you will provide your community with volunteer service in the form of educational activities, projects, or demonstrations. You might serve on a speakers bureau to make presentations to community organizations, or you might introduce children to local plants, insects, and animals through an after-school project. You might serve as a guide at a local nature center, or you might build trails or exhibits at a local park. The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination!

As a Texas Master Naturalist, you will be helping people appreciate the natural environment around their homes, while you enhance your own knowledge and skills. And, perhaps most satisfying of all, you will have a chance to build friendships and work with others who share your love of the natural Texas.

Dedicated to providing instruction and volunteer opportunities for adults who wish to educate their community and demonstrate beneficial management of natural resources in Texas.

There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. …Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech.” – Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

•Become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist

•Contact: Michelle Haggerty, 830-896-2504

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/programs/txmasnat/

http://txmn.org/

*** America's Coolest Coffeehouses

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-coolest-coffeehouses

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Nature Area Volunteer Stewardship Days, Chicago Park District, Chicago, IL

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/volunteer.detail/object_id/d212ab71-dd4f-40e6-a1fe-98f25ed204d3.cfm

2.) Volunteer Opportunity, Journey to Freedom, Karen Elephant Sanctuary Baan Mae Storb, Mae Jeam district, Chiang Mai, Thailand

A special project created in a rural setting to allow the tribal keepers of elephants to remain in their villages and preserve their environment. One week option.

Operates Oct-Apr

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/volunteer/journeytofreedom/index.htm

3.) Volunteer, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Norwich, VT

There are many ways you can help! From helping out at one of the Upper Valley Trails Alliance’s annual events to collecting trail data, UVTA offers a variety of opportunities to match your talents and interests.

Collect Trail Data

Build and Maintain Trails

Lake Morey Skate-A-Thon Event

Other Opportunities

Do you have other talents or skills that you’d like to volunteer? Let us know! If you have experience or interest in a particular area, UVTA could use your help with other activities that support the organization, such as:

Grant Writing

Graphic Design

Data Entry

Website/Technology Support

Photography

Envelope Labeling & Stuffing

Tabling at Community Events

http://www.uvtrails.org/page/volunteer-opportunities

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: November 2011

Florida's Seminole-Wekiva Trail

When most people think of Orlando, they picture the Magic Kingdom. Disney World may be the magnet for most visitors to this central Florida metropolis, but if you're a trail enthusiast—or if you need an escape from Mickey and the gang—you'll find a wealth of rail-trails in the area worth exploring.

One of the most popular is the Seminole-Wekiva Trail, a 14-mile rail-trail north of town that not only offers a pleasant recreational outlet but provides a safe commuting route and a boost for the local economy—all while linking scenic areas and tracing part of the region's history.

A century before Disney World opened in 1971, central Florida was experiencing its first boom—as an important agricultural area. The removal of the state's Seminole Indian inhabitants and the end of the Civil War brought a wave of settlers to the area, drawn by its rich soil and warm climate. Citrus soon became the king of crops here, and growers needed fast, efficient means to move their harvests to markets.

In the 1880s, a Russian immigrant named Peter Demens took over a struggling, nascent railroad—the Orange Belt Railway—and laid tracks from Lake Monroe (north of Orlando) to the Gulf of Mexico. At the western end of the line, he helped establish a new seaport and named it after the city of his birth: St. Petersburg.

The 114-mile line was, at the time, one of the longest narrow-gauge railways in the world. Ownership of the railway changed hands several times during its early years, and subsequent owners converted the tracks to standard gauge. Trains continued to haul produce and passengers along these tracks until the 1970s, when the line finally succumbed to the rise of trucks and cars as the preferred means of shipping produce and tourists.

Thanks to the foresight and work of local citizens and government officials, sections of the former Orange Belt Railway have been turned into rail-trails during the past two decades. In the Orlando area, both the West Orange Trail and the Seminole-Wekiva lie on these historical tracks. These two rail-trails, together with the newer (and as yet incomplete) Cross Seminole Trail, form the backbone of the greater Orlando area's growing and increasingly interconnected multi-use pathways—a world-class resource often overshadowed by the region's heavily marketed theme parks.

The Seminole-Wekiva Trail—the name of which derives from both the native inhabitants and the nearby Wekiva River—travels through rural, residential and commercial areas as it passes through the communities of Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Lake Mary and Sanford. It also bisects a hi-tech corridor in Heathrow, with its office buildings, restaurants and hotels. By stitching together these living and working areas, the Seminole-Wekiva serves as an important transportation corridor for local residents, who take a majority of the 400,000 trips on this trail each year.

Despite its route through some heavily developed areas and its location in a sub-tropical climate, the trail manages to keep its cool, says Seminole County Greenways and Natural Lands Manager Bryan Nipe. “The majority of it is shaded with a canopy of trees, so in summer you can get out there when it's 100 degrees elsewhere. It provides a respite for people to get out and ride for health purposes or social or recreational purposes.”

The trail's proximity to the Wekiva River, a federally designated 'Wild and Scenic River,' also provides opportunities for viewing wildlife. “You'll see a pretty good variety of animals—deer, hawks, turkeys, eagles,” says Nipe. “I had a call the other day about a mother bear and her cubs crossing the trail—we've got a big population of black bears in the area, but they're pretty docile.”

In addition to this important aesthetic benefit, the trail provides a significant boost to the local economy, Nipe points out. As is nearly always the case with rail-trails, the Seminole-Wekiva has increased the value of existing properties adjacent to the trail. “We've also found that hotels tend to locate on or near the trail—because it allows their visitors to get out and exercise or walk to local restaurants or meeting spaces,” says Nipe.

It also has proven to be a lure for college teams that travel from northern states to hold soccer, softball, tennis and lacrosse tournaments in Florida, Nipe says. “One of the reasons we can outcompete neighboring counties and cities is that we have the trails,” he says. “It's a big draw—the folks visiting have the opportunity to get from parks located on trails back to their hotels without a vehicle.” These sports tournaments provide an annual $20 million boost to the local economy.

The Seminole-Wekiva has also helped pave the way for the development of other trails in the area, says Jorge Borrelli, a landscape architect and competitive cyclist who has lived in greater Orlando since 1987. “It was one of the first major trails in the county,” says Borrelli, whose firm helped design the path. “Now Seminole County is one of the leading counties in the state—if not the nation—in terms of trail development.”

Officials in Seminole County are working with their counterparts in other Orlando jurisdictions to link up various trails (including the Seminole-Wekiva) into a bicycle-and- pedestrian beltway of sorts: the 200-mile Central Florida Loop. “I'm excited about that and the momentum it's generated,” Borrelli says. “The main thing is to keep the funding coming and the vision of a statewide interconnected system alive.” Borrelli, an active equestrian, has a long history of partnering with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) on dozens of successful trail projects throughout the state, including such iconic trails as the Pinellas Trail and the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail.

Ironically, one of the main threats to future funding for both the Central Florida Loop and other rail-trail efforts around the country comes from this area: U.S. Representative John Mica, the congressman whose district includes Seminole County.

Rep. Mica, chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is pushing to eliminate dedicated federal investment in trails, biking and walking. As committee chair, Mica one of the most influential leaders in federal transportation policy, yet his positions are out of step with his constituents. In recent months, local officials throughout his district have passed 10 resolutions supporting federal funding for biking and walking.

“It's a shame that our one-time champion, Mr. Mica, has cast trails aside for partisan politics,” says Ken Bryan, Florida state director for RTC. “Despite this abandonment, local governments such as Seminole, Volusia and Orange counties are stepping up to the plate to make this amazing trail system happen. It will serve as an economic engine for the region and ensure as many people as possible can safely walk and bicycle around their communities.”

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Manager, Marketing, Yakima Products, Inc., Beaverton, OR

General Description: This position works closely with the Product Category Managers to develop and then manage the execution of critical trade and consumer go-to-market activities that support, improve and grow Yakima’s brand-reach and sell-through. This includes the creation and execution of the annual strategic marketing plan to deliver continuous improvement against key performance metrics. Areas include: PR, Social Media, advertising and media planning, strategic partnerships, consumer promotions, community building, retail training, marketing and merchandising. Other key aspects of this position contribute to achieving and sustaining the Yakima Strategic Business Plan and Initiatives, global competitive advantage, and profitable market growth strategy.

Scope & Responsibilities:

•Partner and collaborate with the Product Category Manager to create and execute the vision, strategy, and integration of critical go-to-market plans

•Develop and implement the annual marketing plan

•Develop, implement and administer the Seasonal Marketing Calendar

•Manage and grow the Yakima and Whispbar brands through the systematic application of consumer and trade marketing levers, including managing the design, development and implementations of: -Sales Support management: including trade shows, sales meetings, sell in tools -PR Strategy & Agency Management (Brand, Product, Corporate) -Social Media strategy and management: Facebook, twitter, You tube, brand blogs -Advertising and Media planning: Trade and consumer, including digital, print or other media vehicles -Strategic Partnership: strategy, relationship and planning -Community Building: non-profit sponsorships -Retail Marketing: Training, Merchandising, Support -Team Sponsorships/endorsements -Consumer promotions and collateral

•Responsible for budget administration and financial reporting

•Manage, coach and develop direct reports

Qualifications:

•College Education: BS or BA Degree from an accredited college/university in Business, Marketing or related field required

•MBA or MS/MA in a related field preferred

•Minimum five (5) years experience in brand marketing management or marketing communications managing Advertising (digital, print), Media planning, Social Media, PR, Retail marketing or merchandising, Strategic partnership and event execution

•3-5 years experience working closely with staff from Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Product Development and Purchasing, completing and managing projects with minimal oversight and against aggressive timelines

•3-5 years experience in effectively prioritizing and managing work

•Previous knowledge and understanding of outdoor and automotive accessory industry preferred

•Written and Oral Skills: English mandatory

•Advanced knowledge of business computer applications (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.) required

•Excellent leadership, management, and supervisory skills

•Ability to cooperatively interact and communicate well with inter-departmental personnel

•Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

•Excellent verbal and written communication skills

•Demonstrate the ability to be flexible, accept new ideas and input positively, and be open to new work approaches and processes

•U.S. citizen or must possess valid INS Green Card

•Must possess a valid passport and ability to travel internationally without restrictions

•Must possess a valid U.S. driver’s license with no major violations within the last five (5) years

Physical Requirements:

•Able to sit and work at a computer keyboard for extended periods of time

•Able to perform general office and administrative duties: copying, filing, using a telephone, etc.

•Able to stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, at the waist and reach on a daily basis

•Able to safely lift and move up to 50 pounds occasionally

•Must be able to work overtime and/or weekends as required

•Travel as required: approximately 25% of time domestic and 10% international

•Must be able to travel domestically and/or internationally via commercial carrier

Compensation: DOE Comprehensive benefit package provided No paid relocation

To apply for this position please submit your resume and salary requirements to: MgrMktng@Yakima.com

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/4547453

2.) Event Services Manager, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Missoula, Montana

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation seeks an experienced individual to coordinate all aspects of our National Convention and other divisional and localevents/meetings. Ideal candidate will possess excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, and public relations skills. Ability to develop, administer, and achieve annual event budgets is critical. College graduate or equivalent experience preferred with a minimum of three years experience in the event planning industry required. Position located in Missoula, MT. Email cover letter and resume to jobs@rmef.org by 12/16. RMEF is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Job Summary:

The Event Services Manager is responsible for coordinating all aspects of RMEF’s non-BGB events including National, Divisional, and local events where requested. Specific examples include National Convention, Habitat Council, Board, State & Regional Chair, Field Staff meetings, and divisional fundraising receptions.

Essential Functions:

1. Responsible for overall direction, tone, and level of customer satisfaction for RMEF’s National Convention, other national and regional events, and meetings.

2. For the National Convention, this position is responsible for researching and corresponding with targeted cities to hold future events under the direction of the VP of Fundraising Services. This position is also responsible for the site selection of meetings and other events working closely with the appropriate staff members.

3. For the National Convention, work with ISE to facilitate and efficiently manage our partnership including scheduling conference calls and ensuring appropriate communication.

4. Help with booth sales, implement exhibitor seniority lists, exhibit hall floor plan, pricing strategy, exhibitor kit, and track donation credits for the National Convention and other events as necessary.

5. Develop, administer, and achieve annual budgets in coordination with the appropriate department for all events/meetings this position coordinates.

6. Work closely with each department on all logistics for events and meetings. This includes all travel arrangements, site selection, agendas, promotional materials, catering menus, room setups, equipment requirements, speaker/entertainment, cost control, and other logistics.

7. Maintain listing of RMEF events on the website when appropriate.

8. Solicit and analyze feedback from events, adjusting plans as needed.

9. Oversee registration process as appropriate including on-site registration for events.

10. Work with Marketing staff and other staff as necessary on advertising and promoting events through direct mail and media options.

11. Help plan, organize and direct the annual World Elk Calling Contest and other Elk Calling contests at events.

Supervision of Others:

This position may be responsible for supervising temporary support staff and volunteers who are assisting with an event.

Additional Responsibilities:

1. Solicit members to volunteer during the events as needed and coordinate activities.

2. Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

College graduate (Marketing, Management, Business) or equivalent experience preferred. A minimum of 3 years experience in the event planning industry required. Experience should include scheduling and managing meetings and facilities.

Job Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

1.Knowledge of RMEF’s mission, goals, organizational structure, and activities.

2.Experience in negotiating with hotels and convention centers. Basic knowledge of contracts and legal requirements involved in contracts.

3.Strong interpersonal skills and professionalism with the ability to work constructively with a wide variety of entities.

4.Ability to effectively lead volunteers and staff providing direction and motivation.

5.Ability to establish and fulfill long-term goals, to develop and implement programs that are cohesive, progressive, and that are mission oriented.

6.Ability to develop and manage a budget. Fiscal responsibility.

7.Must have the ability to be creative and initiate positive change.

8.Strong written and verbal communication skills are necessary. Must also be well versed at public speaking.

9.Knowledge of department regulations and policies and other office procedures.

10. Excellent computer knowledge of Microsoft Office and some data base experience.

11. Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints, working at a fast pace and remaining accurate. Ability to work at a high level of mental effort when performing various tasks.

12. Ability to be flexible with changing priorities and to handle stressful situations in a constructive fashion.

13.Demonstrate professionalism and a positive approach to work.

14. Ability to provide excellent customer service and constructively resolve customer complaints.

Physical Demands:

The employee must sit or stand for long periods of time; use a computer terminal; reach forward and to the side; bend from both standing and sitting position; life items weighing various pounds including some heavy lifting. This position requires substantial travel and at times for an extended period. Work will occasionally require more than the standard number of hours per week to perform essential duties of the position and require occasional irregular hours both during the week and on weekends.

The above is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of the job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities or requirements.

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Email Address: jobs@rmef.org

http://jobs.prnewsonline.com/c/job.cfm?vnet=0&site%5Fid=1691&jb=9075690

3.) Outdoor School – Market Outreach Specialist, REI, Various locations

Job Description:

work hard to earn our reputation for quality and integrity every day. Our commitment remains the same as when we started out in 1938: to inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure. Combine your passion with your work! Inspire, lead, and educate!

Join our Outdoor Programs & Outreach team where you will find supportive leadership, a committed staff and an engaging work culture.

THE JOB:

The primary function of the Market Outreach Specialist (MOS) is to coordinate multi-store-market educational, volunteer and event programming to ensure effective communication of these programs to customers and staff. The Market Outreach Specialists works closely with individual store Outreach Specialists and Outdoor School staff to coordinate resources, schedules and communication requirements. Specific responsibilities include:

• Align with and support the annual Outdoor Programs & Outreach Plan

• Schedule the multi-store market in-store classes and presentation calendar

• Oversee the Pinnacle spreadsheet and market Outlook calendar to track all stores classes and presentations

• Produce the market Pinnacle flier

• Input REI-led educational classes and outings into the Event Registration

• Ensure that other store level presentations or content is posted by individual stores

• Take lead in monitoring and posting on market level Facebook and Twitter accounts ensuring quality content and timely response to customer postings

• Develops and/or coordinates market speaker series or other store tours

• Send class and event information to calendar listings for local newspapers, outdoors related websites and other social media outlets.

• Support store Outreach Specialists efforts to promote Outdoor Programs and Outreach programming with templates, tools or other resources.

• Coordinate market events in partnership with store Outreach Specialists including sponsorship agreements to ensure timely completion of commitments

• Coordinate with Store Teams to schedule staff and other resources for market events

• Compile and edit Monthly Report content and communicate recaps/updates/highlights to Store Teams on a consistent basis

• Support Market Manager/DOEA as needed

• Create printed materials for Outdoor School offerings and distribute to stores

Qualifications:

THE REQUIREMENTS:

• Professional level communication skills, including excellent writing, editing and social media communication skills

• Experience working with non-profits and/or community groups

• Ability to meet multiple deadlines, set appropriate priorities and coordinate multiple projects within a team environment

• Enthusiasm and self-motivation a must; passion for retail

• Must have access to reliable transportation for on-site and off-site work

• Flexibility in schedule, includes: evening and weekend hours as well as travel to other stores and off-site events

• Mid-level PC skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint, Publisher

• Retail store experience, event organizing and a history with coordinating volunteer efforts a plus

THE PERKS:

At REI, we understand that benefits matter – we offer a competitive offering which includes:

• Comprehensive health and well-being programs

• A competitive bonus/ incentive program

• REI Retirement Plan

• Generous gear and merchandise discount

• Paid time off

• Professional growth and development opportunities

AND

A work environment where RESPECT, INTEGRITY, and BALANCE are just a few of our fundamental values!

REI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

https://www.rei.apply2jobs.com/HVExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mHvexternal.showPositionDetails&PID=107

4.) VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, The Atlantic City Alliance, Atlantic City, NJ

The Atlantic City Alliance has an outstanding opportunity for an experienced, media-savvy professional to assume the role of Vice President, Communications. In this key position, you will work with the President and VP, Marketing to assist in developing a strategy for creating and executing a national and regional media relations program for the ACA with the goal of publicizing Atlantic City as a premiere travel destination to the international, domestic trade and lifestyle media.

Responsibilities include:

•Leading core communications activities to include brand communications, reputation management, media relations, issues management and speech writing.

•Identify, develop and communicate the Atlantic City story and the supporting initiatives, events, programs and key messages to multiple audiences

•Serve as an official spokesperson for ACA.

•Provide communications counsel to senior management, helping to enhance ACA’s success by applying proactive and reactive communications strategy, including crisis communications.

•Plan overall media relations support, including oversight of press outreach, media events, media calls, collateral, crisis communications support and press material development.

•Create PR programs that positively position the ACA and align closely with marketing campaigns, using communications tools and practices, to reinforce the ACA message.

•Initiate and maintain ongoing dialogue with the media to educate them on positive elements of Atlantic City and to garner additional interest.

•Provide executive and internal communications support, including the preparation of speeches, presentations and internal messages, as needed.

•Manage communications programs within budget objectives.

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to include medical, dental, vision, disability, sick and vacation leave, and a 401k plan.

ACA is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

Essential Qualifications:

•Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations or related field with at least 12 years field experience- ideally a mix of corporate and agency.

•Experience working with executive leadership to formulate a strategic position and to develop a supporting, integrated communications platform.

•Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to articulate clearly to multiple constituencies with diverse perspectives.

•Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines, including management of support resources.

•Proven media relations skills and relationships with top tier media; ability to garner new relationships with leisure and business specific media.

•Ability to integrate PR programs to support marketing goals and programs; able to perform within an integrated team environment.

•A quick thinker, able to lead in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities

•Able to take a positive team approach to working with industry and government partners.

http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?job_did=J3G7S86KS1QR1PTXCF6

5.) Graphic Designer, AmericanRec, Boulder, Colorado

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/4541205

6.) Instructor Positions, Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp, Silver Springs, FL

http://www.ocalaadventurecamp.com/Download.html

7.) Director, Institute at the Golden Gate, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Sausalito, California

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=360200020

8.) n Counselor, Camp Vega, Echo Lake, Fayette, Maine

http://campvega.com/staff/

9.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

American Conservation Experience, a Non-Profit conservation corps with growing nationwide operations, is seeking a Director for our California state branch located in Santa Cruz.

Summary:

ACE is a dynamic organization with the reputation for providing crews to safely and economically accomplish technically complex and physically demanding conservation and restoration projects for the National Park Service, US Forest Service, BLM, USFWS, and numerous state and local land management partners. Recognizing ever increasing agency need for skilled labor crews combined with growing federal and state mandates for youth engagement, ACE’s Board of Directors supports a policy of programmatic expansion in California. ACE’s leadership team is seeking a State Director with the ability to sustain our current excellence of operations while embracing a strategy of systematic growth, including the development of a second base of operations in CA.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess a unique combination of attributes, including substantial management background in either the non-profit or for-profit sector, experience overseeing fiscal policy and budgeting for a large scale organization, a track record of developing successful partnerships, experience working with young adult staff and volunteers, proven ability to generate and sustain a culture of programmatic pride, confidence to bring new ideas to the table and to convincingly express them verbally and in writing, and a history of working cooperatively as a member of a broader management team.

In order to maintain ACE’s reputation for quality work, and to avoid diluting our skill base in favor of programmatic expansion, we wish to recruit a State Director who also possesses a strong foundation of field skills in some combination of trail work, habitat restoration, and/or fuels reduction. While the position is not field-based, ACE strongly believes that staff at all levels of management should be capable of guiding field activities, conducting site visits from a knowledgeable perspective, and imparting high standards to ACE’s field staff.

Specific job duties include:

1) Outreach to local, state, and federal land management agencies and other conservation-minded organizations. Confidence and ability to solicit project opportunities by introducing ACE’s offerings to numerous new prospective partners statewide.

2) Preparing and delivering powerpoint presentations.

3) Grant and proposal writing.

4) Overseeing the effecting implementation of ACE’s AmeriCorps grant through California Volunteers.

5) Supervising/or hiring managerial staff, including ACE California’s Director of Operations, Operations Manager, AmeriCorps Program Manager, Skills Trainers, Volunteer Coordinator, Recruitment Coordinator and future positions as they are generated through expansion.

6) Development of a marketing and outreach campaign for ACE CA, including writing a quarterly newsletter managing web content, and creating a strategy to enhance alumni relations.

7) Preparing accomplishment and data collection reports.

Drug users, including recreational smokers of marijuana, should not consider applying as ACE reserves the right to require drug testing and detests the presence of drug users or proponents of any unhealthy lifestyle in our youth development program. Applicants must have a clean driving record and be willing to submit to background checks.

Start Date: First quarter of 2012 with some flexibility for exact timing.

Length of Commitment: This is considered a career opportunity with a minimum anticipated commitment of 3 – 5 years.

Salary: $48,000 – $60,000 base salary DOE, with potential for performance-based end of year bonuses of up to 20 percent of annual salary. Full benefits start after six months, including health insurance, dental insurance, two weeks paid annual vacation, and sick leave.

Hours: Flexible. ACE Directors set their own schedules in accordance with their management objectives.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2011. Please note that ACE will schedule interviews and may make a selection prior to the application deadline, so please submit your materials as you prepare them.

Application Process: There is no official application form, but please submit the following by email:

1) a detailed resume including three professional references.

2) an introduction letter expressing how a career position as ACE’s California State Director would align with your perspectives and experiences in conservation and youth development.

3) a secondary writing sample such as a previous grant proposal, a position statement/white paper, a newsletter, an excerpt from an academic thesis, etc.

As expressions of interest are received, ACE’s Executive Director will review each packet and schedule an initial round of interviews in Santa Cruz. The leading candidates after the first round of interviews will be invited to Flagstaff, AZ to meet with ACE’s Board of Directors before a final selection is made.

To Apply: Please email your application materials to Chris Baker: cbaker@usaconservation.org with “California State Director” in the subject line.

http://usaconservation.org/Home/positions.html

10.) Archery Promotions Coordinator, Easton Technical Products, Salt Lake City, Utah

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/4529168

11.) Program Officer, Western Pacific Coastal and Marine Conservation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, California

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is seeking an exceptional individual to lead its Western Pacific subprogram. The Program Officer will manage a grant budget of $4 million and lead the design and implementation of the subprogram’s grantmaking strategy. This position will work closely with grantees to achieve strategic policy and programmatic outcomes in the Western Pacific region. In 2012, this position will also play a crucial role in developing a new, five-year strategy for the subprogram. The Program Officer will report to Dr. Walter Reid, Program Director, Conservation and Science Program, and will work closely with a Program Associate and a consultant based in or near the Western Pacific. This is an excellent opportunity for a professional with regional expertise and a desire to work at the interface of conservation, community development, and policy.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Program Officer – Western Pacific Coastal and Marine Conservation will perform the following and other duties as assigned:

Manage a grant budget of approximately $4 million, ensuring effective allocation of resources to grantees in the Western Pacific region.

In partnership with Foundation staff and other organizations, lead the design of the subprogram’s five-year grantmaking strategy.

Empower and enable grant recipients to achieve real impact through specific policy and programmatic objectives.

Manage two subprogram staff, providing guidance and coordination on all work products.

Clearly and consistently communicate with grant recipients and other potential partners in a transparent, timely, and respectful manner.

Review and resolve legal, financial, and technical issues raised by specific grants and grant reports.

Complete high quality docket materials, including strategy documents, dashboards, etc.

Think strategically and manage complex processes involving multiple institutions and individuals in a team arrangement.

Manage grant proposal processes and contribute to the shaping of proposals as needed.

Research and conduct analyses in areas of strategic priority.

Develop reviews and summaries for Foundation leadership and board members that address key activities, progress, and issues.

Contribute actively as a member of the Conservation and Science program team.

Represent the Foundation and the Conservation and Science program to external audiences.

Professional Qualifications

The successful candidate will have the following minimum qualifications:

5–10 years of relevant experience

A graduate level degree in a related field (or equivalent experience)

Recognition as a sustainable development and/or conservation leader

International experience including significant experience in the Western Pacific and/or Southeast Asia

Familiarity with key NGO, academic, and governmental institutions involved with coastal and marine issues in the Western Pacific region

Experience working with a variety of stakeholders, including NGOs, government agencies, and the business sector

Demonstrated success in program development, evaluation, and management

Staff management experience, with the ability to motivate and inspire team members

Intellectual agility and ability to analyze, conduct research, think critically, and understand scientific and policy studies that are directly relevant to programmatic funding areas

Exceptional written and oral communication skills

Ability and willingness to participate in and coordinate administrative duties as required

Experience with grantmaking desirable but not necessary

Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia desirable but not necessary

Personal Attributes

The following personal attributes are desired:

Approachable demeanor, and openness to input from all levels of staff and grantees

Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas

Impeccable integrity and trustworthiness, sense of humor, and diplomatic approach to problem-solving

Ability to work effectively in a team setting

Willingness to work on a flexible schedule, including travel within the U.S. and abroad over weekends when necessary

Compensation and Benefits

The Packard Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience. This position will be located in Los Altos, California.

Application Instructions

To be considered for this position, interested candidates must follow the link below to submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements. CEA Recruiting is assisting the Packard Foundation with this search. Please direct all applications and inquiries to CEA Recruiting. This position will remain open until filled.

http://www.ceaconsulting.com/what/position_details.aspx?client=CEA&jobId=173

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse candidate pool for this search. The Foundation uses an outside firm to check the accuracy of information supplied by applicants.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit www.cearecruiting.com.

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=360200021

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

Your Very Next Step newsletter for June 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

Today is National Hike Naked Day.

To see the Summer Sky

Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie -

True Poems flee.

~Emily Dickinson

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 654 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

*** Ned’s upcoming (tentative) travel:

*** 6 Hours In Istanbul

*** Bed Bugs, arrests, volcanoes…what could possibly go wrong when travelling?

*** Shaving trees!

*** Volunteer cruises

*** 10 Ways to Pack Light

*** On land or water, trails connect people with outdoors

*** Favorite train journeys:

*** 5 Ways to Save Money on Car Rentals

*** (Re)Discovering Old Trails

*** America's 10 Best Ice Cream Factory Tours

*** Snakes: Splendor in the Grass

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

*** Maine Woods Adult Base Camp Crews – 2011 – Little Lyford Lodge & Cabins

*** Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit – Maintenance and Interpretation at the Tallac Historic Site, 2011

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Pennsylvania's Ghost Town Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Executive Director, North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), Washington D.C. metropolitan area

2.) Marketing Communications Intern, OUTWARD BOUND, Golden, CO

3.) Insight Instructor, Outward Bound, FL Jacksonville, FL

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for June:

*** Ned’s upcoming (tentative) travel:

June 23-15: Spokane, Washington

July 1-7: Izmir, Turkey

July 7-10: La Spezia, Italy

July 10-11: Acqui Termi, Italy

July 11-12: Istanbul, Turkey

July 14-20: Los Angeles/San Diego, CA

*** 6 Hours In Istanbul

We as Turkish Airlines willing to inform you that if your connection time in Istanbul takes over 6 hours and your waiting time is between 09.00 am – 18.00pm, you are welcome to take the advantage of Turkish Airlines free city tour programme, Touristanbul. This programme is organised only for our international transit passengers.

If you have a transit flight from Istanbul and have more than 6 hours waiting time for your connecting flight, you can visit our hotel desk to join our free city tour and experience the glamorous city that connects Europe to Asia as land and also as culture.

After you apply to our Hotel Desk which can be found at the airport, you will be picked up by a private tour guide and get to see most significant historical places of Istanbul. There are two 6-hour tours daily; one starts at 09:00 and ends at 15:00, and the other one is from 12:00 to 18:00. You will be taken to airport after your tour ends. The transportation in Istanbul and the transportation to and from the airport will be done by free shuttles.

All your transportation, meal and museum fees will be met by Turkish Airlines.

*** Hotel Perks That Hit the Spot

Best Hotel Amenities, Freebies & Other Perks

By Laura Kiniry

Hotels from Paris to Portland are increasingly offering innovative perks to please travelers. Whether it's free snacks or the complimentary use of an iPad, these top hotels provide so much more than a place to sleep. Here are a dozen of our favorite freebies, amenities, and thoughtful touches that are available at hotels around the world.

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?p=1&&group=531

*** Bed Bugs, arrests, volcanoes…what could possibly go wrong when travelling?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43065765/ns/travel-travel_tips/

*** From Rodger Dana:

Here’s something to add to your BUCKET LIST!!!! Shaving trees!

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=18150336

*** Volunteer cruises

http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/6/15/113329/099/travel/New+Volunteer+Opportunities+Mean+Cruising+Isn%27t+Just+for+the+Lazy

*** 10 Ways to Pack Light

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?group=573

*** On land or water, trails connect people with outdoors

http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2011/06/15/american-river-blue-trails.html

*** Favorite train journeys:

From Paul Hart:

My favorite is the Anchorage-Seward Coastal Classic on The Alaska Railroad. The scenery's breathtaking and the locomotive gets a workout going through the mountains on a 3% grade. But at a little over 4 hours each way, it's not so long as to get tedious. Also, a happy, passenger-friendly crew helps. A picture in my mind I'll always treasure is hanging out the dutch door in the vestibule on the last car as we pulled out of Girdwood — and realizing the kid 10 cars up doing the same thing was my son. We waved at each other and didn't both get back to our seats for maybe another hour.

The recent Amtrak trips have been on the more prosaic Texas Eagle between San Antonio and Dallas or Fort Worth for family matters. It's a nice trip with some fair scenery south of Fort Worth where the track leaves the I-35 corridor and takes off through the edge of the Texas Hill Country. Best of all, no one has to grope you when you board.

Paul

*** 5 Ways to Save Money on Car Rentals

Do you agree with them?

http://www.frommers.com/articles/7328.html

*** (Re)Discovering Old Trails

by Alicia MacLeay

http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2011/06/07/discovering-trails.html

*** America's 10 Best Ice Cream Factory Tours

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?group=586

*** From The Virginia Outdoor Report:

Snakes: Splendor in the Grass

Snakes have been the focal point of folklore for centuries. From the hoop snake that sticks its tail into its mouth and rolls after you to snakes that hypnotize their prey. No other group of animals has suffered more from negative misinformation than snakes. In fact, snakes are some of the most fascinating and beneficial creatures on the planet. The benefits range from the thrill of a chance encounter while on a walk in the woods to the consumption of thousands of rodents that may potentially cause millions of dollars in agricultural damage every year. Their benefits to us and the ecosystem they inhabit are some of the reasons it is illegal in Virginia to intentionally kill snakes.

Generally speaking, snakes are very reclusive and timid. Many species of snakes will not even attempt to bite when handled. Of the 30 species in Virginia, only 3 are venomous: copperhead, cottonmouth and timber rattlesnake. All three of which are considered docile, unless provoked. Copperhead bites are by far the most common venomous snake bite in Virginia. However, in the 30 years that the Virginia Department of Health has been keeping records on venomous snake bites, no one has ever died from a copperhead bite. Copperhead bites often only result in mild inflammation and discomfort.

If you do encounter a snake in the woods, simply leave it alone, it'll get out of your way or you can walk around it. SNAKES DO NOT CHASE PEOPLE. Here are a few tips to avoid the possibility of being bitten when hiking in the woods:

1. Stay on the trail.

2. Watch where you place your hands and feet, and where you sit down.

3. Do not attempt to capture snakes.

If you are bitten by a venomous snake, stay calm and seek immediate medical attention. None of Virginia's venomous snakes are considered to be highly lethal, but medical attention is necessary for all venomous snake bites.

If you are lucky enough to encounter a snake while enjoying the outdoors; step back and watch a moment. Notice the way the sunlight reflects off the scales and the incredible way a snake can glide off into the leaves barely making a sound. Unless cornered the snake is going to slip away as quick as it can.

To learn more… A Guide to the Snakes of Virginia, one of VDGIF's most popular publications since its 2001 release. This 32-page full-color booklet, co-authored and illustrated by Mike Pinder, our Region 3 Wildlife Diversity Manager, presents all of Virginia's 30 species of snakes in an attractive and educational “field-guide” format. It also includes snakebite information, provides answers to frequently asked questions about snakes, and suggests what you can do to protect or control snakes in your yard and home. Finally, it summarizes snake conservation and management issues, and offers ways you can help protect these fascinating animals. Single copies of the guide can be picked up free of charge at the Department's regional offices; or copies may be purchased online through the VDGIF Outdoor Catalogue for $5.00 each, or in cases of 60 copies for $150 per case.

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2011/06/08/#green-tips-for-outdoor-enthusiasts

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

*** Maine Woods Adult Base Camp Crews – 2011

Little Lyford Lodge & Cabins

Join one of the two crews based out of Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins to help build and maintain the new trail system of the Maine Woods Initiative. No experience is needed because we have the right job for you and the experienced leaders train you.

The programs start and end at Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins. You can arrive at Little Lyford anytime after 2:00 p.m. on the Sunday start date of your crew. We have breakfast at 8:00 a.m. then immediately depart for the rest of the week to set up our base camp on Long Pond and start on our trail projects, which may include projects ranging from clearing brush from the trail to building bridges or rock staircases. We spend the week working on the area trails and return to our base camp each night. We will work an average of 6-8 hours a day Monday – Thursday. On Friday, after breakfast we will pack up our camp and return to Little Lyford, where you will have the rest of the day to explore on your own. All participants will depart after breakfast on the Saturday at the end of the week.

Camp Life:

You can expect to find the crew a friendly and fun group of people. Even though we work hard on the trail, back at camp there is time to enjoy Long Pond and the good company, as well as hearty food. During the week we will be camping in tents and preparing meals as a group. AMC provides the tents, food, cooking equipment and other group gear. Our base camp on Long Pond is vehicle accessible, allowing you to bring along camp items that are more comfortable.

Back at Little Lyford there is fly-fishing available on the two ponds as well as the West Branch of the Pleasant River. Plenty of hiking/walking options with opportunities to see wildlife and plants including a trail that connects with the Gulf Hagas Loop Trail. Paddling on the Little Lyford Pond and Long Pond is an option. Canoes, kayaks, PFDs and paddles are provided.

Little Lyford has hot showers and provides great food. Breakfast and dinner are served family style, and a trail lunch is provided. The crew lodges in a comfortable bunkhouse, and you provide your own sleeping bag.

What the Volunteers Say:

“What a place! The north Maine Woods are so beautiful. Spending a week doing trail work was one of the best things I have done.” Ari (2010 Maine Woods Base Camp Crew Participant)

“This was a great way for me to experience the wildness of Maine but still be comfortable base camping. The leaders and the staff at Little Lyford were great. I can't wait to bring friends and family back to Little Lyford and show them the trail work we accomplished.” Rachel (2010 Maine Woods Base Camp Crew Participant)

2011 Dates:

July 17-23

August 24-30

Contribution:

$300/$330

http://www.outdoors.org/conservation/trails/volunteer/trailopps/maine-woods-volunteer-trail-crew.cfm

*** Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

Deadline Extended! Maintenance and Interpretation at the Tallac Historic Site, 2011

CA-4016

June 15-July 19; July 20-August 23; August 24-October 5, 2011 (including weekends)

Must commit to one full session; may participate in two

ATTENTION RVers: Have some time to travel this summer? Well, hop into your rig and visit the Tallac Site on the shores of Lake Tahoe! Tallac is reminiscent of the period of opulence and luxury in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mark Twain, after having visited the Site, described the area as having “the air that angels breathe.” It consists of 153 acres with three large summer estates, including 28 remaining structures dating from 1884-1923, and the archaeological remains of a resort/casino complex. The historic site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1986. One of the estates is now managed as a museum, one entertains tours and programming, and the third is a community events center. Over the past years, the Site has grown in popularity and is now host to over 140,000 annual visitors! Opportunities for PIT volunteers range from joining restoration efforts of some of the historic buildings or performing overall maintenance on the site, to involvement in the numerous interpretive programs for kids and adults.

Our volunteer season is broken up into three sessions of about five weeks each, beginning the middle of June, and ending in October. Volunteers are welcome to join us for up to two continuous sessions. The deal works this way: Tallac provides a parking space and some other amenities for each RV, while each volunteer provides 32 hours of help each week of each session. We welcome couples, of course, but both must fulfill 32 hours each every week. The schedules are Sunday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Saturday, determined by what activity or activities you elect to do at the Site. This is an interesting site in a beautiful location with a lot to see and do in the “off hours.” We always have a lot of fun, so we hope you'll come and breathe “the air that angels breathe” with us this summer!

*Please indicate the specific session(s) (maximum of two) you are applying for on your application.

Number of openings: 20 (Eight for Session 1; Four for Session 2; Eight for Session 3)

Special skills: Volunteers must be able to work well with other people and work well in groups; electrical, plumbing, woodworking, and other maintenance skills (do not need to be at a professional level), retail experience, a history of working with children, and/or public speaking experience helpful, but not required

Minimum age: 18 years old

Facilities: Project provides 2 blocks of RV sites: 1 with full hook-ups (water, sewer, electricity), 1 with water and electricity only (there is a blue tank available and a sewer dump close by); site assignments determined by rig size, accessibility needs, and sometimes seniority (if you are a return volunteer); volunteers responsible for own food and transportation costs

Nearest towns: South Lake Tahoe, 3 miles; Tahoe City, 25 miles; Carson City, NV, 30 miles

Applications due: Until filled!

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Rail Trail of the Month: June 2011

Pennsylvania's Ghost Town Trail

Like most phantoms, the ghosts along this western Pennsylvania trail are tough to spot. They lurk in the woods, whispering of a past few can now remember.

The specters are the remnants of once-thriving coal-mining towns in the Blacklick Creek Valley that died when the mining companies left decades ago. Today, the “ghost towns”—Amerford, Bracken, Buffington, Claghorn, Dias, Lackawanna #3, Scott Glen, Wehrum—are helping to animate the 36-mile Ghost Town Trail and the remaining communities nearby.

“It's a pretty rural area—there was no tourism industry to speak of before the trail,” says Ed Patterson, director of parks and trails for Indiana County, Pa. “It's created a whole tourism industry that didn't exist before.” (The Ghost Town Trail is the 'anchor' trail for this summer's Greenway Sojourn, hosted by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy).

This ghost story begins in the 1890s, when coal companies moved into the rugged Blacklick Valley, about 50 miles east of Pittsburgh. The valley, named for the coal outcroppings visible there, had previously been logged and mined for iron but had never before seen development on the scale of modern coal mining. Huge shafts were dug into the earth, large processing facilities were built and company towns were constructed to house thousands of men and their families. The largest of these towns, Wehrum, once had more than 200 houses, a hotel, post office, school and two churches.

Railroad lines through the valley, originally built to transport logs to mills, were greatly expanded to serve the mines and the new residents. Trains from the Ebensburg & Blacklick Railroad and the Cambria & Indiana Railroad ran frequently through the valley, moving coal, supplies and people to and from Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Rochester and other cities in the region.

The fortunes of the company towns were directly tied to coal production, which peaked in Pennsylvania in 1918. After a decade of ups and downs, the Great Depression dealt many of the mining companies a fatal blow. Towns were abandoned, and in some cases the buildings demolished and sold for scrap. Train passenger service in the valley ended in the 1930s. Although some mines scraped along for a few more decades, by the end of the 1960s coal shipments from the Blacklick valley had essentially ceased. Eight coal-mining towns faded from memory.

“This particular area fueled the Industrial Revolution in America, and it also provided homes and jobs for immigrants to this country,” says Laurie Lafontaine, a local activist who played the leading role in getting the trail established. “When the mines and railroads disappeared, the towns dried up and the people left.”

In the late1980s, Lafontaine and other local residents began to advocate for turning the unused rail lines in the valley into a recreational trail. In 1991, she helped convince a local salvage company that had taken possession of the former Ebensburg & Blacklick Railroad to donate 16 miles of the line for a trail, and planning work got under way. Indiana county officials obtained money through federal Transportation Enhancements funding, and the first section of trail was dedicated in 1994.

Today, thanks to additional donations, the trail stretches a total of 36 miles. The main stem runs 32 miles from the town of Ebensburg to Black Lick, and a four-mile spur runs north from Vintondale to Route 422 (known as the Rexis Branch). The crushed-limestone trail welcomes cyclists, pedestrians, cross-country skiers and other non-motorized recreational users.

For trail visitors, few of the valley's ghost towns remain visible or accessible anymore. Most of the towns have been covered by vegetation, and almost all of them—and the few remaining structures—are on private property and not open to the public. But there's plenty of other history and scenery to more than make up for this.

For example, alongside the trail in Vintondale is Eliza Furnace, one of the best-preserved 19th-century iron-smelting structures in the country. From 1846 to 1849, workers loaded iron ore and limestone from the surrounding hills into this charcoal-fired furnace, and produced pig iron that was shipped to forges in Pittsburgh to be re-worked.

Historical attractions aside, the beauty and quiet of the area alone is reason to visit the Ghost Town Trail. Following a winding creek through rugged hills in long stretches of unpopulated, forested land—including state game lands—this rail-trail is about as wild as it gets in this part of the country. Rhododendrons and wildflowers are abundant, and chances are good that you'll catch a glimpse of deer, red fox, beavers, wild turkeys, hawks, songbirds and maybe even a black bear or a bobcat.

“You just get the feeling that you've stepped back in time. No houses, no roads, just you and the trail and the creek,” says Lafontaine. “It's just wonderful—it's so peaceful.”

One thing you won't see much of, though, is aquatic life. The valley's coal mines, despite being closed for decades, continue to haunt the area with water pollution. Acidic run-off from the mining operations has turned sections of the creek and surrounding tributaries orange and made them inhospitable for fish or vegetation.

“You will see places of outstanding natural beauty, and you'll see areas of desolation caused by mining and pollution—it's a real contrast,” says Patterson.

But efforts to clean up the waterways are in progress, and they owe much of their success to the trail, Patterson and Lafontaine say. “Because the trail got people out into the land, they could see the environmental damage and the beauty that could be there,” says Lafontaine. “It spurred the formation of a watershed protection association, and we're slowly but surely bringing the stream back to life.”

The trail has also brought economic benefits to Ebensburg, Black Lick and other nearby communities. In 2009, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy conducted a user survey of the Ghost Town Trail. The study found that the more than 75,000 annual users of the trail bring $1.7 million a year into the local economy.

In addition, the trail has provided less tangible benefits to residents. “It's just really made people healthy and happy—it's given them a mental lift. How do you put a dollars and cents figure on that?” says Lafontaine. “It really makes for a better community. It gives us a place where we can have a vacation every day of our lives.”

All in all, a pretty friendly ghost story.

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

*** From Sue Bumpous:

1.) Executive Director, North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), Washington D.C. metropolitan area

The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) is seeking an Executive Director with strengths in leadership, development, communication, and collaboration with a minimum of 10 years of related job experiences. NAAEE is the premier professional association for environmental educators in North America. We are seeking a motivated professional interested in strengthening the organization by increasing membership, promoting member participation, and capitalizing on emerging opportunities for the field of environmental education. Providing leadership in moving forward with the organization’s five-year Strategic Plan is also of key importance. The Plan was crafted using input from the Board, staff, members, non-members, and other stakeholders through online surveys, focus groups and interviews. An overview of the Strategic Plan can be found at http://www.naaee.net/us/governance/stratplan.

The Executive Director will work in NAAEE’s office in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The salary for this full-time position will be commensurate with experience, in the range of $80-100K, depending on qualifications. The Executive Director is hired by the Board and reports to the President of the Board.

To apply, please provide a two-page resume, names and contact information for three references, and a cover letter, not to exceed two pages, explaining your interest in the position and summarizing how your experience can ensure professional leadership and efficient management for NAAEE. Be sure to specifically address how you meet the qualifications and qualities outlined at http://eelinked.naaee.net/n/eelink-jobs/posts/NAAEE-Executive-Director-Search. Applications will be accepted from June 3 to June 30, 2011. Electronic submission is required. Only Word attachments are acceptable. Please put “Exec Dir Application” and your name in the subject line, and send your information to: edsearch@naaee.org.

NAAEE Description

A nonprofit, membership organization with 501(c) (3) status, NAAEE advances environmental education and supports environmental educators in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. There are many faces to NAAEE, reflecting a core commitment to diversity of culture, geography, and viewpoints. For four decades our programs and services have supported members working in a variety of venues–including, but not limited to, local environmental education centers, schools, government agencies, and research and higher education institutions.

NAAEE is a unifying voice for environmental educators in Canada, the United States, and Mexico with a non-partisan commitment to environmental literacy as a powerful force for positive change in the world. Backed by research, our programs, products, and services support achievement of excellence in environmental education. Our members look to NAAEE to provide a dynamic forum for effective and innovative ways to achieve quality education, sustainable development, and social equality.

NAAEE focuses on promoting environmental education and on supporting and enhancing the work of environmental educators through the efforts of a 13-member Board of Directors, seven staff, and a strong volunteer structure that includes Committees and Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Committees do the work of the Board and Association, while SIGs (formerly Commissions) enable members to form interest groups and serve their own needs in the context of the practice of environmental education. NAAEE also works closely with a strong partnership network of state, provincial and territorial environmental education Affiliates.

2.) Marketing Communications Intern, OUTWARD BOUND, Golden, CO

Since 1961, Outward Bound has been serving youth, teens and adults with wilderness expeditions and other innovative programming in America's most beautiful wilderness areas, and also in classrooms, city parks and boardrooms. Outward Bound courses change lives and give students the tools to see further, climb higher and know their way. Students seek challenge and embark on backpacking trips, mountaineering classes, kayaking adventures, sailing trips and urban expeditions in their community and take home real leadership skills and the courage to follow their own path.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Marketing Communications Intern position focuses on content writing and editing for marketing communications, social media, public relations (press releases) and the national website. The Marketing Communications Intern reports to the Senior Marketing Manager and works closely with the Social Media Specialist and Website Specialist. This position is a great opportunity for those with a passion for marketing and outdoor education to be creative, gain experience in public relations, social media and web marketing and have a real impact on Outward Bound’s mission to enable more people to experience the philosophy, mission and adventure of Outward Bound.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in research, writing and editing of web content.

• Assist in research, writing and editing of press releases.

• Assist with writing and assembling content for outbound marketing emails.

• Manage photo and video library.

• Organize and distribute Outward Bound content as appropriate

• Assist in Social Media, Public Relations, Advancement or Alumni content creation or support as needed.

• 20 – 24 hours a week, June through August 2011.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Excellent copy writing skills to develop and edit content.

• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.

• Very effective communicator, both written and oral.

• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively as a team member.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

• Knowledge or experience with social media as it relates to marketing is a plus.

• Competency with HTML is a plus.

• Graphic design skills, Adobe Creative Suite is also a plus.

• Training may be available.

EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:

• Communications or marketing major or equivalent experience.

COMPENSATION:

• Academic credit available.

• $125/wk. stipend.

• Pro Deal benefit available.

Send resumes and cover letters to kyoung@outwardbound.org

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA9/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=OUTWARDBOUND&cws=1&rid=156

3.) Insight Instructor, Outward Bound, FL Jacksonville, FL

To assist in the development and implementation of the Insight program using the Outward Bound mission and philosophy

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in the design and facilitation of Insight programs (one day teambuilding and high ropes course program) as contracted with the client and in line with our leadership curriculum, Outward Bound philosophy, mission and process

• Work with Insight team and Program Director to develop and implement programs

• Have experience with group management

• Have ability to assess students to ensure all activities are appropriate for demonstrated experience level and desired group outcomes

• Have the capacity to facilitate a full day experience of curriculum and activities for assigned group of students

• Have ability to recognize when issues of diversity need to be addressed

• Effectively assist Instructor or Program Director when facilitation of such discussions regarding diversity are called for

• A proven desire to work with Urban students in the outdoors

• Be committed to own professional development

• Actively seek out opportunities to develop their skills and receive feedback on performance

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities

• Show respect and compassion for others and create an emotionally safe environment for students and staff

• Offer and receive constructive feedback

• Address diversity issues with students

• Clearly articulate thoughts and ideas

• Inspire students

Knowledge and Skills

• Maintain a minimum CPR certification

• WAFA (Wilderness First Aid) preferred

• Have knowledge of and adhere to Local Operating Procedures (LOPs) knowledge, safety procedures and (ERP) Emergency Response Plan

• High ropes experience preferred

• Know own strengths, limitations and needs, and productively manage personal stress

• Be sufficiently fit to participate in all activities and maintain energy, strength and focus to assist students with physical and emotional obstacles

Physical Requirements

•Must be able to be outdoors and on feet for up to 10 hours per day

Schedule

•This is a per diem position. Courses occur intermittently and staff are scheduled as needed. Based on this, applicants who reside in the Jacksonville area are preferred.

Compensation

•This is a per diem position and pay is based on our Field Staff Payscale.

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA9/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=OUTWARDBOUND&cws=1&rid=152

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

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Your Very Next Step newsletter for May 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance.”

- Gian Carlo Menotti

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 658 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

*** Frequent-Flyer Tips for Battling Jet Lag

*** Samoa to Go Back to the Future, Shift Date Line

*** Automatic for the People

*** National Trails Day – SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011

*** Hike Weekend Experience – Tiadaghton State Forest

*** Free Wi-Fi Lands at D.C. Airports

*** The best National Park lodges:

*** Glasses-free 3D TVs may be coming to airlines

*** Airline turns to kung fu to thwart unruly fliers

*** Delta Enables Customers to Track Checked Bags

*** The Real Cost of Airline Travel Remains a Mystery, for Now

*** Holidays You Might Not Know About

*** The 57th Edition of the Puccini Opera Festival in Torre del Lago, Lucca, Italy – July and August 2011

*** Best and cheapest train trips

*** How to Cross Streams and Rivers

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

*** Volunteer Naturalist, Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, Monterey, CA

*** Volunteer Opportunity, Dakota Prairie National Grasslands, North Country National Scenic Trail, North Dakota

*** National Rail-Trail of the month: Iowa's Wabash Trace Nature Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Copywriter – Web/Social Media/Corporate, KrugerPark.com, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

2.) Raptor observers, banders, & interpreters, Hawk Watch International

3.) Distillery Tour Guide, Nesco, Lawrenceburg, KY

4.) Seasonal Bourbon Host, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Bardstown, KY

5.) Segway Tour Guide, Segway, Miami, FL

6.) Pine Creek Gorge Wagon Guide, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Wellsboro, PA

7.) Internship in Marketing, PR & Event-Management, Nomadas Outdoor Services, Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Chile

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for May:

*** Ned’s upcoming (tentative) travel:

May 24: Philadelphia, PA

May 24-26: Colorado Springs, CO

June 5-6: Waikoloa, Kawaihae Harbor, Island of Hawaii

June 6-9: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

June 10-14: San Diego, CA

June 23-15: Spokane, Washington

July 1-8: Izmir, Turkey

July 8-11: La Spezia, Italy

July 17-20: San Diego, CA

*** Frequent-Flyer Tips for Battling Jet Lag

Dealing with a big time change is something with which even the most seasoned traveler struggles. Here are a few tricks for making the transition as smooth as possible.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/05/09/snyder.jetlag/index.html

*** Samoa to Go Back to the Future, Shift Date Line

The South Pacific country of Samoa plans to leap 24 hours into the future, erasing a day and putting a new kink in the Pacific's jagged international date line so that it can be on the same weekday as Australia, New Zealand and eastern Asia. The change will reverse a decision the country made 119 years ago to stay behind a day and align itself with U.S. traders based in California. … Yahoo! News (AP)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110509/ap_on_re_as/as_samoa_dateline

*** Automatic for the People

From China to California, vending machines dispensing the ordinary and the exotic are supplying a universal demand for fast (and freaky) needs.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704132204576285052067381070.html

*** National Trails Day®

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011

MADE WITH ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS

Find an event near you!! See the map below.

Save the date, Saturday, June 4, 2011 to participate in a local hike, bike, horseback ride, maintenance project, paddle trip, health fair, and more.If your community organization would like to host an event or to find out more about NTD 2011, contact Heather Sable, Trail Programs Manager, at hsable@AmericanHiking.org or visitwww.AmericanHiking.org

In support of American Hiking Society's National Trails Day®, Mike Rowe is encouraging all Americans to hit the trail! National Trails Day is the largest trails celebration in the country, and this year, hundreds of thousands of people across the country will take part in more than 2,000 events in all 50 states. Activities will include trail maintenance projects, hiking, paddling, biking, horseback riding, bird watching, running, trail celebrations, concerts and so much more!

“I'm supporting National Trails Day because trails are a lot more interesting than highways,” says Mike Rowe, the well- known host of Dirty Jobs. “You can't go as fast, but the scenery is a lot more interesting, the air smells much better, and there aren't any tolls. Walking around outdoors has kept me sane for years, (sort of) and I can't recommend it enough.”

Get outside this National Trails Day!

http://www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/

*** Hike Weekend Experience

21.6 Miles – 1 Day – Tiadaghton State Forest

On Saturday, October 1, 2011 you will embark on a 21.6 mile trek in the Tiadaghton State Forest – part of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. It will be the ultimate challenge not just for people who love the outdoors, but for anyone willing to take on the challenge to help raise awareness and funds to support pediatric cancer research through the Children's Oncology Group.

All training will take place in the metro DC area with qualified coaches. Participants will travel to State College, PA on Friday,

September 30, 2011 to begin your hike weekend experience!

If you love adventure and crave a new experience,

then this is the event for you!

www.ultimatehike.org/dc

START YOUR ADVENTURE TODAY!

In order to begin your new adventure, you must attend one of our seven information sessions in the metro DC area between June 1 – June 18.

RSVP for an information meeting today!

Contact Kelly Bush at Kelly.Bush@curesearch.org or 240-235-2215

www.ultimatehike.org/dc

*** Free Wi-Fi Lands at D.C. Airports

Free wireless Internet access is now available at Reagan National and Dulles International Airports in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority recently announced

*** The best National Park lodges:

Where to Sleep in a National Park

By Carrie Havranek

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns calls our National Parks “America's Best Idea.” One could argue that Burns also meant the concept of the park lodge. Designed for easy access to nature, these lodges are old-school examples of sustainability, beauty, and comfort after a long day on the trail.

Most of these lodges and inns are found within the boundaries of a national park. In cases where there's no lodging in the parks, we found properties that are just a stone's throw away. Some of these lodges are century-old reminders of an earlier era; newer properties offer more modern grandeur while still authentically reflecting the natural surroundings. After all, camping isn't for everyone.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/index.cfm?group=308&p=1#ixzz1LT3lgoCf

*** Glasses-free 3D TVs may be coming to airlines

by Mike Luttrell

You'll soon be able to watch 3D movies from 30,000 feet in the air.

A start-up company called MasterImage 3D is reportedly very close to signing a deal with multiple airlines to bring its display technology to TV monitors across entire fleets of aircraft.

Hollywood Reporter notes that the company just received $15 million in funding from Samsung, which is sure to start pouncing on the emerging glasses-free 3D market.

We met MasterImage 3D at the CTIA trade show last month and were blown away with its eye-popping 3D effects, easily outdoing the technology on devices like Nintendo's 3DS and HTC's upcoming 3D mobile gadgets.

The company is also eying deals with automakers to bring glasses-free 3D displays to in-car entertainment systems.

This could help bring the 3D medium to prominence. Manufacturers have had difficulty selling 3D hardware to individual consumers, but by getting other corporate customers to get on board, it will make the medium stronger.

http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-entertainment-brief/55544-glasses-free-3d-tvs-may-be-coming-to-airlines

*** Airline turns to kung fu to thwart unruly fliers

By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

Hong Kong Airlines is asking its flight crews to learn a form of kung fu, something the carrier hopes will help its staff deal with drunk and unruly passengers, AFP reports.

AFP writes “Hong Kong Airlines said all staff had been invited to undergo training in wing chun — a form of kung fu used in close-range combat — but it was only compulsory for cabin crew, the Sunday Morning Post (of Hong Kong) reported.”

The airline deals with about three disruptive passengers a week, according to Hong Kong Airlines spokeswoman Eva Chan.

She says the benefits of adding martial arts training came into focus two weeks ago after a flight attendant used her previous training to help resolve an incident on a Beijing-to-Hong Kong flight.

“One of the passengers was sick but he was probably drunk and felt unwell. The crew member attended to him and she realized her fitness was helping her, especially because the guy was quite heavy,” Chan told the Morning Post.

One of the airline's newest attendants, 22-year-old Lumpy Tang, tells the Morning Post the martial arts training came as a surprising — but welcome — addition to her job description.

“You cannot predict what will happen on the plane, so wing chun is good because it's so fast,” Tang said to the paper. “I feel safer because I can defend myself and I'm happy to be one of the first cabin crew to learn wing chun in the world.”

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2011/04/hong-kong-airlines-kung-fu/165519/1

*** What are your favorite local alcoholic favorites?

The world is full of surprises. Share some of your drink-discoveries that are specifically local to a certain country or region.

We all know about Tequila in Mexico, Sake in Japan, and Ouzo in Greece. But what are some of the other exotic or little-known beverages. Share them with Ned at luindquist989@cs.com and we’ll all get a taste in the next issue of Your Very Next Step.

*** From Jack Duggan:

Ned -

Always good to get YVNS, even if I don't respond. Couple things from this issue:

Favorite local brew is Wild River's Nut Brown Ale, only available on tap at local Wild River Pub & Breweries (Medford, Grants Pass, Cave Junction). A robust brown ale with a smooth front, just a taste of tartness on the back end, and an excellent compliment to a hearty meal.

I have joined a group setting out to build a hiking/biking/equestrian trail system in the Middle Applegate, centered on Wellington Butte and the Wellington Wildlands (5,000-plus acres untrammeled by humans). We're focusing on ridgeline trails with views of both the Rogue and Applegate Valleys and southern views all the way to the Red Buttes Wilderness on the California/Oregon border. We hope to connect with a group building the “JackAsh” trail from Ashland to Jacksonville. Anyone coming to southern Oregon who would like to see what we're up to (and help build the system/trails) can contact me at shanachie@hughes.net and I'll schedule a tour.

Hope all is well with you. Walk in Peace – Jack

*** From Bernie Wagenblast’s TCN newsletter:

*** Delta Enables Customers to Track Checked Bags

Link to article in Travel Weekly:

http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Delta-enables-customers-to-track-checked-bags/

Link to video report from WSJ.com:

http://goo.gl/pbYm7

*** The Real Cost of Airline Travel Remains a Mystery, for Now

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/business/10road.html

*** Holidays You Might Not Know About

Lead times might be getting shorter, but it can't hurt to know what holidays are coming up in 2012 to avoid attendee conflicts. Trusting that you already know about the major ones — July 4, et al — here are some of the more obscure observances you might need to work around (we're not kidding; look 'em up on the web).

Jan. 3: Festival of Sleep Day

Jan. 12: National Pharmacist Day

Jan. 13: Blame Someone Else Day

Jan. 20: Penguin Awareness Day

Feb. 12-18: International Flirting Week

Feb. 16: Do a Grouch a Favor Day

Feb. 26: National Pistachio Day

March 11-17: National Bubble Week

March 31: Clam on the Half Shell Day

April 3: Tweed Day

April 11: Barbershop Quartet Day

April 15: Rubber Eraser Day

May 9: Lost Sock Memorial Day

May 12: International Migratory Bird Day

May 24: National Escargot Day

June 3-9: Fishing Week

June 6: Yo-Yo Day

July 8-14: Nude Recreation Week

July 15: Cow Appreciation Day

Aug. 12-18: National Smile Week

Aug. 13: Left-Handers Day

Aug. 18: Bad Poetry Day

Sept. 13: Fortune Cookie Day

Sept. 17: National Apple Dumpling Day

Oct. 9: Moldy Cheese Day

Oct. 13: International Skeptics Day

Nov. 4: King Tut Day

Nov. 13: Sadie Hawkins Day

Dec. 12: National Ding-a-Ling Day

Dec. 29: Pepper Pot Day

Dec. 31: Make Up Your Mind Day

Source: Meetings & Conventions

*** The 57th Edition of the Puccini Opera Festival in Torre del Lago, Lucca, Italy, is taking place in July and August 2011 with the following calendar:

• LA BOHEME (1894 – 1896)

Friday July 22n, Friday August 12th, Saturday August 20th and Saturday August 27th

• TURANDOT (1920-1924)

Saturday July 23rd, Friday July 29th, Sunday August 7th, Saturday August 13th, Friday August 26th

• MADAME BUTTERFLY (1901-1904)

Saturday August 6th, Thursday August 11th, Thursday August18th

Enjoy the best of Italian Opera at the grand open theater in Torre del Lago, the same place where Giacomo Puccini wrote his master pieces.

http://en.firenze.waf.it/tour_dett/313-music-tours/6863-puccini-opera-festival-in-torre-del-lago.html

*** Best and cheapest train trips:

Vermont: Brattleboro to White River Junction, from $12 each way

One of the best Amtrak deals in the country is going on in Vermont right now: any train trip on the once-daily Vermonter is $12. The 90-minute segment between Brattleboro and White River Junction follows the Connecticut River, taking in small New England towns, low mountain vistas, and covered bridges. White River Junction is full of art studios and coffee shops; you can stay there, take a bus back, or continue on another two hours to Burlington.

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?group=535&cat_cd=CARBUSRAIL&p=2#slide

*** How to Cross Streams and Rivers

Here are some basic tips for crossing moving water when hiking and backpacking.

http://www.trailspace.com/articles/how-to-cross-streams.html

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

*** Volunteer Naturalist, Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, Monterey, CA

Become a Volunteer Naturalist and share your love of nature and the outdoors.

Volunteer Naturalist, must be 18 years or older and willing to commit 6 hours/month for one year and monthly enrichment training.

Volunteer Naturalists lead Interpretive Hikes for the general public and school groups, staff the Garland Ranch Regional Park Visitor Center, facilitate at Let's Go Outdoors activities and serve as Park District ambassadors at various community events and assist with nature camp and on conservation projects.

Volunteer Opportunities

How to Volunteer

To become a Volunteer Naturalist, apply online or print the volunteer application and return completed application to:

Debbie Wyatt, Volunteer Coordinator

Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District

60 Garden Court, Suite 325, Monterey, CA 93940

Volunteer Naturalist Application Form

Our Volunteer Naturalist positions require a commitment of one year working 6 hours per month. Before completing an application to apply for a volunteer position, please review the following criteria. If you meet the requirements, click the “I Agree” button to access the application form.

1.If I become a volunteer, I agree to a minimum one-year commitment.

2.As a volunteer, I will attend the orientation and monthly enrichments.

3.As a volunteer, I will be dependable, reliable and professional while representing The Park District.

I agree to the above conditions and wish to complete an application.

http://www.mprpd.org/index.cfm/id/42/Volunteer-program-Community-ALIVE/

*** Volunteer Opportunity, Dakota Prairie National Grasslands, North Country National Scenic Trail, North Dakota

Arrival Date: 6/12/2011

Departure Date: 6/18/2011

Hosting Organization: North Country Trail Association

Hosting Organization Web Site: www.northcountrytrail.org

DayPacking or BackPacking: Day hiking, 5-10 miles per day

Project Rating: Easy-Moderate

Elevation: 1,000'

Minimum Age Requirement: 18

Family Friendly: No

Accommodations: Primitive Tent Sites

Accommodations Description: Volunteers will stay in primitive campsites that offer shaded spots in mowed grass. A bug screen tent for the eating/cooking area and camp chairs will be provided. Volunteers should bring their own tent, sleeping bag, pad, eating utensils and personal items. Showers available 5 miles from camp with a fee.

Project Information: Volunteers will improve the signage on a 28-mile segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail across the Sheyenne National Grasslands. Volunteers will also complete some resource management projects such as planting stream bank vegetation and removing invasive species.

Area Description: The highly scenic Sheyenne National Grasslands is the nation's largest remnant of the tall grass prairie and contains a diverse mix of bottomland hardwood forest, oak savannah, and aspen parkland. Volunteer in the Dakota Prairie National Grasslands, where pristine vistas inspire the imagination; the rugged unspoiled beauty of the land invites exploration; and the sights and sounds of the wide, rolling prairie stimulate the senses.

Climate Information: Temperatures will range from 60-80°F during the day, and drop to 50-60°F at night. It is generally breezy and there is not much shade, so proper clothing is important.

Travel Information: Airport Pickup provided from Hector International Airport

Maximum # of Volunteers: 6

Number of Spots Available: 4

http://www.americanhiking.org/ProjectRegistrationDetail.aspx?projectId=518

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: May 2011

Iowa's Wabash Trace Nature Trail

The Wabash Trace Nature Trail—the newest member of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Rail-Trail Hall of Fame—winds 63 miles from the outskirts of Council Bluffs, Iowa, southeast to the small town of Blanchard near the border with Missouri. Along the way, it offers views of some of the most scenic countryside in Iowa, including the unique Loess Hills. These 200- to 300-foot-high ranges were formed from silt ('loess' comes from a German word meaning 'loose soil') blown east from the Missouri River floodplain after the last ice age. Carved by wind and rain, the deposits formed a series of corrugated ridges roughly parallel to the river.

The windblown silt hills (found to such a depth and linear extent in only one other place in the world: China) eventually greened over, with prairie grasses occupying the drier ridge tops and trees nestling in the steep valleys. Today, the Loess Hills are home to some of the best remaining native prairies and woodlands in the state, and also provide crucial habitat to prairie creatures such as red-tailed hawks.

But the Wabash Trace is much more than simply a nature trail—it's one of Iowa's longest and most popular rail-trails, with a rich history and plenty of local color. Its roots go back to the Wabash Railroad, which was one of the most important connections between the farmlands, factories and people of the American heartland and points east in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. (The railroad is perhaps best known for the 'Wabash Cannonball,' a passenger train that connected St. Louis to Detroit and was enshrined in a popular song from the early 1900s.)

When the Iowa spur of this railroad—which connected Omaha and Council Bluffs to the main line running through northern Missouri—was finally railbanked in 1988, residents of towns along the tracks rallied to turn it into a pathway for cyclists and pedestrians (and also equestrians along a parallel track for 10 miles at the north end between Council Bluffs and Mineola). These activists coalesced into a nonprofit group, Southwest Iowa Nature Trails, Inc., that helped get the rail-trail project off the ground. With the help of another established nonprofit, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, they secured ownership of the trail and funding to start building it.

Ten years of hard work later—including restoring more than 70 bridges along its length—the Wabash Trace Nature Trail celebrated its grand opening. The volunteers are still hard at work today, clearing branches and leaves (the trail is shaded by trees for much of its length, making it a cool haven on hot summer days), picking up trash and raising funds to pave sections of the trail. At present, the Wabash Trace's surface is primarily crushed limestone, with sections of pavement in the towns of Shenandoah, Malvern and Silver City. Although trail advocates get some help from government agencies, the pathway is still primarily a volunteer-run trail, which accounts for the $1 fee charged for a day pass (a year-long pass costs $10).

But trail supporters don't always have their noses to the grindstone. Every Thursday night on the northern section of trail, when the weather is nice, they throw a rolling party known as the “taco ride.” The tradition began several years ago when a group of riders decided to cycle the 14-mile stretch from Council Bluffs to a bar in Silver City with a Thursday taco special. When the bar closed, the riders switched to a steakhouse in Mineola (about four miles closer), and the owners put tacos on the menu to accommodate the hungry riders. These days, it's not unusual for several thousand cyclists to turn out on a Thursday night, stream down the trail, stop for refreshments at a picnic area they've dubbed “Margaritaville,” and swarm the Mineola Steakhouse. The ride is so popular it even has its own website: www.tacoride.com.

Riders that survive the taco ride and venture farther south will find plenty to hold their interest. The trail passes through several quaint towns, including Imogene, originally settled by Irish immigrants—whose legacy lives on in an impressive church, St. Patrick's, and a welcoming bar, The Emerald Isle. Another nine miles down the trail is Shenandoah, boyhood home of 1950s singing stars the Everly Brothers and site of a fully restored Wabash Railroad depot or wet your whistle with a whistle-stop wheat beer, among other microbrews on offer at the Depot Deli Restaurant.

South of Shenandoah, the trail follows a rocky ravine and then moves into more open country. Outside the small town of Coin, riders can see a reconstructed native prairie—one of America's rarest habitats—along the trail. From there, it's just another five miles to the Missouri border, where the Wabash Trace ends in Blanchard.

Whether it's the tasty food, the beautiful scenery or the unique natural history that brings you out, you're certain to be rewarded—and maybe even find yourself at a loess for words—when you experience the Wabash Trace Nature Trail.

* To be exact, loess rhymes more closely with “bus.”

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Copywriter – Web/Social Media/Corporate, KrugerPark.com, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

KrugerPark.com is a Tour Operator specializing in travel and tours to the South African National Parks. Our website, facebook page, twitter and popular blog require fresh, up to date information on conservation news, common interest topics, relationship building and general TLC to keep our clients, fans and followers interested and coming back.

This position is based on a standard work week, and the salary is competitive and negotiable based on experience.

If you are interested, please send:

-your CV

-cover letter

-one example, no more than 300 words, of your writing for a blog style common interest article on the following topic: Kruger Park Bans Alcohol in Public Areas (some research may be required).

to sarah@krugerpark.com

Only successful applicants will be contacted.

Company Description

Krugerpark.com manages the booking of luxury accommodation, world class safari tours, and camping facilities for the complete range of South African National Parks as well as luxury accommodation in the Greater Kruger Park.

Requirements

Must have a Bachelors Degree or higher with a Major in English Language or English Literature.

Must be a South Africa citizen

Advantageous

You need to:

have a flair for social media

have an interest in nature, wildlife and the National Parks

have traveled to one or more of the National Parks

be able to write copy for our brochures, copy for our website as well as keep our fans on twitter and facebook up to date with goings on.

be responsible for a monthly corporate newsletter

Personal Skills/Attributes

Must be able to work unsupervised and with little direction. An ability to prioritise and schedule ones own workload is essential.

This position allows large scope for creativity, but it must be contained within the structure of our business.

Contact details

Sarah Proudfoot

Accommodation Direct

sarah@capetown-direct.com

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Job/196/15/136708.html

*** From Mark Sofman:

2.) Raptor observers, banders, & interpreters, Hawk Watch International

SEASONAL RAPTOR MIGRATION OBSERVERS (~ 10 positions), BANDERS (~ 8 positions), AND SITE INTERPRETERS (~ 6 positions) needed to staff fall migration projects in Texas, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, with trapping and banding occurring at the latter four sites. Projects will run between mid-August and mid-November 2011, with specific dates varying by site.

http://bit.ly/jbV0rO

3.) Distillery Tour Guide, Nesco, Lawrenceburg, KY

http://bit.ly/l9T1vj

4.) Seasonal Bourbon Host, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Bardstown, KY

http://bit.ly/jjQaDb

5.) Segway Tour Guide, Segway, Miami, FL

http://bit.ly/kiyVpk

6.) Pine Creek Gorge Wagon Guide, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Wellsboro, PA

http://bit.ly/msQQwO

7.) Internship in Marketing, PR & Event-Management, Nomadas Outdoor Services, Punta Arenas, Patagonia, Chile

Description: National and international Marketing, Public Relations and Event-Management for international sporting event

Working in Marketing, PR & Event-Management at Nómadas Outdoor Services you will be involved in the following:

International business strategy, International branding strategy and development, Concept, planning and realization of cross-media communication strategy and activities, Independent guidance of projects, especially in event organization,

This may translate into the following more specific tasks:

Acquisition and negotiation of international TV coverage, Acquisition and negotiation of international, national and regional sponsorship, Drafting international marketing and media plans, Elaboration of advertising materials and merchandising articles, Managing international press/team inquiries, Acquisition of international journalists attending the event, Drafting press releases, press-kits & articles, as well as coordinating international distribution, Handling sponsors, press and participating teams on location during the race, Drafting international business planes for new projects

NOTES: International Candidates Will Be Considered.

Additional Salary Information: Partial board and lodging + 50.000$ Chilean Pesos monthly

The candidate should have the following professional skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills in native language, Intermediate Spanish written and oral skills, Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet)

Nómadas Outdoor Services was founded in 2002 in the course of the organization of the first WENGER PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE®, the most southern, longest and “the last wild race” (quote from Outpost Nov 06) on earth (www.patagonianexpeditionrace.com).

Over the years Nómadas Outdoor Services has summed up in-depth geographical knowledge about Southern Patagonia, remote places of Tierra del Fuego, including Cape Horn and Antarctica. This unique know-how combined with an established logistical network enables Nómadas Outdoor Services to provide a variety of exclusive, highly customized services and positions it the #1 destination management company in Patagonia.

Nómadas Outdoor Services comprises: organization of outdoor events, design and management of customized travels, consulting, logistical support, outdoor school, equipment rental and geographical solutions.

Mission & Vision Having witnessed the devastation of wide areas of the forests in Southern Patagonia, one of Nómadas Outdoor Services main motivations in developing the WENGER PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE® has been to make people aware of the need to protect the environment in these isolated corners of the planet. We want to show the world that Southern Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego possess virgin territories of stunning scenic beauty and a great diversity of native species that must be protected. WENGER PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE® is an important step in our quest to support the development of sustainable eco tourism in the region. All of our services, in particular the Nómadas Outdoor School, are designed to educate our clients about the uniqueness of this marvelous place and the necessity to preserve it.

http://careers.amra1973.org/jobs#/detail/4246167

(Send you job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.)

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Your Very Next Step newsletter for April 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“Every spring is the only spring – a perpetual astonishment.”

- Ellis Peters

“I like digital cameras, because they enable you to reminisce immediately.”

- Demetri Martin

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 658 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

*** Packing lighter:

*** What are your favorite local alcoholic favorites?

*** Cherry Blossom time in Japan

*** Another sport Ned has never heard of

*** A little touchy

*** The World’s Best Ethical Destinations – 2011

*** Very cool bald eagle nest with chicks – live cam in Virginia!

*** PENGUIN CAM LIVE ONLINE

*** The Meanest Airlines in America

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

Jedediah Smith Wilderness, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, ID

*** Rail Trail of the Month – Montana's Kim Williams Nature Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Mpandrindra ny Fampandrosoana ny Fiompiana vokatra andranomasina, Madakasikara

2.) Communications Director, Western Rivers Conservancy, Portland, OR

3.) Project Leader, Mountain Gorilla Conservation Project, Virunga National Park, Frankfurt Zoological Society, DR Congo

5.) Intern – Corporate Communications, Vail Resorts, Broomfield, CO

6.) Resort Guide-Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Ka'anapali, Maui, HI

7.) Crew, Operations Admin (Full-time/ Part-time), Maritime Experiential Museum, Resorts World at Sentosa, Singapore

8.) Summer School counselor, The International Summer School of Scotland, St Andrews, Scotland

9.) Activities Manager, Bimini Bay Resort and Marina, Rock Resorts International LLC, Alice Town, Bimini Island

10.) Educator Guide – Zoo, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA

11.) Editor, Online Communications, National Parks Conservation Associations, Washington, DC

12.) Colorado River Senior Campaign Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, Office location flexible

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for March:

*** Packing lighter:

How do I pare down my toiletries?

http://www.windowseatblog.com/2011/03/how-do-i-pare-down-my-toiletries?WA1=02050&WA2=RDNL&WA6=39&WA7=RGNL-20110325-seq2&WA8=promo&Service=TRAVELOCITY

*** What are your favorite local alcoholic favorites?

The world is full of surprises. Share some of your drink-discoveries that are specifically local to a certain country or region.

We all know about Tequila in Mexico, Sake in Japan, and Ouzo in Greece. But what are some of the other exotic or little-known beverages. Share them with Ned at luindquist989@cs.com and we’ll all get a taste in the next issue of Your Very Next Step.

Here’s Kris Gallagher’s favorite:

Gammel Dansk in Denmark! Lovely to sip, especially with herring for breakfast. My cousins Finn and Kurt tried to put my brother Mark and I under the table with Gammel Dansk one night, but we fought back with tequila. We all lost. ;-D The name means “Old Danish” and you can find out more here: http://www.wineglobe.com/12090.html

Kris Gallagher, ABC

*** Cherry Blossom time in Japan

Flying in and out of Narita when enroute to and returning from Singapore, I did not see any evidence of the quake or tsunami. The airport seemed empty. The planes not full. I would guess not everyone wants to go to Japan right now. As a sign or Japan’s return to normalcy, the runway was lined with blooming cherry blossoms.

*** Another sport Ned has never heard of:

Human Curling

http://www.adrants.com/2011/04/human-curling-the-new-bikini-bowling.php

*** or this sport, for that matter:

Bikini Bowling.

*** A little touchy:

United’s 777s from Tokyo to CONUS have just a few movies you can watch for freem, with the full entertainment package available for $10. The seatback monitor has a touch screen that is way too touchy. Try to select “map” (if you want to know how cold it is outside, for example), the cursor stops at “volume,” and you have to hit “back,” then try again. I spent way too much time trying to select something and having something else get selected instead. I wanted to smack the seat, except some body was sitting in it.

*** The World’s Best Ethical Destinations – 2011

Want your travels to have a positive impact? Find out how you can support countries working to maintain strong environmental, human rights, and eco-tourism values by “voting with your travel budget.” Our “Developing World's Best Ethical Destinations” reports help you choose countries you can feel great about visiting.

http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/explore/the-worlds-best-ethical-destinations-2011/

*** From Larry Bearfield:

Very cool bald eagle nest with chicks – live cam in Virginia!

http://www.wvec.com/marketplace/microsite-content/eagle-cam.html

*** PENGUIN CAM LIVE ONLINE

Penguin enthusiasts can watch penguins play whenever they want with SeaWorld’s Penguin Cam, a daily live video feed of the flightless birds’ adventures inside SeaWorld’s Penguin Encounter. Penguin fans can watch the penguins as they waddle, swim, eat and play in their 25-degree habitat. The Penguin Cam can be found by visiting http://www.seaworldsandiego.com/and clicking the “Stay Connected” column at the bottom of the page and then “Fun Zone.” Select the Penguin Cam link and enjoy! (For a direct link, click here or visit Note that some browsers do not support streaming JPEG images. For more information, call (800) 25-SHAMU or visit http://www.seaworldsandiego.com/

*** The Meanest Airlines in America

Last year was a good one for the airline industry, with U.S. airlines churning out the highest profits in more than a decade. With the exception of American Airlines, every major carrier turned in positive profits for the year.

In the 2011 Airline Quality Rating (AQR) report released on April 4, quality is up as well.

But that doesn't mean airlines deserve high-fives all around. Soaring baggage fees, widespread airfare increases and the elimination of free food on many flights were major factors in improving the bottom line. Not surprisingly, customers were not happy in 2010. According to a Business Insider study conducted last November, which uses data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, four of the major U.S. carriers made its list of the “18 Worst Companies in America.” The year also saw PR nightmares for the industry, including discrimination against disabled and overweight passengers and the episode involving a JetBlue flight attendant (the now famous Steven Slater) hitting his breaking point. 2011 has already seen a pilot misplace his handgun and a flight attendant put a baby in an overhead bin — hardly a good way to start the year.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-38962879

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

Guide to Volunteering Outdoors in Parks and Wilderness Areas

Love being outside? There are a variety of volunteering opportunities for those who love the outdoors. Most of these opportunities require the volunteer to pay for all travel costs. Some require the volunteer to hike and camp as well. Please read the volunteer requirements of each opportunity carefully before signing up to help.

Also check with state parks, and local advocacy groups like the Sierra Club or trail volunteers (like the Maine Appalachian Trail Club), for information about outdoor volunteering in your area, or in an area you plan on visiting.

Wilderness Volunteers

info@wildernessvolunteers.org

An organization promoting volunteer service to America's wild lands. Matches volunteers with work projects for public land agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife. The web site includes a trip list, ranging from moderate car camping to strenuous backpacking. All trips are led by volunteer leaders in cooperation with land agency representatives. Trips are one week long and are limited to 12 or fewer participants. Participants provide their own camping gear (a list specific to each trip will be mailed with registration confirmation), a sense of adventure, and a willingness to contribute time and energy to worthwhile projects.

Volunteers in the U.S. National Forests

Volunteers are the heartbeat of the Forest Service. Talents and skills are matched with work preference to obtain a role that satisfies you and best fulfills the mission of the Forest Service/USDA. You may work on a part-time or full-time basis. You can participate in a one-time project or serve over several months, seasons or year- round. Training may be provided to you if your job requires it. If you are retired or have summers free, you may wish to live on a national forest while you work as a volunteer. College students may perform volunteer service related to their course work for college credit. There are also numerous opportunities to perform vigorous but satisfying physical labor outdoors.

Specialized programs include:

◦Touch America Project (TAP), a special youth volunteer program managed through the Forest Service, where young people ages 14-17 may work with and learn more about America's natural resources. The theme “Touch America” refers to volunteer projects on public lands developed cooperatively with private organizations, groups or individuals.

◦The Council on International Educational Exchange, which recruits volunteers from around the world to join projects hosted by various National Forests. Volunteers come prepared to work 30-35 hours a week on a in exchange for room,board and the opportunity to learn about the host community.

◦Passport in Time (PIT), a volunteer program that provides opportunities for individuals and families to work with professional archaeologists and historians on historic preservation projects.

Volunteers for Peace

A non-profit organization, part of the U.S. Forest Service, offers over 1200 short-term voluntary service projects in 70 countries. These International Workcamps are an opportunity to complete meaningful community service while living and interacting in an international environment. Typical work projects with the Forest Service include: – historic preservation – archeology – environmental projects such as trail building – environmental education – wildlife surveying – campground maintenance.

National Park Service

◦Volunteers in Parks

Volunteers for the National Park Service come from every state and nearly every country in the world to help preserve and protect America's natural and cultural heritage for the enjoyment of this and future generations. Young and old alike, give of their time and expertise to assist paid staff in achieving our national mission. This site has a good Volunteering Opportunities section as well as a fine section designed for Volunteer Management.

◦The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)

YCC is a summer employment program for young men and women, ages 15-18, who work, learn, and earn together on projects that further the development and conservation of the natural resources of the United States. The National Park Service (NPS) operates YCC programs throughout the country. Conservation work may involve constructing trails, campground facilities and fences, planting trees, collecting litter, clearing streams, improving wildlife habitat, providing information to visitors, and general maintenance activities. An understanding of our environment and the management of our natural resources is incorporated into the work program.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

Our country's federally owned public lands are owned by every American, giving each of us a shared interest in their care and in their future. Nearly half of these lands- 264 million acres- are managed by the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), making the BLM manager of the nation's largest land trust. That's a big responsibility! Fortunately, help is close at hand. Each year, over 20,000 Americans volunteer their time and talent. Working alone or with a group, BLM volunteers enjoy work that matches their interests and schedules. Some volunteers serve part-time and others enjoy a seasonal or full-time position The important thing to remember is that even a few hours a month can make a big difference.

Landmark Volunteers

A nonprofit summer service organization for high school students 14 and a half years of age or older, entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade. The program offers these youth volunteers the opportunity to spend two weeks working at one of several important U.S. historical, cultural, environmental or social service institutions. “In return for giving two weeks of your summer, lending a hand at one of these institutions, assisting them in their work or keeping up their facility, you'll receive an exceptional learning opportunity and a chance to understand how voluntary service functions as an essential element of the American experience. And you'll have fun!”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Volunteers develop a greater understanding and appreciation of refuges, hatcheries and other areas through their hands-on experiences. Working side-by-side with Service employees, volunteers help protect, conserve and restore our nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitat. There is an excellent Volunteer Opportunities Search Form to search for available volunteer opportunities.

US Geological Survey

Serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. Use the Regional Map to locate volunteering opportunities near you. Submit the application electronically and a host for each volunteer opportunity you selected will contact you.

State Conservation Corps

Many states have conservation corps, following in the footsteps of the federal Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s. These groups have the dual missions of the development of youth and the protection and enhancement of each state's natural resources. Volunteers receive a very low stipend… and a worthwhile experience they will never forget.

The California Conservation Corps, or CCC, is the oldest and largest conservation corps now in operation. Along with its day-to-day conservation work, the CCC has become known as one of California's premier emergency response forces. When floods, fires, oil spills or earthquakes occur, the Corps can provide assistance within hours. The program has a distinctive motto: “hard work, low pay, miserable conditions … and more!” Despite the truth-in-advertising, more than 70,000 young men and women have participated in the CCC since its inception.

There are also conservation corps in:

◦Wisconsin

◦Vermont

◦Oregon

◦New Jersey

◦Maryland

◦Maine

Contact your local state volunteerism commission to find out if your state has a Conservation Corps program.

From RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service

Copyright Serviceleader.org

http://www.serviceleader.org/volunteers/parks

Jedediah Smith Wilderness, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, ID

Aug 21st – Aug 27th 2011

The Jedediah Smith Wilderness is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and home to a variety of wildlife including black and grizzly bear, big horn sheep, wolverine, moose and elk. The Jedediah Smith Wilderness lies on both sides of the Idaho/Wyoming state line including most of the west slope of the famous Teton Range. The classic view of the Tetons is from the east — from Jackson Hole — where the peaks rise 5000 to 7500 feet with no intervening foothills. The west slope of the Tetons is quite different; the magnificent range rises gradually with valleys and ridges forming heavily forested slopes. The wilderness is not very deep, but it is long — almost the entire length of the west slope of the Teton Range.

Our service project is trail reconstruction and rerouting of the North Teton Trail leading to Table Mountain, a broad open summit with extraordinary views of the entire Teton Range. The old trail needs rerouting to avoid two creek crossings. The area is in a picturesque high alpine setting and it offers perfect opportunity for a hike to the top of Table Mountain on our day off. While the project site is only a three mile backpack in, the work and the trip will be quite strenuous.

http://www.wildernessvolunteers.org/php/project/Jedediah+Smith+Wilderness%2C+Caribou-Targhee+National+Forest/88d88ffdd23f334a468bcaf05e183705.html

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: April 2011

Montana's Kim Williams Nature Trail

A fly fisherman casts into the shallows of the Clark Fork River as a tangle of tubers whisks along in the main current. On the riverbanks, a high school cross-country team beats out a run as the sun cranes higher over the Bitterroot Mountains. You're in western Montana, and Missoula is rippling with activity. And you can reel in everything—from the splash of the riverside to the cool shadows of Mount Sentinel—on the 4.2-mile Kim Williams Nature Trail.

Missoula is renowned for its walkability. You can pick up a bike lane, sidewalk or trail from nearly any intersection in the city of 60,000. Yet since pathways crisscross Missoula like plaid on a shirt, it can be hard to know where one trail ends and another begins. What you need is a visual anchor to help orient yourself. Around here, that anchor is 5,200-foot Mount Sentinel.

From nearly every point in the city, you can spot the concrete “M” on the west face of Mount Sentinel. The mountain rises sharply at attention, stark and treeless where it faces the sun; the “M” stands out like a cattle brand. Switchback your way up the short but steep “M-Trail” to climb more than 600 feet: You won't get a better view of Missoula than when you rest your tuckered legs on that “M,” the valley unfolding below you like a picnic blanket.

Looking down, against the mountainside are Grizzly Stadium and the University of Montana. Just north of the stadium, curled between the campus and the Clark Fork River, is a narrow corridor that winds out of sight behind Mount Sentinel to the east.

What you're surveying is hallowed ground in railroad history. This corridor has a proud pedigree as part of the Milwaukee Road, which once stretched all the way from the Great Lakes to Puget Sound. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad began construction of the line in 1906, with the extension from the West Coast completed at Gold Creek, Mont., in 1909. (Later, the line became part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.) Because the Milwaukee Road had to cover rugged mountain passes, where winter temperatures dipped into the extreme negatives, more than 656 miles of the line used electric rather than steam locomotives. Today, the Kim Williams Nature Trail retraces 4.2 miles of this historical route through the heart of Missoula.

To pick up the pathway, you'll head just west of North Hickory Street to a small rotary of three paved trails. To the south, you could cruise out of town on the Bitterroot Branch Trail, which follows an active rail line toward Lolo. To the north and west, you could head off on short segments of the paved Riverfront Trail. It's not an entirely fluid system, and construction along some sections has created a gap or two—which leads to the issue of signage.

But for its mileposts, the Kim Williams Nature Trail is not clearly marked or differentiated from these other routes. Yet once you've located the rotary at Mile 0, you can continue east uninterrupted for the duration.

As you begin on the Kim Williams, you'll dip through a short railroad underpass and then a blink of a tunnel. North of you, if you spot the lights, is the stadium for the Ospreys of Minor League Baseball; they're a farm league team for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The trail soon buddies up to the riverbanks and heads into Toole Park's emerald fields. Later in the summer, you'll pass high school football teams hustling through preseason drills, and beach towels will quilt the riverbanks with sunbathers. (Highs in the 80s are common in August, even with overnight lows that can dip into the 40s.)

Ahead on your right is Grizzly Stadium, and just before it is a relic of the old Milwaukee Road: a restored railroad signal post. These signals were electronically connected to circuits in the railroad tracks, called blocks, located at regular intervals of two miles. Used like modern traffic lights, the signals announced whether a block was clear of

trains.

Once past the stadium, you enter the Kim Williams Nature Area. Here, the paved trail transitions into a bumpier gravel for the final 2.5 miles. You're sandwiched between the sheer wall of Mount Sentinel and the drop-off to the Clark Fork, the largest river in Montana. This is suddenly much wilder country, home to a few mountain lions, and

it offers a fitting tribute to the trail's namesake.

Kim Williams was a naturalist and writer who lived in Missoula in her later years. She had a local radio show about simple living, wrote a column on wildflowers and plants for the Missoulian newspaper, and she was a long-time contributor on NPR's All Things Considered program until shortly before her death in 1986. Today, Kim Williams Fellowships are awarded to graduate journalism students at the University of Montana who are interested in environmental reporting.

As you leave the city behind, a Missoula-based Montana Rail Link train chugs along—across the water and parallel to Interstate 90—on tracks originally built by the Northern Pacific Railway. The rail line eventually bridges the river diagonally and heads off the Kim Williams Nature Trail. An undeveloped dirt path continues ahead precariously close to the railbed, but trespassing along this route is prohibited. A road block is your cue to head back to town.

As sunset burns an orange halo over the western rim of the Bitterroot Mountains, Lolo Peak, at 9,139 feet, casts a hulking, hazy silhouette to the south. And as darkness falls, you'll find yourself already dreaming of sunrise and the start of a new day in Missoula's outdoors playhouse.

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Mpandrindra ny Fampandrosoana ny Fiompiana vokatra andranomasina, Madakasikara

Andraikitra Taorian’ny fanorenana an’ny Tambazotran’I Velondriake, toerana an-dranomasina arovana dia 25 no isan’ny tanàna mirotsaka amin’ny fitantanana ny harena an-dranomasina ary mihoatra ny 70 isan-jato ny mponina mivelona amin’ny fanjonoana eny an-toerana. Tsapa fa ilaina any amin’iny faritra iny ny famoronana asa fivelomana hafa mba hampihena ny tsindry mitambesatra amin’ny ny harena voajanahary indrindra fa ny vokatra an-dranomasina satria efa miha-mihena hatrany izy ireny, asa mitarika hoamin’ny fampandrosoana any an-toerana izany.

Tamin’ny volana janoary 2007 no nanao sonia ny fiaraha-miasa amin’ny Blue Ventures, Ny Copefrito ary ny Kompania Aqualab ny fikambanam-behivavy any amin’ny faritra Andavadoaka, hanatanterahana ny tetikasa iray dia ny fiompiana sy ny famatsiana concombre de mer an’ny Copefrito.

Ny andraikitra sahanin’ny Mpandrindra ny fampandrosoana ny fiompiana an-dranomasina dia ny fiaraha-miasa amin’ny mpiasan’ny Blue Ventures eny an-toerana sy ireo kompania mpanondrana vokatra an-dranomasina toy ny Copefrito, ny mponina ao Velondriake ary ireo komity mpandrindra. Ny tanjona dia ny hampiely sy hampitombo ny fiompiana an-dranomasina tantanan’ny mponina.

Ny mpandrindra ny fampandrosoana ny fiompiana an-dranomasina no tompon’andraikitra ny fitantanana sy ny fampandrosoana an’izany fiompiana an-dranomasina izany. Ny fanapariahana ny fiompiana concombre de mer amin’ny faritra hafa, izay ao anatin’ny tambazotran’ny toerana voaaro any Velondriaka dia ny mba hiheverana ny fananterahana izany fiompiana izany eo amin’ny lafiny ekonomika ary mba ho asa hahasolo tsara ny fanjonoana.

Ny karama dia mifanaraka amin’ny fahaiza-manao sy ny traikefa hanan’ny mpifaninana voaray.

Ny toetra takiana amin’ny mpifaninana dia : fahaizana ny asa, faharisiana, fahaizana mifandray amin’olona, fahavitrihana ary fananana fahalalana sy fahaizana momba ny fomba fiarovana tantanan’ny mponina ary traikefa momba ny fampiharana ny fiarovana tontolo iainana sy/na traikefa fampiharana ny fampandrosoana eny ambanivohitra;

Ny takiana amin’ny mpifaninana dia :

1.Fari-pahaizana “maîtrise” amin’ny Fanabeazana, Siansa ara-Tsosialy, Fiarovana ny tontolo iainana, jeografia, na Siansa momba ny Tontolo Iainana

2.Fahaiza-manao/traikefa amin’ny fitantanana tetikasa sy fampianarana

3.Fahaiza-miserasera tsara na an-tsoratra na am-bava amin’ny fiteny frantsay sy fiteny Angilisy (takiana) ary fiteny Malagasy (ilaina)

4.Fahafantarana ny kolontsaina sy fahaizana fomba fiteny vezo (tsara raha hananana)

5.Traikefa amin’ny fiarovana ny harena misy amorontsiraka amin’ny faritra tropikaly

6.Fahaizana solosaina sy ny teknolojia ara-pifandraisana

7.Fahaizana mitantana fotoana sy mandamina asa

8.Fahaizana miasa samirery sy miaraka amin’ny ekipa

9.Fanana traikefa amin’ny fahaiza-mitarika

Ireo olona manam-paniriana hifaninana amin’izany asa izany dia iangaviana handefa CV sy taratasy milaza ny faniriany hanao ilay asa miaraka amin’ny laharan-tarobia sy adiresy azo ifandraisana aminy ary miaraka amin’ny anarana sy adiresin’olona roa (reference) ao amin’ny: jobs@blueventures.org.

http://blueventures.org/home/careers/34-careers-overseas/162-mariculture-coordinator-malagasy.html

2.) Communications Director, Western Rivers Conservancy, Portland, OR

Description:

ABOUT WESTERN RIVERS CONSERVANCY

Western Rivers Conservancy protects outstanding river ecosystems in the western United States through land acquisition. We acquire land along river corridors to conserve critical habitat, provide public access for compatible use and enjoyment, and cooperate with other agencies and organizations to secure the health of whole ecosystems.

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Communications Director is responsible for the development and implementation of WRC's overall communications and visibility strategy. The position promotes the visibility of WRC's mission, program work and accomplishments, and is responsible for all aspects of communications projects from conception and design through delivery. Specific job duties include:

* Publications: Manage production and distribution of annual report, newsletters, brochures and other outreach materials; write and edit stories and copy; design graphics, project maps and publications in-house, often on short timelines; produce project-specific briefing materials.

* Marketing and visibility: Prepare and implement annual visibility and advertising strategies; identify new outreach opportunities and optimize messaging to target audiences; track and report on success of visibility efforts toward programmatic and fundraising goals.

* Website and online presence: Update website to include new engaging content, news items, announcements and relevant publications; build visibility for WRC online using the full range of internet tools including search engine optimization, social media and video; use web statistics and other metrics to track the effectiveness of web outreach efforts.

* Media Relations: Lead media relations efforts; produce press releases and serve as media liaison; build relationships with journalists and public relations partners; maintain press clippings and media contact database; track and report earned media results.

QUALIFICATIONS

* At least five years experience in a related position

* Strong communication skills including a talent for writing and editing

* Experience with graphic design and desktop publishing software

* Initiative and ability to work independently in a small office setting

* Fluency in website management and internet communications tools

* A degree in communications, marketing or a related field is preferred

* A love of rivers is essential

COMPENSATION

Salary of $60,000 – $80,000 commensurate with experience. Western Rivers Conservancy offers a generous benefits package.

Western Rivers Conservancy is an equal opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply.

POSITION IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED.

Application Guidelines/Contact:

Please email a cover letter and resume to jobs@westernrivers.org.

Applications may also be mailed to:

Hiring Committee

Western Rivers Conservancy

71 SW Oak St, Suite 100,

Portland, OR 97204

Salary: $60,000 – $80,000 plus a generous benefits package

Application URL:

http://westernrivers.org/pages/jobs_communications.html

http://www.prichardcommunications.com/macs-list/Western-Rivers-Conservancy/Communications-Director/pQ4NDTWqnpzQ#top

3.) Project Leader, Mountain Gorilla Conservation Project, Virunga National Park, Frankfurt Zoological Society, DR Congo

The Frankfurt Zoological Society stands for a world in which biodiversity values are recognised and maintained, in order to ensure a high quality of life for current and future generations. Within this context, our mission is to protect the natural diversity of species in important ecosystems across the globe – in partnership with and for people.

The Africa Programme is the Society’s largest and oldest. The Programme works in seven African focal countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. FZS’ first overseas conservation activities were launched in Tanzania more than half a century ago. Tanzania remains the major focus of our conservation efforts, with the flagship being the Serengeti ecosystem, in which the FZS Africa Regional Office is situated. For more information on the Society, please visit our website at www.fzs.org.

FZS in DRC

FZS has supported biodiversity conservation in the Virunga National Park since the 1950s and for several years between 1960 and 1980 provided the only source of salaries to the park staff in order to help maintain morale and commitment to protect the park’s threatened wildlife. In 1983, the society supported the very first habituation of mountain gorillas for tourism in order that they could generate revenue to support the park and local communities living close to the park’s boundary.

Frankfurt Zoological Society has recently been awarded a 2.4 million dollar grant by the World Bank to support mountain gorilla conservation and the local communities over the next three years. Our work will continue to focus on providing support to the rangers (training, equipment, rations etc), but will also include the construction of both park and social infrastructure including ranger accommodation, schools, health centres, and water catchment systems. The project will also contribute to improving the livelihoods of the local communities including a community of Batwa Pygmies, and has already provided them with their own land in a ground-breaking initiative within this region. Efforts to help reduce human-animal conflict are also a key part of the project and a new project to build a solar powered electric fence around the gorilla sector to keep gorillas and elephants from crop raiding will soon be launched. In addition to the World Bank funded project, the FZS Chimpanzee habituation project in Tongo has been working to re-open Chimp tourism in collaboration with the park authorities, while providing capacity-building and training to the local communities.

The job

FZS is now recruiting a Project Leader to provide management and technical support for our wide range of conservation activities in the Virunga National Park, where you will be responsible for all aspects of project management work, from the design stage through to implementation, monitoring & evaluation. Under the supervision of the DRC Programme Manager, you will support the implementation of the Society’s Virunga National Park Gorilla Conservation Project including:

•Designing, launching and managing FZS activities within the Virunga National Park;

•Project development, reporting and management for third party donors such as the World Bank;

• Managing field staff to ensure that project objectives are achieved in a timely fashion;

•Representing the FZS Virunga Project within the FZS network as well as externally to government departments, donors, partner organisations and the general public.

The position will be based at Rumangabo with occasional visits to Kinshasa, ARO (Serengeti, Tanzania) and Europe.

Requirements

The successful candidate is likely to match the following profile:

Essential attributes

•At least three years practical work experience in conservation and/or natural resources management in Africa, preferably in DRC or the Great Lakes Region;

•Previous experience with project design, management and reporting;

•Strong accounting and financial management skills and previous experience in using accounting software;

•Experience in administration and human resources;

•Outstanding communication skills in written and spoken English and French;

•Postgraduate training to MSc level in an appropriate field;

•Demonstrable commitment, patience, enthusiasm, initiative, and a strong work ethic and problem-solving abilities;

•Good negotiation and leadership skills, coupled with a strong vision and enthusiasm for working in a small, dynamic and practical team;

• A self-starter with excellent organisational skills;

•Capability of working under pressure and in politically unstable/conflict environments.

Preferred attributes

•Experience in protected area support

•Experience in working in conflict areas

•Communication and presentational skills

•Community Conservation experience

• A good sense of humour

Terms

Benefits will include:

•Basic housing in Rumangabo, Virunga National Park

•International medical insurance, including emergency evacuation cover

•6 weeks of holidays per year

•Air travel from home base – DRC at start and end of the contract.

A contract of two years will be offered, subject to a rigorous six-month probation period. Living conditions at Rumangabo are simple and there are minimal social services and opportunities (medical facilities, schooling etc.), but these can be found an hour away in Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province. This is not a recommended family-duty station.

Contact

All applications should include a letter of interest in English stating your availability, an up-to-date CV, and the names and addresses of three referees.

The letter of interest should include answers to the following questions:

1.What led you to apply for this position?

2.What is the single most important technical ability that you would bring to this job?

3.What motivates you to apply for a job in such a challenging environment?

4.What are your three most important personal characteristics that will help you succeed in this job?

Candidates should send this information to the following mail address: robertmuir@fzs.org – closing date is 1700 GMT 25th April 2011.

Only candidates selected will be contacted.

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/job/4287723/project-leader-mountain-gorilla-conservation-project-virunga-national-park-dr-congo/

5.) Intern – Corporate Communications, Vail Resorts, Broomfield, CO

This Intern Program will consist of doing the day-to-day job of a college graduate, all while giving you additional opportunities to enhance your experience. There will be numerous opportunities to participate in luncheon events led by senior management, intern networking activities (such as bowling, baseball game and a day trip to the mountains). In addition, each intern will do a presentation to members of the Executive Committee at the end of their internship.

Working with the Vail Resorts Corporate Communications team will offer extensive breadth of real-world experience and provide a great start to a career in Public Relations. The candidate will learn and put to use many different PR program elements from media relations to research and writing. This hands-on position gives candidates first-hand experience in travel/hospitality public relations working side by side with a team of some of the most talented PR pros in Colorado.

The intern will be responsible for the following:

Corporate PR

• Create, update and manage media lists and editorial calendars

• Coordinate media itineraries

• Update website content

• Assist with drafting press materials such as news releases, media alerts and pitches

• Assist with special event planning

• Media monitoring, analysis and research

• Help with social media initiatives

Internal Employee Communications

• Assist with drafting and releasing a weekly newsletter announcing news, initiatives and announcements

• Assist with writing employee emails, FAQs, talking points, etc.

• Research employee communications trends

• Assist with development of videos and presentations

• Help with social media initiatives

Qualifications:

•Must be a current student (Undergraduate or Graduate Program)

•Preferred major- Communications, Public Relations

•Strong verbal and written communication skills – Required

•Ability to work independently – Required

•Experience editing documents for public release – Required

•Experience working with computers to edit, tag and publish information – Required

•Research experience – Required

•Two writing samples – Required (Please attach to your application profile)

•Previous experience working in a PR department – Preferred

https://vailresorts.taleo.net/careersection/external/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=139985

6.) Resort Guide-Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Ka'anapali, Maui, HI

The purpose of the Resort Guide position is to present and involve our guest in the opportunity to become an owner of the finest vacation experience.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prepares each day to meet guests as a professional sales representative through proper dress and grooming.

• Adheres to standard work hours

• Greets each guest in a warm and friendly manner as specified during initial meeting.

• Uses approved presentation and support materials effectively and exclusively.

• Achieves individual established performance guidelines within established time frames. Contributes to achieving overall site VPG, closing percentage at budget levels, as set by management.

• Provides customer service to guest as specified in training and direction of management.

• Maintains the highest level of company/competition product knowledge by attending all required training sessions.

• Adheres to all established policies and procedures, and position requirements for licensures, certifications, etc.

• Effectively gains commitment from guest to purchase.

• Completes demo and assessment rides on a regular basis with team leaders & sales managers. For the purpose of providing effective coaching and motivation to improve. Models and reinforces effective sales and customer service practices, behaviors and results.

• Participates in staff meeting and attends other meetings, such as seminars and training as required.

QUALIFICATIONS / COMPETENCIES:

Sales Ability/Persuasiveness – Using appropriate interpersonal styles and communication methods to gain acceptance of a product, service, or idea from customers.

Work Standards – Setting high standards of performance for self; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments.. Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality; Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Sets goals and objectives.

Building Customer Loyalty – Effectively meeting customer needs; building productive customer relationships; taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty; Meets commitments.

Teamwork/Collaboration – Actively participating as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals; Shares expertise with others; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; and Remains open to others' ideas.

Lead by Example – Foster a common vision; lead others by setting the proper example; demonstrate consistency between actions and words.

Motivate & Inspire Others – Encourage and empower the success of others; create enthusiasm, investment, and a desire to excel; gain support and commitment from others; promote a healthy life balance.

Building Relationships – Build positive and productive working relationships with customers, subordinates, peers, superiors, business partners, and the community; encourage this behavior in others.

Develop & Retain Talent – Coach and develop others; communicate views about performance honestly and directly, while consistently recognizing and rewarding good performance.

Judgement/Decision Making – Identifying and understanding issues; problems, and opportunities; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.

Adaptability – Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation.

Ethics and Integrity – Maintaining and promoting social , ethical, and organizational norms in conducting internal and external business activities; Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.

Continuous Learning – Actively identifying new areas for learning; regularly creating and taking advantage of learning opportunities; using newly gained knowledge and skill on the job and learning through their application. Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues training and development opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills

Stress Tolerance – Maintaining stable performance under pressure; handling stress in a manner that is acceptable to others and to the organization.

Optimism – Consistently taking ownership of and a positive and confident approach to goals and tasks at hand; Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence.

Oral Communication/Written Communication- Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Participates in meetings; Able to read and interpret written information.

Diversity – Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Promotes a harassment-free environment.

Professionalism – Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.

Safety and Security – Observes safety and security procedures; Reports potentially unsafe conditions ; Uses equipment and materials properly.

Attendance/Punctuality – Is consistently at work and on time; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.

Licensing and Certification – Willingness to successfully attain valid Hawaii Real Estate License prior to start.

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTES:

Processing of paperwork requires visual observations.

Verbal communication is necessary for negotiating plans for projects.

It is anticipated that this position will require a comprehensive work effort working a regular schedule usually including weekends. Occasionally six or seven day work schedule will be required.

SVO is an Equal Opportunity Employer that supports a drug-free work environment. Drug screening required.

https://starwood.taleo.net/careersection/10020/jobdetail.ftl?job=801799

7.) Crew, Operations Admin (Full-time/ Part-time), Maritime Experiential Museum, Resorts World at Sentosa, Singapore

Resorts World at Sentosa, Singapore’s largest integrated resort, is looking for talents like you.Here’s an open invitation for you to apply for a job at our four luxurious hotels, grand casino, Universal Studios Singapore® family theme park and the Resorts World corporate office.

Who we’re looking for?

If you’re a fresh school leaver, mid-career professional looking for an exciting new career, about to complete your full-time National Service in Singapore or retiree, Resorts World may have the job you want.

Mothers who want to return to the work force are welcome too.

If you are excited about working in the IR in Sentosa;

If you agree that good customer service matters;

If you enjoy working flexible hours;

We want you!

Responsibilities

- Receive and dispatch calls on ride & safety issues on a timely basis

- Monitor progress of technical maintenance work orders for various departments

- Manage data and prepare confidential reports

- Handle and track various key and equipment issues

Requirement

- Minimum Diploma in any discipline

- 1 -2 years relevant experience OR persons with highest standards of customer service &

passion to serve guests

- Able to communicate effectively in English & a second language

- Willing to work in the evenings, weekends, public holidays

https://careers.rwsentosa.com/psp/rwshcm/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=11757

8.) Summer School counselor, The International Summer School of Scotland, St Andrews, Scotland

http://www.seasonworkers.com/summerjobs/jobs/summer-school-counselor-st-andrews-3033.aspx

9.) Activities Manager, Bimini Bay Resort and Marina, Rock Resorts International LLC, Alice Town, Bimini Island

Experience of a Lifetime. More than just our mission, these words describe our unique and iconic resorts and the people who share a desire to achieve and experience excellence. One of our core values is providing an exceptional experience to our guests and to our employees. An opportunity to work at RockResorts/Vail Resorts Hospitality (“RR/VRH”) is an opportunity to bring out your full passion for everything our company stands for, including our commitment to our product, the communities we live in, the environment and our shareholders. Our employees are good at what they do, and we welcome people who bring enthusiasm and pride to work.

We are hiring an Activities Manager for Bimini Bay Resort and Marina who will create an Experience of a Lifetime for our guests and employees. Responsible for the Resort Activities operation including but not limited to: developing and implementing resort activities and programs, drive revenue by enhancing our marketing ability with activities and programs, partner with outside vendors, work with Events Manager in creating special programs, and assist in developing themes for Food & Beverage. Responsible for employee activities. Hire, train, supervise, and develop staff. This department currently does not exist so this job involves creating a department from the ground up. Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

•Develop and implement all guest-related resort activities and programs including but not limited to non-motorized and motorized water sports, music and entertainment, beach volleyball, sunset cruises, bonfires and BBQs, fishing and snorkeling excursions, tennis programs, tours, and kids activities.

•Develop and implement employee activities.

•Oversee the fitness center and develop programming for fitness, yoga and wellness activites

•Partner with outside vendors and set up contracts. Develop commission structures and agreements.

•Responsible for departmental budget and forecasting.

•Participate and assist with developing themes for Food & Beverage.

•Work closely with Events Manager to create special activities or programs as needed including sailing regattas, fishing tournaments, boat races.

•Oversee the lifeguards, towel attendants, and spa therapist.

•Continuously think of ways to drive revenue through activities and programs.

•Support destination creation by participating in local community development initiatives.

•Responsible for developing team and training staff members to include those without any previous experience.

•Responsible for updates to activities software and updating specific social media websites on behalf of the resort.

•Create and implement standard operating procedures for the department.

•Adhere to all RockResorts and Bimini Bay policies and standards.

•Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

•High School Diploma required, College Degree preferred

•Minimum 2 years experience in Activity or Event Planning required

•Previous resort operations experience preferred

•Minimum 1 years supervisory or management experience

•Creative, ability to think outside the box

•Self motivated, proactive, team-orientated

•Ability to live on an isolated island and work with a diverse group of people.

•Ability to deal with extreme heat and humidity

•Ability to effectively interact with high level business and government partners.

https://vailresorts.taleo.net/careersection/external/jobdetail.ftl

*** From Mark Sofman:

10.) Educator Guide – Zoo, San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA

http://bit.ly/fjAfWR

11.) Editor, Online Communications, National Parks Conservation Associations, Washington, DC

Description

Primary Purpose of the Position:

The National Parks Conservation Associations plays a crucial role in ensuring that our magnificent national parks are protected in perpetuity: Working with NPCA’s online communications team you will play a critical role in our advocacy, education, and protection work by developing and implementing all aspects of NPCA’s digital communication. The Editor, Online Communications will identify and develop content to communicate and enhance NPCA’s online presence, enhance engagement with NPCA’s target audiences, and build online awareness of NPCA’s work and mission. Working through our digital channels, including our website, social media, e-mail, and mobile app channels, the editor will position NPCA as the thought leader on national park issues and encourage national park enthusiasts and champions to support NPCA’s work by joining NPCA’s online communities, supporting NPCA’s policy positions and legislative initiatives, and becoming members of the association. While digital experience is preferred, editorial experience and the ability to find and develop compelling and engaging stories and to work collaboratively are critical to success in this position. This position is located in the Communications department and reports to the Senior Director of Online Communications.

Essential Functions: % of Time

Research, write, edit, and proofread content and assign content to staff and freelance writers including content for npca.org, a monthly e-newsletter, blogs, and social media to create timely, engaging content that is sharable and likable. 20%

Work collaboratively with Communications staff and Digital Outreach and Media teams to devise and launch a new, “must read” series of digital communications to include a completely revamped npca.org, e-newsletters, emails, blogs, and social media posts targeted to engage different audiences ranging from general park enthusiasts to congressional champions. 15%

Identify and work with NPCA’s internal experts and regional staff to create blog entries and online articles and posts related to their areas of expertise. 10%

Work with staff, graphic designers, and other online vendors, to ensure consistent branding and messaging across all electronic platforms. 10%

Ensure NPCA printed products; media campaigns, organizational initiatives, and programmatic efforts are fully integrated into all NPCA online activities. 10%

Work with NPCA’s staff and Digital Outreach and Media teams to identify and fully leverage social networking opportunities including providing content for related posts and tweets and identify key opportunities to reach out to online constituents. 10%

Contribute to and help implement a strategy for search engine optimization, particularly as it relates to relevant keyword content and traffic, to increase web traffic and increase readership. Assess results and continue changes for improvements. 10%

Liaise with Web Manager on back-end and technical aspects of website and special projects. 5%

Manage a comprehensive online communications calendar to maintain consistent communications. 5%

Other duties as assigned. 5%

Total 100%

Other:Respect employees regardless of their position or background. Participates in developing department goals, objectives, and systems. Participates in administrative staff meetings, organization-wide meetings, staff committee meetings, training programs, and attends other meetings and seminars as designated by the supervisor. Assists in evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of department in relation to established goals. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position.

Minimum Work Schedule: (Days and Hours) 9:00 to 5:00, Monday-Friday with a flexible schedule possible. Occasional weekends and evenings are possible. Occasional travel will be required for staff trainings, NPCA staff, retreats, and conferences. .

Minimum Scope of Position: Interacts with internal NPCA staff contacts and external contacts with a wide variety of people and interests, via phone, email, and in person.

Minimum Qualifications, Competencies, Skills, Education, and Traits:

Experience

•5 -7 years writing and editorial experience required, with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in online and digital communications, including experience with new media such as email, blogging, and/or social media formats.

•Experience using a content management system preferred.

•B.S. /B.A. in communications, journalism, or English or related fields or equivalent work experience preferred.

Skills

•Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.

•Outstanding writing.

•Strong editorial skills with fluent English.

•Knowledge of web publishing preferred (HTML, CSS, etc.).

•Proven ability to meet deadlines.

•Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies and systems.

Applicants will be asked to provide a cover letter, resume, and three clips of their published work with their application.

*Please include your writing sample with your resume.*

Applicants who are invited for interviews will be asked to complete writing and editing assignment as part of the interview.

Core Values

Live, honor, and own the organization’s Core Values:

1. Commitment to Mission: We believe that our personal passion for and professional commitment to the national parks is essential to our success.

2. Empowerment: We commit to the building of an internal culture that encourages mutual trust and respect needed to foster an environment that promotes opportunities for professional and personal development. We will provide guidance, latitude, clear expectations, opportunities, resources and feedback needed for individuals and teams to take initiative in generating powerful ideas, taking risks to find unique solutions, and learning from failure.

3. Teamwork: We believe that effective teamwork, built on a fundamental trust in and respect for each other, is integral to our success and includes sincerely listening to each other, appreciating different opinions, sharing information and responsibility, and integrating our work across departments.

4. Accountability: We believe in the importance of holding ourselves accountable to each other, our members, and the public, as well as to the excellence, timeliness, and integrity of our work, and the implementation of these core values.

5. Innovation: We believe that it takes insightful creativity, perseverance, and strategic risk-taking to successfully complete our programs, processes, administration, and outreach.

6. Diversity: We believe in and celebrate the diversity of cultural backgrounds, community traditions, and political perspectives at NPCA and in the National Park System. By integrating such diversity into our work, we will most effectively accomplish our mission.

Physical Effort and Dexterity: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is typically required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear. The employee may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

NPCA is committed to diversity among its employees and hiring practices. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Physical Environment: Office setting with a cube environment. NPCA’s new offices are designed according to LEED principles and NPCA has applied for a Gold LEED certification for our new Washington, D.C. office space.

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA12/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=NPCA&cws=1&rid=225

12.) Colorado River Senior Campaign Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, Office location flexible

The Colorado River Campaign Manager is a dynamic program leader who works with the Southwest Regional Director to lead NPCA’s expansive Colorado River initiative., One of the most important and celebrated rivers on our continent, the Colorado River, flows through ten iconic national park units. For decades, the river has been managed (responsibility rests with the Department of Interior) to meet specific delivery obligations and to support hydropower generation. Unfortunately, the specific requirements of national park units dependent on the river to sustain and protect natural and cultural resources has not been adequately documented and/or represented in a comprehensive fashion. NPCA is completing a detailed assessment of park resources, economic values and a set of recommendations and prescriptions that we believe can improve park resources.

The Colorado River Campaign Manager will work primarily to promote the implementation of these recommendations and prescriptions. The Manager will coordinate his/her work with an established core group of Colorado River allies (known as the Colorado River Collaborative) in the development and implementation of a basin wide strategy and communications plan that will strive to restrict river diversions, protect fragile ecosystems and build a strong, vocal and varied constituency of advocates for river management reform. Critical to the success of this effort is the cultivation of a wide and diverse network of influential thought leaders and community leaders from throughout the region.

We are seeking to identify, recruit and engage a network of river advocates from throughout the basin who are motivated by their special interest and connection to these selected national park units. The Manager will engage these new advocates through multiple platforms to include the larger landscape protection objectives of the Colorado River collaborative, specific local and regional issues and through the larger network of NPCA park engagement strategies.

Essential Functions:

• Aggressively identify, educate, recruit and organize important new allies from both traditional conservation perspectives and non-traditional allies from business and recreational interests from throughout the Colorado River basin. Assist with the linking of this growing network to the larger strategies coordinated through the Colorado Collaborative. 65% of Time

• Develop relationships with other members of the Colorado River “collaborative” and align NPCA’s river and park agenda with the strategic priorities of our allies. 15% of Time

• In conjunction with the Southwest Regional Director, work closely with the NPCA Government Affairs team to coordinate campaign goals with members of Congress and the Administration. 10% of Time

• Along with the SWRO Regional Director, assist with the strategic release and promotion of the Colorado River Resource Assessment. Working with NPCA’s media team and the Colorado River Collaborative, the program manager will leverage the park threats and protection opportunities. 5% of Time

• Assist with the identification of additional research that may be necessary to support the objectives of this campaign. 5% of Time

Other:

Respect employees regardless of their position or background. Participates in developing department goals, objectives, and systems. Participates in administrative staff meetings, organization-wide meetings, staff committee meetings, training programs, and attends other meetings and seminars as designated by the supervisor. Assists in evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of department in relation to established goals. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position.

Minimum Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. This position will require considerable travel (30-40% of time) and early morning and night meetings and presentations are likely.

Minimum Scope of Position: Interacts with the Southwest Regional Director and the SWRO team as well as members of the NPCA Government Affairs, Communications and Development departments. Additionally, the program manager will work with identified allies to align our work with the overall priorities of a collaborative group and will be reaching out to a wide range of new potential allies from the business, academic, conservation, recreation and public sectors.

Minimum Qualifications, Competencies, Skills, Education, and Traits:

• BA or BS or equivalent experience in relevant field with a graduate degree preferred.

• Four to Five years of leadership and responsibility in conservation advocacy, organizational development or resource management.

• Existing familiarity with the legal, biological, political, economic and technical issues challenging the Colorado River and its uses and users is extremely helpful.

• Proven ability to build effective relationships with diverse populations across political and interest boundaries.

• Significant, proven ability working in community outreach and organizing activities

• Depth of experience in strategic thinking, campaign organizing and implementation

• Excellent oral and written communication skills one on one, in groups and in public forums

• Ability to work independently with minimal day to day oversight

• Demonstrated capacity to build and work in teams effectively in cross disciplinary teams, to organize and implement priority strategies within the context of collaborative efforts

• Good political instincts that are important in a complex and contentious environment

• Knowledge of legislative and administrative policy making processes and a proven ability to influence those processes

• Ability to travel frequently

Core Values

Live, honor, and own the organization’s Core Values:

1. Commitment to Mission: We believe that our personal passion for and professional commitment to the national parks is essential to our success.

2. Empowerment: We commit to the building of an internal culture that encourages mutual trust and respect needed to foster an environment that promotes opportunities for professional and personal development. We will provide guidance, latitude, clear expectations, opportunities, resources and feedback needed for individuals and teams to take initiative in generating powerful ideas, taking risks to find unique solutions, and learning from failure.

3. Teamwork: We believe that effective teamwork, built on a fundamental trust in and respect for each other, is integral to our success and includes sincerely listening to each other, appreciating different opinions, sharing information and responsibility, and integrating our work across departments.

4. Accountability: We believe in the importance of holding ourselves accountable to each other, our members, and the public, as well as to the excellence, timeliness, and integrity of our work, and the implementation of these core values.

5. Innovation: We believe that it takes insightful creativity, perseverance, and strategic risk-taking to successfully complete our programs, processes, administration, and outreach.

6. Diversity: We believe in and celebrate the diversity of cultural backgrounds, community traditions, and political perspectives at NPCA and in the National Park System. By integrating such diversity into our work, we will most effectively accomplish our mission.

Physical Effort and Dexterity: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is typically required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear. The employee may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

NPCA is committed to diversity among its employees and hiring practices. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Physical Environment: Typical office setting and/or home based office

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA12/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=NPCA&cws=1&rid=228

(Send you job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.)

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

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Your Very Next Step newsletter for March 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“Fashion is something barbarous, for it produces innovation without reason and imitation without benefit.”

- George Santayana

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 658 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

*** 10 best U.S. airport restaurants

*** Frazil ice

*** 10 Things Hotels Won’t Tell You

*** Gorman Chairback Lodge & Cabins

*** Virgin Fires Flight Attendant After He Puts a Toddler In An Overhead Compartment

*** 8 Delicious Drinks – Bars In The Spanish Culture

*** What are your favorite local alcoholic favorites?

*** Jägertee:

*** Check in then check out these cool hotel lobbies

*** Gear Explained: Sleeping Bags

*** Embark on an Epic Train Journey through Africa

*** FlightView lets you track the progress of any flight in the U.S

*** FlightView iTunes Playlists

*** Overnight Paddling Escapes

*** Indian Market, Navajo Rug Auction, Archaeological Tours

*** National Train Day!

*** If the government shuts down, can government shut down access to public lands?

*** Virginia Summer Adventure Camps:

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

** Parks Volunteer Coordinator, Clallam County Parks, Port Angeles, WA

** Billy Goat Trail Steward Volunteers, C&O Canal National Historic Park, Potomac, MD

** Camp Host Volunteer, Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks, Clallam County Parks, Port Angeles, WA

** Volunteer opportunities at Mission Trails Regional Park

** Adopt-a-Trail (AAT), Great Smoky Mountains National Park

*** Rail Trail of the Month – Illinois' Fox River Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Forestry Technician (Smokejumper),Bureau of Land Management, US Department of the Interior, Boise, ID

2.) Non-Game Bat Technician, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Lander, WY

3.) Public Relations Coordinator, JanSport, San Leandro, California

4.) Outdoor Education Teacher, GREEN CHIMNEY’S SCHOOL, GREEN CHIMNEYS CHILDREN’S SERVICE, INC., Brewster, NY

5.) Sales Rep or Distributor for fishing lures, Angler's Ammo, Jacksonville, FL

6.) Sport Fishing Guides, Kulik Lodge, Katmai National Park, AK

7.) Mountain Man Interpreter, American West Heritage Center, Wellsville, UT

8.) Park Guide, GS-0090-04, Fort Laramie NHS, Ft. Laramie, WY

9.) Seabird Monitoring Volunteer, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, AK

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for March:

Continental, United frequent fliers can transfer miles between accounts

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/03/continental_united_frequent_fl.html

*** 10 best U.S. airport restaurants

Some airlines are offering nutritious items in the air, and airports increasingly are featuring local restaurants with high-quality, healthful food. “Airports are trying to improve the experience for travelers, and part of that is bringing in restaurants serving fresher, local foods,” says Rick Lundstrom, editor in chief of PAX International, a trade magazine that covers airport dining trends. Here, Frommer's Travel Guides names its 10 best U.S. airport restaurants.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/article.cfm?destid=21&articleid=7194

*** From Susan Burnell:

Hi Ned,

Hope your day is perfect in every way!

For your birthday (and maybe for Your Next Step) a close look at Yosemite’s “frazil ice” likened to lava floes, by the National Park Service.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9V9p4mFEYXc&vq=medium#t=15

With cheer,

Susan

Susan H. Burnell, APR

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011/02/Frommers-picks-top-10-airport-restaurants/44306750/1

*** 10 Things Hotels Won’t Tell You

From discounting creatively to obsessing over online reviews, here are some things hotels do that might surprise you.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-hotels-wont-tell-you-1299779200078

*** Gorman Chairback Lodge & Cabins

Located on the shore of Long Pond near Greenville, in Maine’s Moosehead Lake Region, and surrounded by 66,000-acres of AMC-owned conservation land, Gorman Chairback is the newest stop on AMC’s popular lodge-to-lodge ski route, as well as a spectacular wilderness destination on its own. Gorman Chairback offers unlimited opportunities for hiking and skiing on 70 miles of AMC-maintained trails, paddling and fishing for native brook trout, or simply enjoying the quiet beauty of the region. Newly refurbished private cabins include queen beds, wood stoves, and gas lamps. Home-cooked meals are served in the main lodge.

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/mainelodges/gormanchairback/index.cfm

*** Virgin Fires Flight Attendant After He Puts a Toddler In An Overhead Compartment

Virgin Blue is in trouble today after a male flight attendant placed a woman’s TODDLER in an overhead compartment during a flight from Fiji to Sydney. The flight attendant claims the kid’s father was playing hide-and-seek, and he decided to join in. But the mom freaked and Virgin fired the guy. The mom also scored some free flights out of the deal, which she’s refusing because of how “traumatic” the ordeal was. Whatever lady. You and your son may have been traumatized, but I’m sure the other 200 people on that flight were overjoyed when that flight attendant stuffed your noisy, snot-filled tot into a place he couldn’t bother anyone

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/idUS369794749720110311

*** 8 Delicious Drinks – Bars In The Spanish Culture

By Nancy Todd

I know you know how to order a drink in a bar. But in the Spanish culture, there is a very big difference between bars and restaurants compared to other countries. Bars serve excellent coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks, pastries, sandwiches, and tapas. Tapas include sardines floating in olive oil, patatas bravas, meatballs, artichokes in olive oil, and all kinds of sausages. Service is slow. The Spanish culture offers some unusual drinks.

http://www.thespainscoop.com/bars-and-restaurantsspanish-culture/

*** What are your favorite local alcoholic favorites?

The world is full of surprises. Share some of your drink-discoveries that are specifically local to a certain country or region.

We all know about Tequila in Mexico, Sake in Japan, and Ouzo in Greece. But what are some of the other exotic or little-known beverages. Share them with Ned at luindquist989@cs.com and we’ll all get a taste in the next issue of Your Very Next Step.

Subscribe to YVNS for free by sending a blank an email to yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

*** Jägertee:

Ned,

In response to your latest invitation about “local beverages.”

At least two decades ago, I was blessed to board a MAC flight to Germany before enjoying a rental car journey to Lech, Austria for a ski vacation over Christmas.

Beer and schnapps were abundant local beverages. Then there was Jägertee. (Pronounced YAH-gurr-TAY). In an effort to be completely honest, Jägertee somehow disconnects the 'common sense' synapses from the 'daring' synapses. I'd say it makes you stupid but it's not that simple. Stupid people do not ski. People who have lost their minds choose to go skiing.

I learned many years later that Jägertee is dark tea and dark rum with a few secret ingredients. I encountered some Austrians later in life — first time visitors to the US. We struggled with language until I mentioned my experience in Lech.

I asked what was in Jägertee.

“Ohhhh. Yaaaa. (pause) You had Jägertee!” (Glances between the two)

Me: “Yes! It was good.”

“Jägertee…it makes you ski like GOD!”

I think God would have skied with fewer injuries and a lot more grace, finesse and style. And I hope God would have better gear than I had…

Heather

*** Check in then check out these cool hotel lobbies

Hotels from Anguilla to Paris putting an emphasis on impressive entrances

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41606796/ns/travel-destination_travel/

*** Gear Explained: From Trailspace.com

Parts of a Sleeping Bag

http://www.trailspace.com/articles/sleeping-bag-parts.html

Sleeping Bag Shapes, Sizes, Fits

http://www.trailspace.com/articles/sleeping-bag-shapes.html

*** Embark on an Epic Train Journey through Africa

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/03/07/prweb5129974.DTL

*** FlightView lets you track the progress of any flight in the U.S., so you can see where your mother-in-law is when she's coming to visit from St. Petersburg.

http://www.flightview.com/

But this is cool, too: FlightView iTunes Playlists

Need the perfect soundtrack at 30,000 feet, waiting at the gate, tracking a flight on your FlightView app, or just planning your next vacation? Check out our FlightView's iTunes Playlists:

Here are some of the selections:

Born in Chicago

Boston Bound

California Dreamin'

Caribbean Cool

Hawaii 5-0

Hotlanta

London Calling

New York State of Mind

http://www.flightview.com/traveltools/playlist.asp

*** From AMC Outdoors:

Overnight Paddling Escapes

Compiled by Marc Chalufour

Few wilderness escapes are as satisfying as paddling to a secluded camping nook. In every corner of the Northeast there are opportunities to launch into lakes, rivers, and bays and, within a few miles, be setting up camp where only boats can reach. In the quietest moments, your only company might be the waves lapping against the shore and the loons calling across the water. By practicing Leave No Trace, you'll leave these remote havens pristine for future escapes.

See the list.

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2011/getout/overnight-paddling-escapes.cfm

*** Juried Indian Market, Navajo Rug Auction, Archaeological Tours Highlight Southwest Colorado Event

– Mesa Verde Country® hosts 11th annual Indian Arts and Culture Festival –

Cortez, Colo. – The 11th annual Indian Arts and Culture Festival will take place May 27-June 5 in southwest Colorado’s Mesa Verde Country®.

Featured as a “must-attend festival” in Patricia Schultz's best-seller, 1000 Places to See Before You Die, the celebration begins on Memorial Day Weekend with events in Mesa Verde National Park. An authentic juried Indian art market features world-renowned Pueblo, Zuni, Hopi, Navajo, Ute and Apache artists; all representing tribes who claim a cultural affiliation with Mesa Verde National Park.

The festival, recognized as one of the “Top 100 Events in North America” by the American Bus Association, also features a Navajo rug seminar and auction, a Native American concert, Native American dancers, traditional foods, and cultural programs. The Anasazi Heritage Center will feature a special exhibit, Sacred Images: A Vision of Native American Rock Art. This photographic exhibit joins the talents of three wilderness photographers with the storytelling skills of indigenous peoples to present the visionary power of Utah’s rock art.

Guides from Ute Mountain Tribal Park will offer special archaeological tours during the festival, including a Porcupine House and Ute Petroglyph Tour and an Anasazi Sun Calendars and Petroglyphs Tour in Mancos Canyon. Ute Mountain Tribal Park is an area set aside by the Ute Mountain Utes – one of the seven original Ute bands that inhabited Colorado – to preserve Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) architecture.

This year’s festival featured artist is the exceptional Hopi potter, Valerie Namoki. She received her gift of pottery making and carving from her late grandmother and father. As a young girl at the age of 12, she learned the art of traditional polychrome pottery from her late grandmother, Carol Namoki, and carving techniques from her deceased father, Virgil Namoki, in the Hopi community of Polacca, referred to as First Mesa. Incorporating the coiling method and carving into her sculpturing, Namoki sculpts indistinguishable pieces she hopes will please the eye of an artist or collector and leave them mystified and perplexed. To view examples of Namoki’s work and review a full schedule of festival events, visit: http://www.mesaverdecountry.com/tourism/festivals/iacf/iacfschedule.html.

Mesa Verde Country® (www.mesaverdecountry.com)

Mesa Verde Country® is the southwest Colorado travel destination surrounding Mesa Verde National Park. The towns of Cortez, Dolores, Mancos and Towaoc, and the entire Mesa Verde Country® area, comprise the archaeological center of America.

Mesa Verde Country® Visitor Information Bureau, 800-530-2998

http://www.mesaverdecountry.com/tourism/festivals/iacf/iacf.html

*** National Train Day!

http://www.nationaltrainday.com/?WT.mc_t=NTD_2011_EMTR&WT.mc_n=NtdPage&WT.mc_r=365&audienceId=3130173&tiid=20067

*** If the government shuts down, can government shut down access to public lands?

http://www.trailspace.com/articles/2011/03/08/government-shutdown.html

*** Virginia Summer Adventure Camps:

A number of conservation organizations run a variety of summer workshops, camps and adventure programs that teach students life skills, respect for the environment and experience fun, exciting and sometimes life changing adventures. Here are a few programs that our Outdoor Report Team has experienced first-hand as either participants or instructors.

Holiday Lake Forestry Camp – More Than Just Trees!

One of the longest-running Forestry Camps in the country – Holiday Lake Forestry Camp – is seeking youth ages 13 – 16 for its 65th annual week-long camp program that will be held June 13-18, 2011 at the Holiday Lake 4-H Center, located within the 20,000-acre Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. Teachers, natural resource professionals and others may nominate youth for this outstanding program. Nomination forms are available on the VDOF website and will be accepted until April 8, 2011. Financial sponsorships from forest industries, conservation agencies, associations and individuals cover most of the cost of the Camp. Each camper selected to attend receives a $200 “scholarship,” which means each camper pays just $75 to participate in the week-long, residential program.

“Forestry Camp is much more than a walk in the woods,” said Ellen Powell, conservation education coordinator with the Virginia Department of Forestry. “Campers experience hands-on learning about wildlife habitat, tree identification, timber harvesting, reforestation, environmental protection and more. They also take part in exciting field trips, exploratory classes, outdoor recreation and a Lumberjack Field Day.”

http://www.dof.virginia.gov/edu/camp.htm

Youth Conservation Camp Sponsored by Soil & Water Districts

The Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD) has sponsored a week long summer conservation camp for Virginia high school students (grades 9-12) on the campus of Virginia Tech for 30+ years,. The program brings together about 90 interested students for a week of learning about Virginia's natural resources by conservation professionals and faculty from Virginia Tech. Most of the instruction is hands-on and outdoors. The 2011 Camp is July 10-16, 2011. Applications are available online and must be submitted to your local soil and water conservation district. Check with your local office for due dates. Contact information for your local office can be found at VASWCD's website. For further information please contact Beth Sokolik at Elizabeth.sokolik@vaswcd.org or (804) 559-0324.

Trout Unlimited Tri-State Conservation & Fishing Camp

Trout Unlimited is hosting their annual Trout Unlimited Tri-State Conservation & Fishing Camp Sunday, June 26 to Friday, July 1, 2011 at Graves' Mountain Lodge in Madison County adjacent to Shenandoah National Park Enjoy an exciting week of hands-on action packed fun in our mountain stream environment that will help you become a skilled angler and an experienced conservationist. You'll learn firsthand from officials of the National Park Service, professional conservationists with state natural resources agencies, environmental educators, professional fishing instructors and guides, and experienced members of Trout Unlimited. For information contact George Gaines, Executive Director, at gaines@tucamp.org, (202) 904-3547 or www.tucamp.org.

Summer Fishing Camp Adventures

Outdoor Report Fishing Report contributor Tee Clarkson runs a series of summer fishing schools and canoe adventures. Visit the Virginia Fishing Adventures website for details and schedule of sessions and registration.

http://www.virginiafishingadventures.com/

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

Parks Volunteer Coordinator, Clallam County Parks, Port Angeles, WA

http://www.clallam.net/CountyParks/html/parks_volunteer.htm

Billy Goat Trail Steward Volunteers, C&O Canal National Historic Park, Potomac, MD

The Billy Goat Trail Stewards help to educate the public about the value of the Billy Goat Trail.

We're looking for volunteer trail stewards willing to hike parts of the trail, or educate visitors at the trailheads, to protect the incredible natural resources of Bear Island, which this rugged trail traverses.

Stewards have been active now for several years, educating hikers about Leave No Trace principles, helping to ensure they are prepared for the strenuous hike, sharing stories about the sensitive vegetation, and reducing trampling of the Bear Island's many rare plants. Active trail stewards can go out any day of the week, can hike the whole trail or just part of it, or can stay near the trailhead and connect with hikers before they begin. Trail stewards wear park volunteer identification, carry park radios for emergency communication, and can benefit from basic first aid training to help with minor injuries. They are the eyes and ears for the National Park Service, and The Nature Conservancy, who co-own this biologically diverse island, and help us protect the rare habitats from the estimated 50,000 hikers on the Billy Goat Trail on Bear Island, known as “section A”. Stewards have also been instrumental in reporting emergencies back to park staff for a more rapid response.

To apply as a volunteer for the Billy Goat Trail Steward Program, please go to current volunteer opportunities and complete the volunteer form. Thank you for your interest in volunteering.

http://www.nps.gov/choh/supportyourpark/billygoattrailstewardvolunteers.htm

Camp Host Volunteer, Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks, Clallam County Parks, Port Angeles, WA

A minimum one month commitment is requested for these positions at Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks. Individuals assist staff with campground maintenance and visitor contact. Please contact the park in which you want to volunteer. You can find the email addresses within this web site. Both Salt Creek and Dungeness Recreation Areas use Camp Host services.

http://www.clallam.net/CountyParks/html/parks_volunteer.htm

Volunteer opportunities at Mission Trails Regional Park

Mission Trails Regional Park volunteer opportunities are numerous. If you are interested in participating in any of the programs/projects listed below please contact David Lee at 619-668-3278.

Visitor Center Staff – Staff the information/ reception area welcoming visitors to the park, assist in the gift shop, introduce the video and slide presentations in the theatre.

Visitor Center Gift Shop – Serve as shopkeeper in the gift shop and assist Visitor Center staff as needed.

Visitor Center Library – Catalog books and keep the library books in order.

Tracking Team – Learn the art of tracking and help monitor the parks wildlife.

Trail Guides – Lead interpretive hikes in the park.

Volunteer Patrol – Interact with park users and educate the public about park rules. There are two types of patrol units: foot patrol and mountain bike patrol (must provide your own bike.

Trail Crew – Assist rangers with trail maintenance/ construction, erosion control, and sign installation.

Habitat Improvement Team – Assist rangers with exotic plant eradication, habitat protection and revegetation projects.

Park Beautification – Assist in maintaining and improving the appearance of park facilities, infrastructure and signage.

Campground Entry Station – Staff the entry station to welcome campground patrons. Give park and camprground information and assist camper checkin and registration.

Campground Host – Call (619)668-2748

Mission Trails Regional Park

City of San Diego and the County of San Diego

One Father Junipero Serra Trail

San Diego, CA 92119-1008

http://www.mtrp.org/volunteer.asp

Adopt-a-Trail (AAT), Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting for volunteers to participate in its Adopt-a-Trail (AAT) program that helps Park staff maintain the resources in the backcountry for a better visitor experience and to reduce potential human/animal conflicts. The AAT program is a long-established activity in the national park and new recruits are needed to help cover the half-million acres within its boundaries.

AAT volunteers will aid in the Park's 800-mile trail system, covering everything from picking up litter to removing treefalls and reporting trail problems to the Park.

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/adopt-a-trail-vips.htm

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: March 2011

Illinois' Fox River Trail

by Ted Villaire

Rivers are the perfect traveling companions. That's particularly true when you're walking or skiing, moving at a speed that allows you to study the water's habits. In the far western suburbs of Chicago—once the railroad hub of the nation—you'll find this camaraderie with water on the 33-mile Fox River Trail.

A green oasis located some 35 miles west of Chicago's downtown Loop, the trail extends through grassy parkland and bottomland woods, never leaving the side of the wide, eye-catching Fox River. Tree-covered bluffs swell up above the riverbanks, and wetlands flood the low spots. After a deep freeze, the river ices over. Most of the winter, though, ice hugs the shoreline and covers only pockets of backwater.

Intermingled with the natural areas along the way are old mill towns famous around the late 19th century for making a range of products, from watches to windmills. With most of the manufacturing ended, a number of these communities have made the switch to tourist destinations, creating pedestrian-friendly downtowns that boast museums, casinos, cafés and shops. Many streets still feature fine 19th-century architecture. Riverbanks are graced with pleasant walkways, footbridges and grassy parks.

Built in segments during the 1970s and '80s, the Fox River Trail occupies the former right-of-way of the Aurora Elgin & Fox River Electric Company, an interurban line that operated until 1935. Paved almost its entire length, the versatile trail invites users to walk, run, inline skate, cycle, ski and snowshoe. Except on the few on-street portions, wheelchair users will feel welcome, too.

Near the north end of the rail-trail, in Carpentersville, Fox River Shores Forest Preserve provides a good starting point for a trip. North from here, the Fox River Trail soon becomes the Prairie Trail, and then shoots up to the Wisconsin border. Headed southward toward Aurora, the Fox River Trail slips through a tunnel of trees for two miles to East Dundee, one of several towns where Victorian storefronts line shopping streets. As you enter East Dundee, you may be enticed indoors for a snack and warm respite at the Measuring Cup coffee shop, located steps from the trail on the right.

Nearly five miles ahead, in Elgin, you'll find parks and riverfront walkways with lush landscaping and arched pedestrian bridges reaching out to islands in the river. One block away from Elgin's historical downtown strip, this riverwalk replaced a series of riverfront factories. The most famous was the Elgin National Watch Company, once the world's largest watch manufacturer.

Leaving Elgin, the trail ducks under an enclosed walkway that leads to the Grand Victoria Casino, a three-story structure floating in the river and gussied up to look like an old-time riverboat. A couple miles outside town, the trail takes you on a rollercoaster ride up and down a series of wooded river bluffs. Here you'll find the first of four Fox River Trail connections with the Illinois Prairie Path, which runs east to Chicago's near-west suburbs. (Look for the other Prairie Path connections in Geneva, Batavia and Aurora.)

Four miles south of Elgin, take a stroll among the historical trolleys and passenger trains at the Fox River Trolley Museum. Some of the train cars ran along the “L” tracks in Chicago, and others were owned by the old Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railroad. In summer, you can board a historic trolley at the museum for a several-mile trip along the river.

The natural splendor of the Fox River takes center stage one mile later, where a 250-yard footbridge connects two wooded parks. Downstream from the bridge, the river curls around an island covered by a fairytale forest. After crossing the bridge, you'll follow the trail up a steep, 120-foot bluff that, from a distance, resembles a vertical wall.

Once you've conquered that grueling climb, you can catch your breath along a mile-long gentle downhill segment on a modestly trafficked road with no sidewalks. Closing in on St. Charles, you'll return to the trail and snake through thick bottomland woods at Norris Woods Nature Preserve. As you navigate the residential streets of St. Charles for another mile of on-street travel, trail signs direct you through the town's historical district, past a bookstore, a coffee shop, gift shops and restaurants.

A couple miles past St. Charles, the trail rambles through a series of riverside parks in Geneva. One contains a five-story Dutch windmill erected in 1915 by George Fabyan, an eccentric millionaire whose estate once sprawled along the riverbank. (After a good snow, throngs of kids sled down the hill where the windmill stands.) In addition to the windmill, Fabyan's estate included a private zoo and a laboratory that performed research on acoustics, code cracking and—believe it or not—human levitation. Fabyan's Japanese garden remains, as does his farmhouse, which was remodeled by Frank Lloyd Wright. Now the house serves as a museum focusing on Fabyan's estate and the artifacts he collected over the years.

The trail runs on both sides of the river for the next five miles south of Fabyan Forest Preserve. If following the trail on the east side, cross back over to the west side in Batavia or North Aurora. (The frequently updated Kane and Northern Kendall Counties Bicycle Map shows all alternate routes, connecting trails and local landmarks on the Fox River Trail.)

In downtown Batavia, take a break to watch skaters gliding on the outdoor skating rink fashioned on one of the river's backwater ponds. A series of 20-foot-tall windmills along Batavia's riverwalk honors the town's former specialty—manufacturing water-pumping windmills.

Big views of the river and wooded islands open up to the trail as it traces the top edge of a small bluff for most of the final seven miles between Batavia and Aurora. The river threads its way among the islands, where in winter bare tree branches brush the water's surface. Other stretches of riverbank feature shelves of ice, where geese and ducks line up like statues.

A series of gentle bends in the river guides you into Aurora, the second-largest city in Illinois. The trail ends across the river from an island that once served as the city's administrative center. As you explore Aurora's downtown streets and admire its vintage architecture, you feel immersed in the town's history and commerce. But the Fox River remains close by, curving through town on its way to the Illinois River and the Mississippi River beyond.

Ted Villaire is the author of Best Rail Trails Illinois; Road Biking Illinois; 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Chicago; Camping Illinois; and Easy Hikes Close to Home: Chicago. He works as a writer and editor for the Active Transportation Alliance in Chicago.

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

*** From Mark Sofman:

1.) Forestry Technician (Smokejumper),Bureau of Land Management, US Department of the Interior, Boise, ID

http://bit.ly/faUKJg

2.) Non-Game Bat Technician, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Lander, WY

http://bit.ly/dYTK0X

3.) Public Relations Coordinator, JanSport, San Leandro, California

Description

JanSport is the Original Outdoor Gear Brand that embodies a culture of fun and discovery. We equip people globally with quality, enduring and reliable products that enable the freedom to experience life's adventures. We're always looking for talented and motivated people to join the JanSport team.

As Public Relations Coordinator, your primary responsibilities are to solicit and respond to editorial and broadcast placement opportunities and requests for the Brand; to manage key external partnerships linked directly to the brand (BCM, IMG, OIA, etc.), plan and execute local and national events, and to actively manage and develop trade relations through trade shows and industry organizations.

Qualifications

Education/Experience:

Years of Related Professional Experience: 4+.

Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts or Communications. Minimun of four years in public relations or related field. Experience in event planning a plus.

Skills:

Excellent communication skills (written and verbal), AP Style Writing

Social Media experience

Proficient PC skills (spreadsheets, word processing, powerpoint)

Strong time management skills (deadline oriented/sensitive/attentive to detail)

Key Responsibilities

1. Serve as direct liaison between sales, creative and product teams to develop and implement strategic and integrated PR programs and events that fuel Brand awareness and activate the Brand's voice with the consumer.

2. Write and produce company-wide communications, including trade press materials, VF press materials, monthly PR newsletter, and global quarterly Press Hits book; oversee the press section on JanSport.com.

3. Manage outside product placement agency to ensure product integration into film and television is consistent with Brand marketing objectives; conduct product seeding to support tastemaker strategy.

4. Secure national and regional press coverage consistent with Brand strategies and retail partnerships; draft media briefing docs and executive talking points; conduct media training for company spokespeople.

5. Produce large-scale consumer and trade launch events (NYC, SF, LA, Salt Lake City).

6. Manage industry sponsorships, strategic alliances, and nonprofit partnerships through ongoing outreach; seek and lead cross-promotions where appropriate; market internally Brand alliances and partnerships.

7. Provide PR support for global product launches, trade shows, and in-store events; product seeding to support marketing strategies.

8. Contribute to how JanSport’s PR/events and partnership opportunities come to life online via jansport.com and social networking properties, including JanSport blogs.Facebook and Twitter.

https://vfc.taleo.net/careersection/jansportexternal/jobdetail.ftl?job=135620

4.) Outdoor Education Teacher, GREEN CHIMNEY’S SCHOOL, GREEN CHIMNEYS CHILDREN’S SERVICE, INC., Brewster, NY

Searching for a creative and energetic Outdoor Education Teacher to join our Recreation Department. Must have a Master's Degree in education, special education from an accredited institution and hold a valid NYS teaching certificate. Must be an ACCT level 2 facilitator and have two years professional experience working in an outdoor education, environmental, adventure or related field. Green Chimneys has wonderful onsite facilities such as low ropes course, climbing tower, high ropes, indoor gym, canoeing, indoor pool, sports fields, hiking/biking trails, cooking and camping areas and strong ties to community resources. The Outdoor Education Teacher would be responsible to plan and lead outdoor education classes during our school day. They will need to be able to work as part of a treatment team and providedocumentation of student's progress in outdoor education program. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to: plan/implement/participate in overnight camping trips, afterschool clubs and adventure course management responsibilities and to perform other duties relevant to function of department. Experience with children in psychiatric setting preferred. Experience facilitating adventure based activities such as camping, hiking, high ropes, etc. a must.

TO APPLY: Email your resume and cover letter to: employment@greenchimneys.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

(EOE)

http://www.greenchimneys.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102&Itemid=210

*** From Mark Sofman:

5.) Sales Rep or Distributor for fishing lures, Angler's Ammo, Jacksonville, FL

http://bit.ly/h7uQ1h

6.) Sport Fishing Guides, Kulik Lodge, Katmai National Park, AK

http://bit.ly/h71a0G

7.) Mountain Man Interpreter, American West Heritage Center, Wellsville, UT

http://bit.ly/geDl7N

8.) Park Guide, GS-0090-04, Fort Laramie NHS, Ft. Laramie, WY

http://bit.ly/hhg5uB

9.) Seabird Monitoring Volunteer, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, AK

http://bit.ly/gQoY7S

(Send you job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.)

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Your Very Next Step newsletter for February 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

” In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.”

- Aristotle

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 657 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

- U.S. further eases Cuba travel restrictions

- Overbooked? Delta says name your price

- TreeTop Barbie and the Queen of the Forest Canopy

- Nighttime Nordic options

- HOW DO I LAYER FOR COLD WEATHER?

- Camping With Your Horse

- Ski Resort GPS Tracking System Makes Snowboarding Safer and More Fun

- Seat Selection:

- Beat the crowds to up-and-coming destinations

- What are the northern lights?

- The best places to see the northern lights

- How to See the Northern Lights: The Best Places and Times for Viewing Auroras

- Auroral Activity Extrapolated from NOAA POES

- The anti-cruise: No bingo, no karaoke, just fjords

- A trio of Norwegian Viking ships

*** Trail and Outdoors Volunteer opportunities:

- Trail Crew Volunteers, James River State Park, Virginia

- Volunteer Opportunity, Dan Ridge Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Clearwater National Forest, Orofino, Idaho

*** Rail Trail of the Month – Minnesota's Paul Bunyan State Trail

*** Travel, Outdoor and Adventure Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities

1.) Operations Manager, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska

2.) Marketing & Communications Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, Washington, DC

3.) SEM Program Manager- Closeout, Backcountry.com, Park City, UT

4.) Trip Planner – Adventure Life, International Tour Operator, Adventure Life, Missoula, MT

5.) School Designer – Senior Professional Development/Coaching Role, Spanish Bilingual, The New York City Outward Bound Center, Queens County, NY

6.) Fishery Biologist, NOAA Fisheries Service, St. Petersburg, FL

7.) DIRECTOR OF MARINE EXTENSION, Louisiana Sea Grant, Baton Rouge, LA

8.) General Manager, Reef Environmental Education Foundation, Key Largo, FL

9.) Sector Manager, V Northeast Fishery Sector Inc., Point Judith, Rhode Island

10.) Coastal Community Development Agent, Texas Sea Grant Extension, Port Aransas, TX

11.) Assistant Director For Communications, Maryland Sea Grant College, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, College Park, MD

12.) Internship, Currituck Banks Reserve, Outer Banks, N.C.

13.) Special Activities Instructor, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo, NC

14.) Education Intern, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo, NC

15.) Seasonal Educator, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo, NC

16.) Internship, Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort, N.C.

17.) Internship, Southern Sites Reserve, Wilmington, N.C.

18.) Internships, Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine

19.) Senior Wildlife Biologist, Ocean Conservancy, Washington, DC

20.) Monitoring Specialist, Ocean Conservancy, St. Petersburg, FL

21.) Policy Manager, Fish Conservation, Ocean Conservancy, Austin, TX

22.) Monitoring and Biodiversity Officer, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Washington, D.C. 23.) Director, South Coast Office, Coastal Conservation League, Beaufort, South Carolina

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for February:

*** U.S. further eases Cuba travel restrictions

http://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/U-S–further-eases-Cuba-travel-restrictions/

*** Overbooked? Delta says name your price

Passengers on overbooked flights at Delta Air Lines may now put in bids for the compensation they will accept in exchange for taking a later flight. Delta says the system helps it identify those passengers with the most flexible travel plans while helping the company save money on compensation costs

http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2011/01/overbooked_delta_says_name_you.html

*** TreeTop Barbie and the Queen of the Forest Canopy

http://greatkids.outdoors.org/2010/12/treetop-barbie-and-queen-of-forest.html

*** Nighttime Nordic options

From AMC Outdoors, January/February 2011; By Marc Chalufour

Night skiing is one of winter's magical gifts. The cold air feels a little crisper, the evening sky a bit clearer, and the forest even more peaceful than usual. Not to mention that the hot post-ski beverage of your choice will undoubtedly taste better. Here are seven ski centers where lantern, headlamp, or the moon's natural light will guide you through a glowing landscape.

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2011/getout/nighttime-nordic-skiing.cfm

*** HOW DO I LAYER FOR COLD WEATHER?

http://www.backpacker.com/gear/ask_kristin/103

*** Camping With Your Horse

http://www.coolcampinggear.com/camping-with-your-horse/

*** Ski Resort GPS Tracking System Makes Snowboarding Safer and More Fun

http://www.fieldtechnologies.com/ski-resort-gps-tracking-system-makes-snowboarding-safer-and-more-fun/

*** Seat Selection:

I don’t like paying for a better seat on an airplane. But I really don’t like AirTran requiring me to pay a charge just to select a seat, and not just a good seat, or a better seat…but any seat. If you don’t want to pay the $6 or more, then take your chances at the gate.

*** Beat the crowds to up-and-coming destinations

Visiting emerging hot spots offers pristine landscapes, reasonable prices before being overrun by tourists

By MICHELLE HIGGINS

The New York Times

Labrador

Diqing, China

Zimbabwe

Mongolia

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/travel/06pracemerging.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

*** What are the northern lights?

The sun is the father of the auroras. During large explosions and flares, huge quantities of particles are thrown out of the sun and into deep space.

When the particles meet the Earth's magnetic shield they are led towards a circle around the magnetic North Pole where they interact with the upper layers of the atmosphere. The energy which is then released is the northern lights. All this happens approximately 100 kilometers above our heads.

Each eruption of the northern lights is unique. Often you see three green bands across the night sky. Or the lights come as flickering curtains or like rolling smoke. The colour is a luminous green, often with a hint of pink along the edge, and occasionally with a deep violet centre. The colour palette seems to come from the 1980s. If there is a lot of activity up there, the northern lights explode for a minute or two in a corona. The next minute it is all over, and you ask yourself whether this was real or just an arctic fata morgana.

http://www.visitnorway.com/us/mynorthernlights

*** The best places to see the northern lights

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/askjack/2003-10-10-northern-lights_x.htm

*** How to See the Northern Lights: The Best Places and Times for Viewing Auroras

http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-see-the-northern-lights-a49446#ixzz1CzChlk2f

*** Auroral Activity Extrapolated from NOAA POES

This plot shows the current extent and position of the auroral oval in the northern hemisphere, extrapolated from measurements taken during the most recent polar pass of the NOAA POES satellite.

The statistical pattern depicting the auroral oval is appropriate to the auroral activity level determined from the power flux observed during the most recent polar satellite pass. The power fluxes in the statistical pattern are color coded on a scale from 0 to 10 ergs .cm-2.sec-1 according to the color bar on the right. The pattern has been oriented with respect to the underlying geographic map using the current universal time, updated every ten minutes.

This presentation provides an estimate of the location, extent, and intensity of aurora on a global basis. For example, the presentation gives a guide to the possibility that the aurora is located near a given location in the northern hemisphere under the conditions that existed at the time of the most recent polar satellite pass.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html

*** The anti-cruise: No bingo, no karaoke, just fjords

Norway's Hurtigruten line

Associated Press

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110124/ap_tr_ge/eu_travel_trip_norway_the_anti_cruise

*** A trio of Norwegian Viking ships

http://www.intltravelnews.com/2010/12/a-trio-of-norwegian-viking-ships/

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

*** Trail Crew Volunteers, James River State Park, Virginia

Arrival Date: 4/18/2011

Departure Date: 4/25/2011

Minimum Age Requirement: 14

Accommodations Description: Volunteers will be staying in one of two lodging possibilities 1) Bunkhouse: sleeps 12 (bunkbeds) refrigerator, microwave, linens, outside gas grill, eating shelter, bathhouse, laundry and water nearby. 2) Cabin: sleeps 16, fulling equipped kitchen, 3 bathrooms, washer and dryer.

Project Information: Volunteers will re-sign and blaze a 15 mile multi-use non-motorized trail system. Volunteers will install a 6×6 wooden directional post at every trail intersection, support trail signs, and plastic tree blazes.

Area Description: James River State Park has three miles of river frontage, 1,500 acres of rolling farm meadows, three fishing ponds, beautiful pastoral vistas, 15 miles of hiking trails, quiet forests, and three miles of riverfront on the James River.

Climate Information: April weather at James River State Park does vary, but typically days are pleasant and nights are cool to cold (freezing weather has usually ended). Spring can be a wet season.

http://www.americanhiking.org/ProjectRegistrationDetail.aspx?projectId=536

http://www.americanhiking.org/volunteer-vacations/

*** Volunteer Opportunity, Dan Ridge Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Clearwater National Forest, Orofino, Idaho

Partnership with Selway-Bitterroot Foundation

Aug. 15 – 21, full week, volunteers may do half a week.

Camp near Dan Ridge, about 5 miles from Colt Creek-White Sand Creek trailhead.

Six volunteers needed, six already signed up, with two crew leaders (Jim and Mindy Weibush)

Camp cook and food provided by Selway-Bitterroot Foundation, along with a packer to carry camp supplies and tools, provided by SBF and USFS.

Volunteers backpack their personal camp gear.

Project includes cutting out trail and doing tread and drainage work.

Skill level – experienced backpackers with some hand tool skills. Trail experience not required.

http://www.idahotrailsassociation.org/projects.html

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: February 2011

Minnesota's Paul Bunyan State Trail

The woodlands of north-central Minnesota have an almost mythical appeal. Legendary lumberjacks loom large around here, and the forests are home to wildlife of every stripe and size. It's the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” and ponds and lakes pool around you like ink spills on a map (not that anyone's counting, but some say it's actually closer to 15,000). Tucked away among the timbers is the long-striding Paul Bunyan State Trail, which rolls 112 miles from Lake Bemidji State Park on the northern end to Brainerd's Northland Arboretum.

The Paul Bunyan is a signature Minnesota destination. Trail users will get their fill of aspens, maples and oaks, and horizon-spanning freshwater lakes; you'll pass 21 along the way. Famous for the big hospitality and small-town charm of the 15 communities it connects, the corridor is the newest member of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.

Built on a former Burlington Northern corridor dating back to 1893, the trail was first proposed in 1983 when the rail line was abandoned. Communities along the line were distraught to lose their rail service and the associated economy, as the corridor had been an industrial and passenger route. But a new tourism draw would soon be found in the budding rail-trail. Already, the nearby 51-mile Heartland State Trail was on the ground and generating bike-travel buzz. Trail advocate Terry McGaughey saw the same potential for a trail between the towns of Brainerd and Bemidji. His perseverance and patience won out, and in 1988 the first 30-mile segment of the Paul Bunyan opened from Brainerd to Pine River.

“[Terry] was by far the biggest trail proponent we had,” says Forrest Boe, deputy director for the Division of Parks and Trails in the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), which owns and manages the Paul Bunyan. “He was instrumental with trail programs throughout the state.”

The Minnesota trails community felt a huge loss this summer when McGaughey passed away at the age of 70. He had spent 25 years working on the Paul Bunyan, lobbying legislators, speaking in towns along the route and promoting the trail at every turn.

Today, McCaughey's legacy continues to grow with the trail. The Paul Bunyan has become one of the most popular trails in the state and is enjoyed by some 650,000 visitors a year. After a 2008 project between Guthrie and Walker, the rail-trail now offers 112 miles of smooth pavement, with only one small break in the route.

On the south side of Bemidji, trail managers are working to build a bridge over a highway as part of a two-mile gap. In the meantime, visitors can follow a signed, on-road route to the north side of town and then reacquire the main rail-trail corridor. Also, at the southern trailhead in Baxter, the plan is to pave another seven-male section connecting south to Crow Wing State Park. Boe expects to have this extension paved in the summer 2012. When that happens, the Paul Bunyan State Trail will hit 121 miles.

Towns along this expansive trail come in 10 to 15-mile intervals—another byproduct of the railroading era. As a result, you're never far from a sampling of local flavor, be it food or festivities. And with so many connecting trails, including the 107-mile Blue Ox Trail that runs to the Canada border, the possibilities of the Paul Bunyan feel more endless than ending.

The trail is open year-round to non-motorized use (excepting snowmobiles in the winter months), and the Paul Bunyan very much rewards winter warriors. Temperatures in January and February can drop well below zero, with snowfall measured in feet, so be sure to check the forecast and dress appropriately! Another memorable season on the Paul Bunyan is autumn. Fall colors come early to Minnesota, so plan to enjoy the peak season mid-September to mid-October.

If you're making the trip, it's recommended to head from south to north, beginning in Brainerd at the arboretum. From here, it's nine miles to the lakeside community of Merrifield and then on to Nisswa, a quaint tourist town at Mile 16 that offered only one year-round restaurant before the trail opened. Nowadays, Nisswa is a bustling trail center.

Mile 22 brings you to Pequot Lakes, a resort entry point, and from there it's a short eight miles to reach the “birthplace of the Paul Bunyan trail,” Pine River. Next up: Backus, a little logging town situated on Pine Mountain Lake at Mile 40. Fans of the Paul Bunyan legend will want to stop in Hackensack at Mile 50. The town was home to his sweetheart, Lucette Diana Kensack.

Eight miles beyond Hackensack, the nature of the trail changes when it deviates from the right-of-way into the Chippewa National Forest. It's hilly but not intimidating, and the detour passes through a working aspen forest with many river crossings. Wolves have even been spotted in this section.

In Walker, the route returns to the rail-trail and at Mile 68 intersects with the Heartland Trail. You can take the Heartland west to Park Rapids or continue north along the shared route until the Heartland splits off toward Cass Lake. To stay on the Paul Bunyan, just follow the well-signed route north. This final section of the trail takes you 30 miles to busy Bemidji—where you can grab a walleye dinner in town—before closing out with a seven-mile stretch in Lake Bemidji State Park.

Whether you take in the Paul Bunyan on two wheels or bundled up on a pair of skis, the trail will certainly live up to its outsize namesake. So pull on some boots and thermals, and head off into the woodland reaches of Minnesota, which American Trails recently named the “Best Trails State.” If the Paul Bunyan is any measure, who could argue?

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities (with thanks to Jack Duggan)

1.) Operations Manager, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=324600009

2.) Marketing & Communications Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, Washington, DC

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the nation’s leading national park advocacy organization, seeks a junior/mid-level Marketing & Communications Program Manager for its Center for Park Management division. The individual would use their skills to promote our collective successes, engage new supporters, and expand the reach of our leadership and management solutions to NPS and NPCA. Must be able to devise and implement creative strategies to help spread the word and use interpersonal skills to build excitement about the work.

Please visit our website at www.npca.org for a full job description. Qualified applicants please submit your resume and cover letter directly online to www.npca.org under “Work for NPCA”.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wl/jobs/JS_JobSearchDetail?jobid=30381502

3.) SEM Program Manager- Closeout, Backcountry.com, Park City, UT

http://jobs.adrants.com/job/sem-program-manager-closeout-park-city-ut-usa-backcountry-com-fa1050165e/

4.) Trip Planner – Adventure Life, International Tour Operator, Adventure Life, Missoula, MT

Adventure Life is looking for a highly motivated individual to plan and ultimately sell our trips to Latin America & voyages around the world. Requires excellent organization and communication skills. Enthusiasm for travel, combined with excellent people & writing skills are all essential

Award winning adventure travel operator, Adventure Life, is looking for a highly motivated individual to plan and ultimately sell our trips to Latin America & Voyages around the world. This is an office position in Missoula, Montana, that requires excellent organization and communication skills. Each day entails managing several dozen e-mails with overseas outfitters, conversing with clients about upcoming trips, and continual research concerning cultural, natural and archeological destinations in each country. Enthusiasm for travel, combined with excellent people, organizational and writing skills are all key characteristics of a successful Trip Planner. In addition, multitasking abilities and self-motivation are important for effectively closing sales. We offer competitive compensation, health insurance, vacation, holiday, retirement, flex-time and travel benefits.

Desired Skills and Experience

•Foreign travel in Latin America, Africa, or Asia

•Bachelors degree or higher

•Superb organizational skills and communication skills

•Experience in multi-project management

•Excellent writing skills

•Knowledge of Word and Excel required

•Ability to work with little guidance

•Ability to create and apply innovative solutions

•Ability to learn new skills on your own

•Conversational Spanish is a plus but not required

Compensation/Benefits

•Base + commission for first year compensation of $28,000-$35,000 (Depending on Experience and Performance)

•Rapid compensation increases during years 2 and 3

•Health insurance

•SIMPLE IRA – similar to a 401(k)

•Annual continuing education stipend

•Annual travel opportunities to one of our destinations

This is a 40hrs/wk full time position with some flexibility in scheduling after training.

Please review Adventure Life's web site for more information on our company.

To Apply

Please send application, resume, cover letter, typing test*, and references to the e-mail or address below. If graduated from college in the last three years, please send transcripts (unofficial transcripts are fine). * Typing test can be taken for free online, at some temp agencies or at a job services office. For online test do a search on google.com for “typing test”.

Contact Information

E-mail: trip.center@adventure-life.com

Adventure Life Journeys

ATTN: Hiring Committee

1655 S 3rd St W, Suite 1

Missoula, MT 59801

Application Deadline Friday, February 11th

http://www.sustainlane.com/jobs/trip-planner-adventure-life-international-tour-operator/V7J9FO3JZ2HWORHAUFLBINK8WBRN

5.) School Designer – Senior Professional Development/Coaching Role, Spanish Bilingual, The New York City Outward Bound Center, Queens County, NY

http://www.latpro.com/jobs/1909876.html

6.) Fishery Biologist, NOAA Fisheries Service, St. Petersburg, FL

The two incumbents will serve as a fishery biologist for NOAA Fisheries Service with an emphasis on development and implementation of fishery management plans and amendments. The position will be located at the NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Serve as lead in developing fishery management plans or amendments and coordinate the review of assigned fishery management plans and amendments with Council staff, regional office staff, headquarters, science center, and other entities. Ensure compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and other applicable laws. Formulates and recommends management policies and practices for conserving marine resources. Prepares written reports, writes or reviews technical and scientific sections of fishery management plan amendments and gives oral presentations related to fishery management and scientific activities. Reviews scientific studies, fishery management plans, stock assessments, and grant applications. Prepares correspondence, reports, and other material using common software for word processing, spreadsheets, and management of geographic data.

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=95945941&JobTitle=Fishery+Biologist%2c+GS-0482-12+(DE%2fCR)&q=NMFS-SER-2011-0031&where=&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&x=66&y=15&AVSDM=2011-01-18+09%3a47%3a00

7.) DIRECTOR OF MARINE EXTENSION, Louisiana Sea Grant, Baton Rouge, LA

Louisiana Sea Grant is seeking candidates for the position of Director of Marine Extension (see attached announcement). This is a full time, 12-month professional position that will serve as key member of La Sea Grant's leadership team. The Director will lead an energetic, motivated team of 15 marine agents and discipline-specific specialists in a diverse and challenging marine extension and outreach program. As part of the upper management of Louisiana Sea Grant, the Director will also have ample opportunity to provide input into the development of new program-wide initiatives and projects.

Required Qualifications: Master's of Science or equivalent degree (Ph.D. or equivalent degree preferred) in one of the following or a related area: economics, marine resource management, socioeconomics, or hazard resiliency; five years experience in the conduct and administration of sponsored research and outreach activities; knowledge of extension methods; demonstrated leadership and planning ability; demonstrated research and scientific writing skills.

Additional Qualifications Desired: Ability to work with diverse audiences; verbal and written skills.

Special Requirements: Ability and willingness to travel overnight.

Responsibilities: serves as leader of the Louisiana Sea Grant Extension Program and liaison to the Cooperative Extension Service (This jointly funded program includes five – eight faculty/specialists and ten marine extension agents. The agents, who live in coastal parishes, have responsibilities which include practical and educational assistance for 22 coastal parishes. The faculty, who are based on the LSU campus, form an information and technology link between these audiences and university research in five strategic areas: safe and sustainable seafood, sustainable coastal development, healthy coastal ecosystems, hazard resiliency in coastal communities, and public and formal education); manages and directs program development, operational and personnel activities of the marine extension program; plans and coordinates a cohesive extension outreach effort to disseminate university-related research to coastal client groups; participates in regional and national networks on planning and program development; develops and produces the extension portion of the biennial omnibus proposal for funding and serves as coordinator of all Sea Grant Extension projects involving extension personnel mentioned above; develops new extension and research initiatives in Sea Grant and state priority interest areas; acquires funding support for such initiatives from various federal, state, local, and private sector sponsors; develops and leads appropriate integration with counterpart activities of the Sea Grant network, Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, and the University; works closely with Sea Grant representatives from other states, other National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) personnel, and other state and federal agencies to articulate national and regional issues of vital interest to Louisiana and to insure that LSU, through the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, competes successfully for available enhancement and augmentation funding. An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Application deadline is February 15, 2011 or until a candidate is selected. Apply online at: . Position #007417.www.lsusystemcareers.lsu.edu

LSU SYSTEM IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/EQUAL ACCESS EMPLOYER

Quick link to ad URL: https://lsusystemcareers.lsu.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=52770

8.) General Manager, Reef Environmental Education Foundation, Key Largo, FL

Summary

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), a non-profit, marine conservation organization, announces an opening for a General Manager position to start in early summer 2011. The position will be based at REEF’s Key Largo, Florida, headquarters with a salary commensurate with experience and in the range of non-profit pay scales and benefits. Responsibilities include operational management, fundraising, public relations, membership development, supervision and partnership building with the diving community.

Background

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) was founded in 1990 as a way to educate scuba divers and snorkelers in marine life identification and make use of their marine life sightings. REEF has grown into a 40,000 plus member organization working with the general public in unique partnerships with public, private, governmental and educational sectors throughout the western hemisphere. Primary projects and programs include the volunteer Fish Survey Project, Grouper Moon spawning aggregation assessments, exotic species program, artificial reef assessments and numerous education and outreach programs. REEF maintains strong partnerships with federal, state and local government agencies as well as other NGO and business entities.

Responsibilities

Duties of the General Manager include management of a variety of activities necessary to maintain an effective marine conservation organization. Areas of responsibility include; assistance with and oversight of fundraising solicitations and fiscal management, supervising the office manager and assistant office manager, overseeing maintenance and upkeep of the headquarters facility, development of field survey trips, PR relations including media releases, assistance with outreach and development of REEF programs for the dive community, assisting the Executive Director, Scientific Coordinator and Special Projects Coordinator as needed.

Qualifications

Candidates for this position will most certainly need to have a “passion for marine conservation” with excellent supervisory/management and communication skills. Educational background and experience with fundraising, business and fiscal management will be important considerations. Although scuba diving is not a part of the job description, knowledge and participation in the sport is important as REEF’s volunteer programs rely heavily on this activity. A candidate’s connections with the dive community and history in non-profit marine conservation management will be taken into consideration although neither is a requirement. Candidates should be strongly self-directed and work well in a team environment. Excellent written and oral communication skills will rank a candidate highly.

Application procedures

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume or CV, 2-3 writing samples and references via e-mail to: . It is anticipated that a final selection will be made in mid to late March with a starting of June 1, 2011.jobs@reef.org

REEF is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

9.) Sector Manager, V Northeast Fishery Sector Inc., Point Judith, Rhode Island

Term: May 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012

Position Type:

Part–time, Contract Employee (approx. 20–‐25 hours per week).

Compensation: To be negotiated. Commensurate with experience.

Travel: Must have reliable transportation. Occasional travel (4–‐6 times per month) required to additional ports or to attend sector–‐related or fishery management meetings.

Position Description: The Sector Manager is responsible for the day–‐to–‐day business operations of the sector, a 501(c)(5) not–‐for–‐profit organization, and is responsible for meeting the reporting requirements to NOAA Fisheries. Specific management duties include:

• Sector bookkeeping and other administrative responsibilities associated with running a small non–‐profit organization;

• Education and outreach to sector members regarding policy and procedures within the sector;

• development of an annual fishing plan that outlines strategies to maximize ACE usage and prevent overages;

• management and oversight of the Sector’s ACE usage and ACE trades;

• management and enforcement of members’ fishing behavior;

• negotiating the Sector’s service needs in conjunction with the Northeast Sector Service Network (NESSN);

• and submitting weekly and annual sector catch reports to NOAA Fisheries.

Other duties may include communications with external parties on research, journalism, or political issues.

Qualifications: NEFS V seeks a multi–‐faceted, flexible individual for this position. Applicants must be detail—oriented and proficient in data management systems (Excel, databases, web–‐based systems). Basic financial management skills required; proficiency in Quickbooks is preferred. Knowledge of federal regulatory systems, particularly fisheries regulations, is preferred. Applicants should have excellent written and verbal communication skills and be comfortable interacting with a range of people, from fishermen to senior government officials. Applicants will be expected to protect confidential sector information and business operations of sector members. Applicants must be willing to work non–‐traditional hours periodically, due to occasional evening meetings and variability in workload over the course of the fishing year. Applicants must be available for occasional phone inquiries from members during evenings and weekends.

Background: Amendments 13 and 16 to the Northeast Multispecies (groundfish) Fishery Management Plan created a new management option that allows fishermen to organize themselves into harvesting cooperatives referred to as Sectors. V Northeast Fishery Sector Inc., (“NEFS V”) is one such sector, and is part of an umbrella organization, the Northeast Sector Service Network (“NESSN”) which provides additional support services to Sectors and Sector Managers. NEFS V members are also members of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, which has assisted in the development of NESSN and its thirteen member Sectors, known as the Northeast Fishery Sectors, twelve of which are in their first year of operation in 2010.

Northeast Sector Service Network (NESSN): The responsibilities of a sector manager will depend, in part, on services to be provided by the NESSN. NESSN will provide all of the data management and reporting requirement services of a NEFS Sector via management and integration of FISHTRAX, software and reporting systems designed by the Northeast Seafood Coalition. A central server or “data warehouse” linked to FISHTRAX will be operated and maintained by the service entity in order to compile, archive and integrate data from multiple sources. These data sources to be managed are: individual VMS activity declaration, Trip Start Hails, Trip End Hails, VTRs, electronic dealer reports, DSM reports, DSM provider report, at–‐sea monitoring and daily discard estimates, and NMFS approvals for inter–‐sector trades. The Sector manager will be able to securely log in to this data warehouse and query any information in the proper format that might be needed for submitting daily, weekly, and annual sector reports—or for access to other data collected via FISHTRAX that might be relevant to the day to day management of the Sector.

10.) Coastal Community Development Agent, Texas Sea Grant Extension, Port Aransas, TX

Texas Sea Grant Extension is partnering with Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve and is seeking a Coastal Community Development Agent to provide leadership, guidance and direction in the broad arena of

sustainable coastal community development in the upper Coastal Bend of Texas. This position will be supervised by Texas Sea Grant and the agent will office at the Mission-Aransas NERR Headquarters in Port Aransas, Texas.

Additional information can be found at: www.urban-nature.org The position is contingent upon grant funding and interagency agreements.

11.) Assistant Director For Communications, Maryland Sea Grant College, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, College Park, MD

The Maryland Sea Grant College, a state-federal partnership program and unit of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science is charged with engaging the University System of Maryland, and other institutions statewide to facilitate the wise use, conservation and restoration of coastal and watershed resources in Maryland and the region (see: http://www.mdsg.umd.edu). We seek an Assistant Director to lead our communications efforts.

Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director for Communications will join Maryland Sea Grant’s leadership team (Director, Assistant Director for Research, Assistant Director for Administration and Extension Program Leader) who implement an interdisciplinary program of research, outreach and education focused on Chesapeake Bay and its

watershed. Maryland Sea Grant’s communication program serves a vital outreach role at the interface between the scientific and outreach community and a diverse set of stakeholders including policy makers, managers, educators, students and the general public. The incumbent will lead a communications staff of 3-5 (professionals and students) who produce print, film and web-based media focused on critical issues pertaining to Maryland’s coastal resources. Included is the award winning magazine, Chesapeake Quarterly, numerous technical syntheses, highly regarded films and an extensive web presence. The Assistant Director for Communications will work with the leadership team to articulate and implement a vision for communications

at MDSG — one that builds upon the program’s strong foundation of translating science and reaching diverse audiences in new and innovative ways.

A successful candidate will possess exceptional written and oral communication skills and experience interacting with and gathering information from scientists, policymakers and others. Their portfolio should include excellent written products that interpret and translate scientific information for various audiences. Of particular interest is

experience with natural resources, especially coastal, marine and environmental issues. Preferred educational requirements include an M.S. or M.A. (with significant course work in the sciences). The incumbent will have worked for 5-10 years as a science writer and should have administrative and/or supervisory experience with a strong commitment to a team approach. A working knowledge of diverse communications media is essential.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. Excellent leave, medical coverage, retirement, and tuition-remission benefits are provided. Review will begin immediately and the position will remain open until filled. For full consideration please submit materials by February 18, 2011.

UMCES is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

To apply please send a curriculum vitae or resume, a list of three to five individuals who can provide references and representative samples from your portfolio of written and nonprint products. In addition please send a statement of interest that articulates how your skills will advance Maryland Sea Grant’s communication efforts and overall mission. We are particularly interested in your approaches to the next generation of communication tools and how they can be applied to the challenge of interpreting and translating scientific information for stakeholders. Written materials should be sent in electronic form (pdf preferred) toDCSearch@mdsg.umd.edu . Web links may be provided to other types of media.

http://www.umces.edu/mdsg/job/adc

12.) Internship, Currituck Banks Reserve, Outer Banks, N.C.

One, paid internship is available at the Currituck Banks site located in Corolla, N.C. to assist staff with inventory/monitoring, stewardship, and research activities. Inventory and monitoring duties will involve conducting surveys for various taxa including herpetofauna, fish, birds, and/or insects. Stewardship activities will include trail and facilities maintenance, and monitoring reserve users. Research activities will involve assisting with feral animal studies. The position requires outdoor work for extended periods of time in the summer heat, and involves exposure to biting insects, snakes, and poisonous plants.

This summer internship runs from Wednesday 6/1/11 through Wednesday 8/10/11. Typical work days are eight hours Monday through Friday, however some activities may require weekend and/or evening work. Interns in the field will be lifting moderate loads, walking up to 2 miles in soft sand and mud, and riding in a boat. The successful applicant will be a self-motivated undergraduate with a background or interest in biology, ecology, environmental science, marine biology, or science education. Compensation is $10.00/hour. Interns are responsible for housing and transportation.

How to apply. Applicants should send a letter of interest, college transcript(s), resume, and one letter of recommendation to Scott Kucera, Reserve Education Coordinator at by February 4, 2011. Phone: (252)-838-0881

scott.kucera@ncdenr.gov

13.) Special Activities Instructor, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo, NC

DURATION: May – September, 2011 (May be flexible)

30 – 40 hours per week

Some nights, holidays and weekend work required

SALARY: $10.30 per hour

QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants should be articulate and have good public speaking and organizational skills. Candidates must either

have or be in pursuit of a degree in Biology, Marine Sciences, Natural Resources, Environmental Education, Parks

and Rec, or a related field. If in pursuit of such a degree, applicants must have completed at least two years

towards degree. Prior experience working with the public, adaptability to different teaching situations, a flexible

schedule, and a valid driver’s license are required. CPR, first aid, teaching experience, water safety skills,

experience working with children, and a working knowledge of the Outer Banks flora and fauna are preferred, but

not required.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Special Activities at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island are hands-on programs, which deal with a small number of participants for several hours at a time. Such programs include but are not limited to: children’s summer camps, fishing programs, crabbing classes, marine animal programs, behind the scenes tours, animal feeding programs, birthday parties, overnight programs, field trips to the beach and estuary, and other programs in the field/water. The summer Special Activities Instructors will be responsible for assisting with the above education programs and teaching some of these programs in their entirety at the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Daily requirements of the instructor will include conducting programs, speaking to small groups of people of all ages, handling live animals, assembling education materials, driving a fifteen-passenger van of participants for field trips, and possibly assisting with other daily program responsibilities inside the main public areas of the Aquarium.

DEADLINE: All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on March 15, 2011

TO APPLY:

A North Carolina State Application Form PD-107 is required, and may be downloaded from the NC Office of

State Personnel website at . Cover letter and resume are optional,http://www.osp.state.nc.us/jobs/gnrlinfo.htm

but they will NOT take the place of the State Application PD-107 form.

Mail completed applications to:

NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island

Attn: Beth Wilcox

Special Activities Coordinator

P.O. Box 967

Manteo, NC 27954

Beth.Wilcox@ncaquariums.com

252-473-3494, ext. 246

14.) Education Intern, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo, NC

Duration: 10 week positions (start/end dates are flexible)

35-40 hours per week; evening, weekend, and holiday work required

Salary: $8.25 per hour.

Qualifications:

Applicants should be articulate; have good public speaking and organizational skills, and interact positively with

the general public, children, co-workers, and volunteers. Candidates should be majoring in Biology, Marine

Sciences, Natural Resources, Environmental Education, Parks and Rec., or a related field. A flexible schedule

and a valid driver’s license are required. Prior experience working with the public and a working knowledge

of Outer Banks flora and fauna are preferred, but not required.

Job Description:

Interns are an integral part of the NC Aquarium’s Education team. Responsibilities include, but are not limited

to: setting up, announcing, and showing educational videos; conducting public programs on various

marine/aquatic topics (sea turtles, sharks, alligators, river otters, jellyfish, wetlands, beachcombing, marine

mammals, etc.); handling live animals; staffing discovery carts; monitoring visitor behavior and answering

questions at the touch tanks; and being on the floor interacting with Aquarium visitors. Each intern will

complete a project during his or her 10-week internship. Projects will be conceived, designed and presented

by the intern per the approval of permanent staff. The Education curator or the full-time Educators will assign

additional responsibilities and projects.

Deadline:

5:00 P.M. Thursday, March 10, 2011

To Apply:

Send a cover letter of interest, current resume, up-to-date transcript, letter of reference from a professor. Mail

to:

NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island

C/O Dia Hitt

PO Box 967/374 Airport Rd.

Manteo, NC 27954

15.) Seasonal Educator, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Manteo, NC

DURATION: April 1 – September 30, 2010 (May be flexible)

35-40 hours per week; evening, weekend, and holiday work required

SALARY: $10.30 per hour

QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants should be articulate; have good public speaking and organizational skills and interact well with the general public, children, co-workers, and volunteers. Graduation from a four-year college is required; candidates must have a degree in Biology, Marine Sciences, Natural Resources, Environmental Education, Parks and Rec, or a related field. Prior experience working with the public, adaptability to different teaching situations, a flexible schedule, and a valid driver’s license are required. Teaching experience and a working knowledge of the Outer Banks flora and fauna are preferred, but not required.

JOB DESCRIPTION: Seasonal Education Assistants provide education support at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: conducting public education programs (sharks, sea turtles, jellyfish, etc.); handling live animals; introducing and showing videos; introducing guest speakers; providing information to Aquarium visitors, including teachers, students, and general public; staffing discovery carts and learning stations; answering questions in various galleries; monitoring the Close Encounters tanks; assisting with other tasks as assigned. These positions require the ability to assemble education materials, to research marine and aquatic topics, and to speak to small and large audiences. Additional responsibilities and projects will be assigned by the Education Curator or the full-time Educator.

DEADLINE: 5:00 P.M. Thursday, March 10, 2011

TO APPLY: Send a cover letter, current resume, and state application form PD-107, which may be downloaded from the World Wide Web at www.osp.state.nc.us/jobs/gnrlinfo.htm#app

Mail to: NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island

C/O Pat Raves

PO Box 967/374 Airport Rd.

Manteo, NC 27954

16.) Internship, Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort, N.C.

Application deadline: February 4, 2011

The intern will primarily assist staff with research activities including benthic sediment analyses, water quality monitoring, and emergent SAV/marsh monitoring. Secondary activities will support the education and stewardship sectors at the site. The intern will assist the Education staff with summer marine science camps, field trips and classroom activities. Stewardship activities include feral horse monitoring, trail maintenance, and marine debris assessment and removal.

This summer internship runs from Wednesday 6/1/11 through Wednesday 8/10/11. Typical work days are eight hours Monday through Friday, however some activities may require weekend and/or evening work. Interns in the field will be lifting moderate loads, walking up to 2 miles in soft sand and mud, and riding in a boat. We are looking for an out-going, self-motivated undergraduate with a background or interest in biology, ecology, environmental science, marine biology, or science education. Compensation is $10.00/hour. Interns are responsible for housing and transportation.

How to apply. Applicants should send a letter of interest, college transcript(s), resume, and one letter of recommendation to Dr. John Fear, Reserve Research Coordinator at by February 4, 2011. Phone number: (252)-838-0884john.fear@ncdenr.gov

17.) Internship, Southern Sites Reserve, Wilmington, N.C.

Application deadline: February 4, 2011

The intern will assist staff at two of the Reserve’s southern sites: Zeke’s Island and Masonboro Island. Research activities may include assisting with the System-wide Monitoring Program. Education activities include developing and presenting public programs and community outreach programs. Stewardship activities include invasive species monitoring and removal, species of concern monitoring and protection, marine debris documentation and removal, and monitoring of visitor use.

This internship runs from Wednesday 6/1/11 through Wednesday 8/10/11. Typical work days are eight hours Monday through Friday, however some weekend, evening and early morning hours will be required. The ideal candidate will have: interest or background in biology, marine biology, coastal issues, estuarine ecology, environmental education; or coastal management. Internship requires excellent communication skills; the ability to work independently and with a team; familiarity with or capacity to learn basic GPS and GIS use; and comfort with working in field settings in a variety of weather conditions. Compensation is $10.00/hour. Interns are responsible for housing and transportation.

How to apply. Applicants should send a letter of interest, college transcript(s), resume, and one letter of recommendation to Hope Sutton, Reserve Stewardship Coordinator/Southern Sites Manager at by Februarysuttonh@uncw.edu 4, 2011. Phone: (910)-962-2998.

18.) Internships, Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine

The University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center is currently accepting applications for the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Internship Program. We are looking for highly motivated, dynamic candidates who will work closely in a team setting with staff and volunteers to assist with all aspects of veterinary care and husbandry of sick and injured seals, cetaceans and/or sea turtles. Other responsibilities include (but are not limited to): Daily care of animals, transport of live/dead marine animals, water quality testing, maintenance of daily food and medical records, necropsy, education/docent tours and computer entry of data. Additional duties and projects may be assigned by staff.

These positions are unpaid and interns are required to find their own housing and transportation. Interns should expect to be scheduled to cover a variety of weekday shifts, nights, weekends and holidays. The ideal candidate should be mature and motivated, and possess a strong work ethic and excellent observational and communication skills.

The deadline for Summer Applications is March 1, 2011. Interested applicants can find all information and application materials at

Applications and questions can be submitted to c/o Kristen Patchett, Volunteer Supervisor/Internship Coordinator.MARCinfo@une.edu

Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center

University of New England

11 Hills Beach Road

Biddeford, Maine 04005

MARCinfo@une.edu

http://www.une.edu/research/msc/marc/internship.cfm

19.) Senior Wildlife Biologist, Ocean Conservancy, Washington, DC

DEPARTMENT: Conservation Programs

REPORTS TO: Director, Conservation Science

DURATION: Full-time

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM:

Ocean Conservancy's recently launched Conservation Science Program (CSP) is focused on effectively communicating scientific knowledge to policymakers, the public and the news media with the goal of applying science to our policy objectives and finding solutions to important marine conservation problems. As a science-based policy organization, Ocean Conservancy's CSP is central to ensuring the robustness of our policy approaches to ensure ecosystem health in the face of existing and emerging problems in the ocean including marine debris, climate change, and ensuring restoration of ocean ecosystems from devastating environmental tragedies. The Senior Wildlife Biologist will serve as a part of this team to ensure policy solutions are designed to minimize impacts to marine wildlife and enhance the health of ocean ecosystems that they depend upon.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Senior Wildlife Biologist works with other staff members and teams of Ocean Conservancy scientists, attorneys, policy advocates, communications, and organizers to support Ocean Conservancy's science-based advocacy efforts and integrate marine wildlife conservation in OC programs. Although the Senior Wildlife Biologist provides scientific support across the organization, he or she will have a primary role in ensuring that Ocean Conservancy addresses key issues and opportunities for conservation of marine mammals, seabirds, and turtles. In addition, Marine Debris, Gulf Ecosystem Restoration and Arctic programs are current priorities for support by the Senior Wildlife Biologist.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for oversight and analysis of US laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to marine wildlife. Represents OC in a variety of forums, such as government advisory committees and task forces, and endangered species recovery teams.

• In collaboration with International Coastal Cleanup initiative, works to develop and support a robust Marine Debris Program that highlights and reduces harm to marine wildlife and the environment.

• Synthesizes scientific information and analyzes impacts on marine wildlife and the environment of past and proposed development activities, especially in relation to outer continental shelf oil and gas activity in the Arctic, the Gulf, and elsewhere.

• In collaboration with government affairs staff, educates national policy makers and regulators about the importance of and requirements for conservation of marine wildlife.

• Works closely with other OC staff, including in the communications and development departments, to ensure that marine wildlife issues are communicated effectively and factually to a variety of audiences.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of a Master's degree in a marine science, policy, or management discipline, with emphasis on wildlife, such as marine mammals, birds or turtles.

• Three-five years' work experience beyond graduate school in a marine wildlife conservation, management or research position, preferably including practical experience in the field.

• Preferred background includes familiarity with US laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to marine mammals, fisheries, and the marine environment, such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Fisheries Management and Conservation Act, and Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Removal Act.

• Proven ability to formulate and communicate complex ideas clearly in writing, as well as verbally and visually (written samples will be requested).

• Demonstrated ability to analyze scientific data and synthesize scientific literature, with excellent scientific/technical writing skills and proficiency with word-processing, presentation, database, statistical, and other computer software.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively without close supervision and collaboratively as part of diverse project teams.

OTHER/PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• A strategic thinker who can bring the creativity, energy, discipline and commitment needed to ensure Ocean Conservancy addresses key issues in the conservation of marine wildlife;

• A high-level performer who remains attentive to details and adheres strictly to deadlines and deliverables while keeping a larger vision in mind;

• Highly collaborative with an appreciation of the benefit of a multi-disciplinary team approach;

• Personable, passionate, productive, and focused to support accurate, timely, and powerful policy, products, and positions

APPLY FOR THE POSITION: If you think you have what it takes to join Ocean Conservancy's team, please send a cover letter speaking to your qualifications and abilities to lead a growing exciting program with your resume and salary expectations to: and note your name and “Senior Wildlife Biologist # 1023″ in the subject line.jobs@oceanconservancy.org

20.) Monitoring Specialist, Ocean Conservancy, St. Petersburg, FL

DEPARTMENT: Conservation Programs

REPORTS TO: Deputy Director, Fish Conservation

DURATION: Full-time

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM:

Ocean Conservancy’s Fish Conservation Program is a dynamic, multi-faceted initiative focused on achieving sustainable fisheries in our nation’s waters with an emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico. Ocean Conservancy has played a key leadership role in transitioning our nation’s fisheries towards a sustainable future. Past accomplishments include securing significant improvements to our nation’s fisheries management laws in 1996 and 2007, transitioning regional fisheries to long term sustainability through the adoption of science based management plans, bycatch reduction measures and protection of essential fish habitat, and the establishment of the first science based rebuilding plan for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. We will continue this leadership role by working both at the national and regional level ensuring the development and implementation of laws and policies consistent with sustainable fisheries through the development of science based conservation policies and practices, implementation of incentive based measures, ensuring accountability within the fishery management system and building support among fishery stakeholders and decision-makers. The Monitoring Specialist will work with a team of professionals to ensure that management policies and decisions continue to transition fisheries to long term sustainability, and coordinate with other teams to ensure full restoration of the Gulf of Mexico including from the impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. We envision healthy and productive oceans that support resilient ecosystems and coastal communities.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Monitoring Specialist serves as the lead on fisheries monitoring improvement research, design, stakeholder outreach, and implementation with the goal of transitioning Gulf of Mexico fisheries to a more sustainable future. The Specialist will also assist our Gulf Restoration Program to ensure the adoption of a strong long-term monitoring program to ensure that restoration plans are focused on addressing the impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster. The Specialist will work with multi-disciplinary staff at Ocean Conservancy, regional and national decision-makers, partners and stakeholders to develop and advance innovative and effective monitoring improvements at the state, regional and national level. Leveraging Ocean Conservancy's background in science-based policy advocacy as well as our existing monitoring initiatives, the Specialist will collaborate closely with government science and policy staff to strengthen the value of existing monitoring programs and to promote new approaches to fisheries monitoring to support sustainable fisheries management. The Specialist will be responsible for building a compelling case for innovative science-based monitoring improvements and work closely with Ocean Conservancy's external affairs team to promote political will in support of monitoring improvements.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leads, designs, and manages all aspects of Ocean Conservancy's fisheries monitoring improvement work. Assists the Gulf Restoration Program in ensuring that the impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster are adequately captured. Our effectiveness depends upon science-based advocacy that builds policy positions around the best available research and other sources of reliable data. That effort will include:

• Researching and developing a fisheries monitoring improvement platform and strategy

• Researching, formulating, and advocating this platform before federal and state fish managers, regulators, legislators, media and the public

• In coordination with Deputy Director, Fish Conservation, developing and presenting Ocean Conservancy positions on marine fish conservation through research, writing, and presentation of comments, testimony, position papers, scientific publications and reports

• Monitoring fish conservation and data collection issues and policies through attendance at agency and regional fishery management council meetings, state fish and wildlife commission meetings, public hearings, congressional hearings, professional meetings and conferences, and through government, industry, and scientific literature

• Explaining Ocean Conservancy positions on marine fish conservation and fisheries monitoring to Executive and Legislative branch officials and staff, the media and the public

• Assisting Ocean Conservancy efforts to ensure that effective monitoring programs are established to assess impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.

• Conducting outreach activities to build a diverse constituency for fisheries monitoring improvements. In coordination with Ocean Conservancy staff, working to educate and inform regional stakeholder groups, the media and the public about the importance of data collection improvements and the value of Ocean Conservancy’s improvement strategy

• Maintaining cooperative and effective working relationships with colleagues in government agencies, regional fishery management councils, industry groups, scientific and academic communities, and other conservation groups

• Preparing, managing and monitoring status of project workplans and budgets

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree preferred in a relevant science or interdisciplinary specialty, fisheries, marine ecosystems, or another field closely related to marine or environmental science/management.

• In-depth experience in at least one of the following: marine ecosystem or resource management; marine wildlife or fisheries biology/management, fisheries monitoring, fisheries data collection, processing, analysis, dissemination, natural resource/environmental policy, or program management.

• In-depth knowledge of one or more of the following: marine fisheries management, fishery monitoring programs (including electronic monitoring of fisheries, recreational data collection survey methods, data processing and analysis).

• Five years or more of professional experience in fisheries data collection, analysis or program management, or other relevant field experience.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential, as are demonstrated advocacy skills, the ability to mobilize and manage a diverse partner network, and the ability to communicate complex scientific or technical concepts to policy and lay audiences (written samples may be requested).

OTHER/PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• A strategic thinker who can bring the creativity, energy, discipline and commitment needed to help grow this promising program area;

• A high-level performer who remains attentive to details and adheres strictly to deadlines and deliverables while keeping a larger vision in mind;

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with past success in deepening and leveraging stakeholder partnerships to implement strategies and affect change;

• Highly collaborative with an appreciation of the benefit of a multi-disciplinary team approach;

• Personable, passionate, productive, and focused to support accurate, timely, and powerful policy, products, and positions;

• The ability to travel to attend symposiums and conferences.

Ocean Conservancy staff use and value our resources—time, talent, and money—to achieve powerful policy gains for the protection of the ocean that sustains all life. We're dedicated to long-term issues, not

APPLY FOR THE POSITION: If you think you have what it takes to join Ocean Conservancy's team, please send a cover letter speaking to your qualifications and abilities to lead a growing exciting program with your resume and salary expectations to: and note your name and “Monitoring Specialist #1020″ in the subject line.jobs@oceanconservancy.org

21.) Policy Manager, Fish Conservation, Ocean Conservancy, Austin, TX

DEPARTMENT: Conservation Programs

REPORTS TO: Deputy Director, Gulf Restoration Program

DURATION: Full-time

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM:

Ocean Conservancy's Fish Conservation Program is a dynamic, multi-faceted initiative focused on achieving sustainable fisheries in our nation's waters with an emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico. Ocean Conservancy has played a key leadership role in transitioning our nation's fisheries towards a sustainable future. Past accomplishments include securing significant improvements to our nation's fisheries management laws in 1996 and 2007 as well as the establishment of the first science based rebuilding plan for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. We will continue this leadership role by ensuring the development and implementation of laws and policies consistent with sustainable fisheries in partnership with fishery stakeholders in the Gulf of Mexico region. The British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil disaster threatens the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem, its fisheries and a way of life for fishing communities. In addition to the longstanding threats facing regional fisheries, the Fish Conservation Program works with Ocean Conservancy's Gulf Restoration Program team to ensure that regional management policies address new threats posed by this disaster and support the full restoration of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The Policy Manager will work in concert with our team of professionals to ensure that national laws and policies are consistent with sustainable fisheries, that regional management policies and decisions continue to transition fisheries to long term sustainability, and that a full restoration of the Gulf of Mexico is achieved. OC envisions a healthy and productive Gulf of Mexico that supports resilient ocean ecosystems and coastal communities.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Policy Manager leads the development and implementation of Ocean Conservancy's sustainable fisheries initiatives in the Gulf of Mexico. This position is responsible for, in coordination with the Deputy Director of Fish Conservation, developing, communicating and advocating organizational positions and priorities that lead to sustainable fish populations and fishing communities. The Policy Manager will work with a team of Ocean Conservancy experts, state and federal government officials, the news media, non-governmental organization colleagues, the academic community, industry groups and other stakeholders in the region to achieve these goals. This position will also work with our team of proven oil spill response and restoration leaders to achieve meaningful and lasting ecologic and economic restoration in the Gulf. Finally, The Policy Manager will be responsible for the management of work plans and budgets supervise fish conservation program staff to ensure our sustainable fisheries goals are achieved.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Policy Manager will secure sustainable fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico by:

• Working with a multi-disciplinary team of Ocean Conservancy experts to develop and implement advocacy strategies that achieve desired conservation outcomes.

• Developing and ensuring strong advocacy of Ocean Conservancy positions on fish conservation, in consultation with the Deputy Director of Fish Conservation, with diverse audiences including decision-makers, stakeholders, the media and the public through research, writing, oral and written testimony, position papers, and reports.

• Working collaboratively with Ocean Conservancy's team of proven oil spill response and restoration leaders and experts to produce meaningful outcomes for the Gulf of Mexico and its communities.

• Supervising fish conservation program staff to ensure conservation objectives by preparing, managing and monitoring the execution of project workplans in line with available resources.

• Maintaining cooperative and effective working relationships with colleagues in government agencies, regional fishery management councils, industry groups, scientific and academic communities, and non-governmental organizations.

• In consultation with Ocean Conservancy staff, informing Ocean Conservancy members, activists, funders and the public through press releases, newsletter articles, workshops, brochures, action alerts, media interviews and grant reports.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Advanced degree preferred in fisheries biology, marine biology, environmental science, environmental management, public policy, law or closely related field.

• In-depth knowledge of fishery management laws, systems and policies.

• Two years or more of professional conservation, public policy, program management, or other relevant field preferred.

• Ability to effectively manage project work plans and budgets, supervise staff and lead a team of experts to secure meaningful results.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential, as are demonstrated advocacy skills, and the ability to communicate complex scientific or technical concepts to policy and lay audiences (written samples will be requested).

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in the Gulf of Mexico region preferred.

OTHER/PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• A strategic thinker who can bring the creativity, energy, discipline and commitment needed to execute our fisheries policy and advocacy work;

• A high-level performer who remains attentive to details and adheres strictly to deadlines and deliverables while keeping a larger vision in mind;

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;

• Highly collaborative with an appreciation of the benefit of a multi-disciplinary team approach;

• Personable, passionate, productive, and focused to support accurate and timely analysis, advocacy, products, and positions;

BECOMING AN OCEAN CONSERVANCY TEAM MEMBER:

Ocean Conservancy offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience. We welcome candidates with a dedication to conservation and a commitment to leveraging the power of partnerships for policy change.

Ocean Conservancy staff use and value our resources—time, talent, and money—to achieve powerful policy gains for the protection of the ocean that sustains all life. We're dedicated to long-term issues, not to trendy campaigns, and we create sustainable solutions based on science, not ideology. We see the big picture and offer realistic solutions to protect the ocean and improve our quality of life. Some things about us you should know:

• We provide concrete solutions that lead to high-impact results. These include landmark policies like: protecting sea turtles by mandating Turtle Excluder Devices, the establishment of marine protected areas in California, and the protection of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

• We stand on the shoulders of more than 35 years of policy expertise, and we have the longest track record defining priorities and translating science into sound, practical policies that protect our oceans.

• We leverage our strong networks and deep connections. We've won the trust of legislators over the years, and our access to key decision-makers in Congress allows us to serve as the voice of the ocean in the halls of power. Our grassroots network helps to amplify our voice across the country.

• We recognize that real leadership means cooperation. We know when to stand firm and when to negotiate on behalf of the ocean to achieve lasting victories.

• We're committed to creating long-term change. We continue to monitor legislation and policies long after they fall from the front-page headlines to ensure that vital aspects of ocean life are always protected.

Ocean Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities and Females and Encouraged to Apply.

APPLY FOR THE POSITION: If you think you have what it takes to join Ocean Conservancy's team, please send a cover letter speaking to your qualifications and abilities to lead a growing exciting program with your resume and salary expectations to: and note your name and “Policy Manager-FCP #1102″ in the subject line.jobs@oceanconservancy.org

22.) Monitoring and Biodiversity Officer, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Summary: The Monitoring and Biodiversity Officer is responsible for working with the Foundation's staff and Board of Directors, federal agencies and other conservation partners to support the establishment of biodiversity goals with data analysis and to develop and implement an outcome-based monitoring strategy for the Foundation's conservation programs, particularly the Keystone Initiatives. In collaboration with NFWF's existing Evaluation Officer, s/he will serve as a spokesperson and will work to advance the Foundation's activities under this program.

The Keystone Initiatives are the centerpiece of the Foundation's strategic plan and will drive the organization's conservation agenda. The goal of the Keystone Initiatives is to create a core portfolio of select, issue-specific programs that will achieve long-term impact with measurable outcomes. The Monitoring and Biodiversity Officer and other members of this team are expected to be and/or become thought-leaders in their respective fields and position the Foundation as the convener of choice in the conservation community.

The Monitoring and Biodiversity Officer will serve as a catalyst within the Foundation to create new combinations of people, processes, methodologies, and ideas that will lead to breakthrough approaches to measuring the effectiveness of the Foundation's conservation programs by working with partners to create a strong culture of conservation impact assessment “on the ground.” The Monitoring and Biodiversity Officer will work closely with Keystone evaluation, initiative, and program staff to create prototypes and pilots for grant partnership programs/projects that deliver measurable outcomes in accordance with the Foundation's vision and strategic plan.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

* Through engagement with staff and key partners, develop and build biodiversity data and analysis, outcomes definition, and monitoring as a core component of NFWF grantmaking in order to assess the progress of NFWF's conservation investments in achieving desired results.

* Continue development, implementation, and refinement of NFWF's evaluation and monitoring strategy for use across multiple scales of grantmaking (initiative, program, project).

* Lead discussions among NFWF staff, grantees, and/or partners to develop common metrics and monitoring plans, sampling and experimental designs, for effectively gauging progress and assessing achievement of outcomes at both project and program/initiative scales.

* In collaboration with NFWF program and IT staff, develop internal data collection and reporting systems for more efficiently compiling, aggregating, and disseminating project, program, and initiative outcomes to both internal (staff, Board) and external (funding partners, grantees, etc.) audiences.

* Build foundation staff and grantee capacity for using monitoring as a tool for learning and adaptive management.

* Communicate and coordinate with Foundation staff and Board on the assessment of our conservation impact to ensure strong understanding.

* Work with the Science & Evaluation team to develop the Foundation's new conservation strategy framework and goals as well as develop and/or align existing biodiversity data and monitoring methodology to ensure that relevant data are compiled for measuring progress on strategy implementation.

* Foster NFWF as a thought leader in the field on conservation monitoring and biodiversity analysis.

* Disseminate results and lessons learned from NFWF initiatives to internal and external audiences through various media, such as NFWF's website, conference presentations and publications, as appropriate.

* As time permits, respond to requests for assistance from key federal, corporate, or foundation partners and share NFWF monitoring experience and lessons learned.

* Contribute to team effort such as by assisting in the review of grant project proposals for keystone initiatives, offering information and opinion, and accomplishing special projects as needed.

* In collaboration with appropriate Foundation staff, evaluate responses to RFPs for proposed methodology, staff expertise, analytical approach, and reporting procedures and make approval recommendations.

* Conduct analyses of quantitative and qualitative data from past grantmaking and/or spatial data using Geographic Information Systems, prepare descriptive reports, and help incorporate findings into future organizational and program improvements.

* Assist in the preparation of reports, briefing materials, and recommendations to support decision making by the Foundation's Board.

* Represent the Foundation at appropriate meetings, conferences, etc.

* Conduct site visits in accordance with Foundation policy.

SECONDARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

* Support the development of public and private partnerships to secure operational and programmatic funding for this Program in coordination with the Executive Director, Chief Science Officer, Development and Government Relations Staff, and Partnership Offices.

* Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice-President.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

(EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS)

* PhD or Master's degree with equivalent experience. Five years professional experience in monitoring, biodiversity analysis, conservation outcome definition, and reporting program or project effectiveness is required. It is desirable that this experience be in a natural resource-oriented organization. Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary evaluative techniques, quantitative/statistical analysis, and adaptive management.

* Ability to organize and prioritize work and meet deadlines.

* Strong speaking and writing skills.

* Strong interpersonal skills.

* Computer proficiency.

* Willingness to travel.

Compensation: Commensurate with experience.

To apply, please send an e-mail, with attachments in Word format, containing your cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, resume, 1-2 page writing samples, three professional references and your salary requirements to Marla Carter, Human Resources Manager, at HR2@nfwf.org. NFWF is an equal opportunity employer.

About NFWF – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to funding sustainable conservation initiatives. Chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1984, NFWF leverages federal grants and private support to achieve maximum conservation impact. Recently, the Foundation-through its Keystone Initiatives- strategically repositioned itself to more effectively capture conservation gains by directing a substantial portion of its investments towards programs that had the greatest chance of successfully securing the long-term future of imperiled species. By leveraging innovative program design from scientific experts, the Foundation is able to structure conservation programs that consistently achieve measurable and meaningful outcomes. Visit www.nfwf.org.

23.) Director, South Coast Office, Coastal Conservation League, Beaufort, South Carolina

http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=21427

(Send you job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.)

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

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Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

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www.nedsjotw.com

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

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Your Very Next Step newsletter for January 2011

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page.”

- Henry Ward Beecher

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

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*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

*** January is festival time:

*** Rail Trail of the Month – New Jersey's Sussex Branch Trail

*** Trail and Outdoors Volunteer opportunities:

*** Travel, Outdoor and Adventure Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities

1.) Store Keeper at Brooks Lodge, Katmai National Park, AK

2.) Communications Director, Save Our Wild Salmon, Seattle, Portland or Washington DC

3.) Director of Communications, Outdoor Industry, Boulder, Colorado

4.) Museum Interpreter A – Bassett Hall, Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia

5.) Product Manager – Accessories, Simms Fishing Products, Bozeman, MT

6.) Executive Director, International Rivers, Berkeley, CA

7.) Executive Director, Yellowstone Association, Gardiner, Montana

8.) Senior Manager, Public Relations, Mountain Hardwear, Richmond, CA

9.) Public Relations Manager, Brooks Sports, Inc, Bothell, WA

10.) Field Staff, Year-round wilderness program, RedCliff Ascent, Enterprise, UT

11.) Executive Director, Hartley Nature Center, Duluth, Minnesota

12.) Lifeguard / Cabin Counselor, Gwynn Valley Camp, Brevard, North Carolina

13.) Director of Communications, Employer: National Business Travel Association, Alexandria, Virginia

14.) Captain, Glacier Park Boat Company, Kalispell, MT

15.) Full-Time Freelance Travel Writer and Editor, American Park Network, New York City

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for January:

*** 11 Ways to Save on Airfare in Any Season

Saving money on airline tickets isn't just a seasonal concern. Here are tips on lowering the cost from an airborne expert.

By George Hobica

Airfarewatchdog.com

http://www.frommers.com/articles/7090.html#ixzz17twglgZw

Frequent travelers share tips for keeping valuables safe

By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2010-12-07-businesstravel07_ST_N.htm

How to protect your home while traveling

By Sarah Pascarella, SmarterTravel.com

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/deals/inside/2010-11-25-Home-Protection-While-Traveling_N.htm

United Airlines Employing Technology to Cut Down on Lines

Link to article in the Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1222-linebuster-20101222,0,632321.story

For Some Travelers Stranded in Airports, Relief is in 140 Characters

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/us/30airlines.html

How Airlines Managed Through the Blizzard

Link to article on TheStreet:

http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10957402/1/how-airlines-managed-through-the-blizzard.html

IRS Raises 2011 Mileage Reimbursement Rate

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service set the 2011 standard rate for deducting business use of a car at 51 cents per mile, up from the current rate of 50 cents.

Marriott's sustainable seafood push leads to exotic Amazonian fish

Ever heard of the prehistoric paiche?

http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2011/01/marriott-sustainable-seafood-peruvian-rainforest-fish/137143/1

Naked woman creates ruckus on Delta flight to New York

By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2010/11/naked-woman-creates-ruckus-on-delta-flight-to-new-york/132862/1

From TCN:

Shift of Earth's Magnetic North Pole Impacts Tampa Airport

Scientists say the magnetic north pole is moving toward Russia and the fallout has reached — of all places — Tampa International Airport.

Link to article in The Tampa Tribune:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/jan/05/051900/shift-of-earths-magnetic-north-pole-impacts-tampa-/news-breaking/

Link to notice from Tampa International Airport:

http://www.tampaairport.com/about/media/press_releases/2011/20110104-runway-designation-change.pdf

TSA embraces new medical notification cards

Travelers with health concerns can now discreetly alert airport screeners

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40647207/ns/travel-news/

*** 2011 January Festivals:

*** 2011 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in Competition

January 20-20

Park City, Utah

This year’s 16 films were selected from 1,102 submissions. Each is a world premiere.

http://www.sundance.org/festival/article/2011-competition-film-announcement/

*** The 29th annual Plymouth Ice Festival:

The 29th annual Plymouth Ice Festival storms into Plymouth, Michigan January 21-23, 2011. Formerly known as the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular, the official 2011 Plymouth Ice Festival will bring a new name, a new look and several new outdoor exhibits into the heart of downtown Plymouth.

Created specifically for the love of winter, the revamped Plymouth Ice Festival will feature over 100 ice sculptures, live music and entertainment, interactive family shows, winter-themed tasty treats and a variety of additional events to interest all ages. Several new event highlights include the Dueling Chainsaws Speed Carving Show, Forest Avenue Scavenger Hunt, Penniman Ave., Petting Farm & Pony Rides. Many of the Downtown Plymouth merchants will also be holding individualized in-store events offering discounts and giveaways. An estimated 100,000 people are slated to attend the three-day event.

The Plymouth Ice Festival has ranked among the top ice festivals in the United States by promoting ice sculpture as an art form through competitions, demonstrations and seminars with standardized judging and exhibitions.

http://www.plymouthicefestival.org/

*** Homestead Championship Rodeo

January 28-30, 2011

A variety of riding, roping, and racing events.

http://gomiami.about.com/od/culturaleventsinmiami/qt/Homestead-Championship-Rodeo.htm

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

Volunteer Vacations 2011, Washington Trails Association, Washington State

Volunteer Vacations

Give us a week. We'll make it great.

Looking for a rewarding, challenging and fun vacation? Volunteer Vacations are week-long work parties that connect you with a much-needed trail maintenance project located in a premiere backcountry location of Washington State.

What's the Catch?

For a small fee we will provide you with a week of fine cooking, fun folks and a meaningful project – led by one of our skilled crew leaders. And, we'll also do a little trail work during the day. Projects range from repairing tread and improving drainage, to building structures such as turnpike or puncheon, or logging-out with crosscut saw. You'll share in-camp chores with fellow volunteers, like helping the cook, washing dishes and pumping water. But there will be plenty of time left over to sleep, eat and relax – and enjoy your surroundings.

Before Signing up

Please read more about the format of our trips, including the menu and procedures for submitting application and payment, in our Volunteer Vacation FAQs. Note that due to the popularity of our trips, you need to submit

payment and application within 2 weeks or joining a trip. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to a waitlist, please call us at 206/625-1367

trail_teams@wta.org.

http://www.wta.org/volunteer/vacations

Give someone — or yourself — the gift of exploring awesome outdoor spaces in 2011 with an America the Beautiful — National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.

http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, Basalt, CO

Town to Town Tour Adopt-A-Mile

Third annual cross-country ski/showshoe event

Aspen to Basalt on the Rio Grande Trail

Saturday, January 22, 2011

After a one-year break, the 3rd annual Town to Town Tour is back this winter, scheduled for Saturday, January 22, 2011, this time finishing up in charming “Old Town” Basalt. The Tour is a non-competitive cross-country ski and snowshoe event created to bring our community out on one of the Roaring Fork Valley’s great public trails, the Rio Grande, while raising awareness of RFOV and its mission. In 2008 and 2009, more than 360 people, ages 1-80, skied or snowshoed the 18 miles from Aspen to Basalt in this popular community event.

The Tour took a hiatus in 2010 after the downturn in the economy made it difficult to secure enough financial sponsors to guarantee a quality event for the winter. Now, with a ramped-up committee of seasoned volunteers and newcomers, RFOV is planning for another successful event in 2011. A big part of that success will depend on strong fundraising and sponsorships.

“Our goal is to raise $45,000 in sponsorships, to cover all of RFOV’s hard costs (tents, food & beverages, and permits), staff time, and to raise a modest amount for RFOV’s summer trails and conservation programs,” says Development Coordinator Karin Teague. “While this is a big undertaking for us, we see the Tour as a totally unique and much-loved winter event that brings the greater Roaring Fork Valley community together, while giving us an opportunity to educate the public about who we are and the important work RFOV does.”

One of the new sponsorship opportunities RFOV has created is the Adopt-A-Mile program. For $500, businesses or organizations can “adopt” one mile of the Rio Grande Trail, where they can promote their business by engaging skiers and snowshoers with drinks, music, swag, contests—whatever they can dream up—as they pass on the trail.

“Adding the Adopt-A-Mile will bring a fun element to the route, and give sponsors an opportunity to gain more exposure,” says Kathleen Wanatowicz, Tour publicity coordinator. “We developed this program based on feedback from Tour participants—it can be a long event for new participants—so interactive stops along the way will help them along, as well as give sponsors a chance to directly engage with the participants.”

RFOV expects close to 400 participants again this winter. The Tour will begin at Rio Grande Park in Aspen, with an optional mid-course start and refreshment station at Woody Creek. New this year, the finish will be in downtown Basalt, with fantastic food and drink provided by local restaurants. The improvements to the Town to Town Tour will make this great community event even more popular, so mark your winter calendar for January 22, 2011! To become a sponsor, to volunteer, or for more information, call 927-8241 or email rfov@sopris.net.

Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers

PO Box 1341, Basalt, CO

http://www.rfov.org/2011_town_to_town_tour

Volunteer opportunities, The County of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, CA

http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/parks/parkschp?path=%2Fv7%2FParks%20and%20Recreation%2C%20Department%20of%20%28DEP%29%2Fmain_menu%2FVolunteer%20Here

Volunteer Stewardship Workdays, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Join us for fun activities year-round!

Workday dates, activities, and locations are listed below. Workdays are scheduled and posted quarterly. Please check this site to make sure you have the most up-to-date information since meeting locations may need to change.

See what volunteer workdays look like on our Picasa web page.

Volunteer workdays are sponsored by the State Park Stewardship Unit to help protect and restore natural areas in our state park system. We focus on natural areas that are known or potential sites for species of greatest conservation need.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10366_10871-162412–,00.html

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: January 2011

New Jersey's Sussex Branch Trail

On an icy January morning, the air is so still you can hear the beat of a hawk's wings in the bare blue sky overhead. Tree trunks creak and groan like an old rocking chair, and winter has put a frozen glaze on the landscape. But you won't mind if you've bundled up for a romp on New Jersey's 20-mile Sussex Branch Trail, where the solitude will have you feeling as crisp as the season.

In fact, winter might be the best season to explore this rail-trail. Its surface is slightly rough and uneven in places, with an off-and-on mixture of gravel, ballast, cinder, dirt and grass. But throw some powder on the ground, and the Sussex Branch Trail becomes a pristine highway of outdoor activity.

New York City is barely 60 miles to the east, yet the change of pace and scenery as you approach northern New Jersey can be startling. One moment you're racing with traffic on Interstate 80. The next minute you're curling through woodlands and farmsteads, winding from Branchville to Byram Township with stops in Lafayette, Newton and Andover. You've traded honking horns for horse corrals and gentle hillsides. So strap on your cross-country skis or hiking boots, or climb up into that saddle, because the Sussex Branch Trail shines when the season shivers.

In terms of elevation gain, you'll notice little advantage starting at either end of the trail, which opened in 1998. You can pick up the path at multiple trailheads and road crossings, or even extend your journey on the 27-mile Paulinskill Valley Trail. But if you're looking for a fitting starting point, head to Branchville, once the western terminus of the Sussex Branch Railroad Company line.

Iron mining first brought the railroad as far north as Andover. Later, a series of creameries drew the tracks farther north into cow country to service the dairy demand. Before the rail line reached Branchville in 1869, those local creameries were limited to producing butter and cheese. After the trains arrived, and with improved refrigeration, area farmers were able to transport their milk to distant markets. The dairy industry quickly took off. By the early 1900s, the Branchville Creamery alone was bottling 9,000 quarts of milk each day, and Sussex County bragged about having more cows than people.

New Jersey's dairy heyday dried out by the 1960s due to increased costs and stricter health regulations. A fire at the Branchville Creamery effectively ended its business in 1962, and other nearby creameries soon closed down as well. Without its customers, the railroad discontinued service in 1966.

Most of the original creameries have disappeared, but some have been renovated for other uses, including one just off the trail a few miles east of Branchville. South of Ross Corner on U.S. Route 206, you'll pass a large building housing several small offices. It was once Becker's Creamery, which operated during the Civil War.

After you cross Route 206, you'll settle into the crunching cadence of your footsteps. Weekdays on the Sussex Branch Trail are particularly peaceful, and you aren't likely to pass more than a few locals walking their dogs. Mostly you'll see signs of the animals that have hit the trail since the last snowfall—deer tracks, tiny paw prints and birds' claw marks—and the long ruts of cross-country skiers. (Black bears are around, but not commonly seen.)

A narrow tree strip hugs the corridor, and the trunk shadows zebra-stripe the snow. And as you approach Lafayette the woodlands grow deeper. A gushing stream ushers you into town, where you'll find several enticing cafés and antiques stores. As you leave the town behind, the pathway doglegs south, backyards peel away, and Highway 15 vanishes from sight and sound.

A series of lakes, often frozen over during the peak of winter, soon opens up to the west. Someone has fashioned an aging, makeshift bench here on the trail; if it's still standing, the spot very much warrants a pause to soak up the scene and listen to the distant honking of Canada geese across the ice.

Shortly down the trail, you'll reach the one break in the corridor: a 1.1-mile detour along the shoulder of Old Branchville/Newton Branchville Junction Road. It's a bit narrow at points, so you'll have to be mindful of traffic. Follow the road as it angles up a hill to the west and becomes Hicks Avenue in Newton. The rail-trail picks up again on your left and leads you to Sparta Avenue. At that intersection, you'll easily spot the kiosk and trailhead across the street on Strickles Pond Road.

From there, the peacefulness of the rail-trail climaxes. Crows caw and flutter in the naked treetops, and their shadows dash back and forth across the trail. You'll pass through rock cuts and steep slopes and notice how elevated the railroad berm has grown. The corridor feels most wild and sequestered along this segment heading through Kittatinny Valley State Park. Then, as if to wake you from a winter dream, the trail comes within range of Route 206 once again as you head into Andover. Lake Aeroflex and the Aeroflex-Andover Airport are off to the east, and you'll feel the vibrations of business life more closely again.

South of Andover, you continue on to the trail's terminus at Waterloo Road in Byram Township (there is a fairly rough and rocky section near Cranberry Lake). When you reach the end in Allamuchy Mountain State Park, you can shake the snow from your boots and shed a few layers. But however you choose to unwind and recharge from your trip, rarely will a thaw feel more satisfying than after a snowy stint on the Sussex Branch Trail.

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Store Keeper at Brooks Lodge, Katmai National Park, AK

Job Location:

Katmai National Park on the Alaskan Peninsula – Katmai National Park, AK, United States

Job Description:

The primary activity at Brooks Lodge is bear viewing and sportfishing. Brooks accomodates 64 guests at a time and requires excellent customer service in every position to ensure that our guests expectations are not only met, but exceeded.

The Approximate Season Dates for Brooks Lodge: May 20 – September 18, 2010

Store Keeper: responsible for:

•Retail store operation at the lodge. Oversee the rental program. Good customer skills a must. Reconciliation of guest charges.

•Familiar with retail operations and sales. Ten key, extensive cash handling, credit cars, and cash register.

•Inventory control, pricing using guidelines set by the Park Service, stocking, display, and daily reports.

•Must possess a well rounded knowledge of fishing, hiking and general outdoor activities.

Ability to lift 50 lbs.

Job Requirements:

Katmailand's goal is to have an efficient operation with a friendly and attentive staff. We consider each employee an important representative. We are looking to employ people who are friendly, cheerful with visitors as well as with fellow employees, can work as a team, are self-starters and hard workers. Each employee is highly visible to our guests and therefore we insist that each employee present a neat and clean appearance. Our standards are high and we expect employees to meet those standards.

How To Apply:

Because of the difficulty with interviewing, checking references, documentation, labor laws and travel costs we do not hire foreign workers. Please do NOT apply if you are not a U.S. Citizen or a U.S. National.

1.View and print out the Katmailand Seasonal Employment Application

2.Complete your application

3.Mail to: Katmailand, Inc., 4125 Aircraft Drive, Anchorage, AK 99502.

~ or ~

Email to: jobs@katmailand.com

~ or ~

Fax to: (907)243-0649.

Contact Information:

Contact: Human Resources

4125 Aircraft Drive

Anchorage, AK, United States 99502

Phone: (907) 243-5448

Fax: (907) 243-0649

Email: jobs@katmailand.com

Website: www.katmailand.com

http://www.resortjobs.com/do/details/937

2.) Communications Director, Save Our Wild Salmon, Seattle, Portland or Washington DC

Save Our Wild Salmon is a nationwide coalition of conservation organizations, sport and commercial fishing associations, businesses, and taxpayer and clean energy advocates working to restore abundant, sustainable wild salmon to the rivers and streams of the Pacific salmon states. Our priority is a national campaign to restore endangered salmon and steelhead in the Columbia/Snake River Basin by removing four dams on the Lower Snake River in Washington State.

The Coalition has offices in Seattle WA; Portland OR; Boise ID; and Spokane WA.

SUMMARY: Full-time staff position responsible for developing and implementing the Coalition's communications strategy, including: coordinating communications and media activities, traditional and new, of SOS and campaign partner groups; organizing and making reporter, writer and editorial board contacts; overseeing and expanding on-line and social media; directing message creation, training and discipline; overseeing earned media; organizing editorial board visits, media outreach and press events; and producing materials. The communications director works with SOS staff, board and consultants to ensure that messages, materials and media further SOS and campaign strategies and policies. This position is a busy and challenging job.

REQUIREMENTS: Bachelors degree in a related discipline and minimum of five years experience in media or communications for conservation, political, or other advocacy organization. Position requires excellent written and oral communication skills, experience with reporters and writers, project management experience, demonstrable experience in web communications and social media, quick learning and writing, and attention to detail. Strong collaboration skills, excellent time management and flexibility to manage competing priorities are essential. Some background in Congressional and government relations is helpful. Experience may substitute for education.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, implement and manage communications strategies in traditional and new media. Assure coordination of national and regional media activities.

• Serve as contact with reporters and writers, particularly national reporters. Cultivate and maintain reporter relationships. Track reporter/writer contact by other SOS staff and campaign leaders.

• Assure creation and implementation of national and northwest editorial board plans and activities; cultivate and maintain editorial writer contact.

• Coordinate and build SOS and campaign presence in social media.

• Develop content for and expand communications uses of SOS and campaign web sites.

• Prepare and oversee preparation of talking points, press releases, backgrounders, op-eds, media packets, and other media materials.

• Work with SOS partner organizations, their leaders and communications staff to maximize media penetration.

• Direct and evaluate effectiveness of campaign messaging in conjunction with staff and campaign leaders. Ensure message consistency and discipline in media and materials.

• Support media spokespeople. Assure identification of effective messengers, work with outreach staff to recruit messengers, and assure necessary support.

• Identify proactive and reactive media opportunities: work with outreach staff to coordinate fast, strategic response to news stories, editorials and web postings, including critical ones. Assure rapid factual response to media supporting and opposing our campaign.

• Monitor coverage of our campaign and related issues, and distribute relevant coverage to our campaign leaders and other SOS staff.

• Develop and implement national media events and tours to further campaign goals.

• Manage most communications contracts and consultants, including setting priorities, managing workload, and assuring accountability.

• Manage SOS communications budgets.

Salary range is $40-50,000, depending on experience and location. Portland and Seattle are preferred locations due to presence of other SOS staff; Washington D.C. will be considered for the right applicant. We offer full medical, dental and vision benefits and generous vacation leave. Save Our Wild Salmon is an equal opportunity employer. Resume and cover letter to Kristie Miller, kristie@wildsalmon.org. Applications will be considered as received; the position is open until filled, and early application is encouraged. No calls please. Websites: www.wildsalmon.org; www.workingsnakeriver.org.

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/3777736

3.) Director of Communications, Outdoor Industry, Boulder, Colorado

A recognized leader and primary spokesperson for the Outdoor Industry is seeking a Director of Communications to oversee all corporate communication, marketing, and branding efforts. This executive level position will lead the communications team in developing collateral which reflects the needs of membership and supports the strategic direction. This includes the marketing coordination and logistics of all publications, promotions, website platforms and trade events. He or she will also be responsible for coordinating support for department members to ensure all functional areas have the resources needed to complete their goals. Additional responsibilities include overseeing the marketing budget, developing timelines, and estimating projections for future growth.

Requirements:

- 8+ years experience directing a successful communications and public relations department

- 8+ years experience in marketing, planning and management

- 8+ years strong supervisory experience, with ability to coach, mentor, and train

- Excellent presentation, communication, writing and negotiation skills

- Strong interpersonal and management skills

- Experience in the outdoor industry considered a plus

- BS/BA degree; Masters degree or equivalent preferred

Email resume to resumes@generatorgroup.net.

Enter job requisition code BHJOB3190_1801 in the subject line.

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/3828439

4.) Museum Interpreter A – Bassett Hall, Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia

Interprets 18th- through 20th-century history and the restoration of Williamsburg at Bassett Hall

Interprets effectively using primary and secondary source information, objects, historic sites, environment and communication

Provides exceptional guest service

Qualifications Basic knowledge of 18th- through 20th-century Williamsburg including the restoration of Williamsburg

Friendly and open disposition with demonstrated ability to initiate conversation with guest and anticipate their needs, questions and problems

Ability to (1) present and maintain a warm and enthusiastic demeanor iwth guest and co-workers, (2) deal with public one-on-one and in large group situations, (3) treat guests and co-workers with tact and diplomacy, (4) balance the needs of the guest and the needs of the organization, (5) read and assimilate information, (6) adapt to a changing work environment, (7) work a flexible schedule, including weekends and holidays, and (8) perform various functions such as standing, lifting, walking and climbing in varying light conditions

Highly desired: Current or previous interpretive experience at Colonial Williamsburg. Interpreter Bs are encouraged to apply.

http://www.cwemployment.org/cwf/jobboard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*A2F171C7335CEEDD

5.) Product Manager – Accessories, Simms Fishing Products, Bozeman, MT

This role will work as part of the Product Development Team and will be responsible for the development, commercialization and product/fiscal management of assigned Simms accessory categories.

Categories assigned will include: Belts; Gloves; Fly boxes; Lodge Line; Wading staffs and neoprene accessories.

The Accessory Product Manager will also identify opportunities and develop Simms business plans for new accessory product categories: Eyewear, Accessory Tools and others as necessary. The Accessory Product Manager will work under the direction of the Global Director, Product Development and work across the Simms organization to maximize sales, delivery and margin.

Successful candidates will have:

A Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent and a minimum of two years experience in the development and commercialization of accessory products.

Simms Fishing Products

101 Evergreen Drive

Bozeman, MT

59715

To apply for this position, please email your resume to cdecker@simmsfishing.com.

http://www.simmsfishing.com/site/employment.html

6.) Executive Director, International Rivers, Berkeley, CA

International Rivers seeks a passionate, proven and creative Executive Director to lead the world's pre-eminent river basin advocacy organization.

Celebrating its 25th year, International Rivers is the leading international advocacy organization working to defend healthy rivers and the rights and livelihoods of the communities that depend on them. We oppose destructive large dams and the development model they advance, and encourage better ways of meeting people's needs for water, energy and protection from damaging floods.

With an international team of 26 staff in the US, Africa, Asia and South America, International Rivers' new Executive Director will be responsible for developing the vision, strategy, tactics and capacity of International Rivers; raising the funds necessary to carry out our mission; developing and maintaining relationships with the organization's many international partner organizations; building effective teams across our culturally and geographically diverse staff; and launching new initiatives that further our mission.

The position is located in Berkeley, CA.

Salary will be commensurate with experience; excellent benefits. International Rivers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applications are due by January 15, 2011. A letter of interest, date of availability, salary requirements, resume and a writing sample should be sent via email to: edsearch@internationalrivers.org.

The full job description can be downloaded at http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/job-posting/executive-director.

7.) Executive Director, Yellowstone Association, Gardiner, Montana

The Yellowstone Association, a non-profit membership-based education organization that promotes the preservation and support of Yellowstone National Park, seeks a dynamic Executive Director. The Yellowstone Association (YA) funds and provides educational products and services for Yellowstone National Park and is the National Park Service's primary partner in providing educational programs, exhibits, and publications for park visitors and has furnished over $24 million in support for Yellowstone since its inception in 1933. The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer of the Yellowstone Association and provides overall leadership and operation of the organization while executing on the Board’s vision and mission for the organization. This is a full-time, exempt position located in Gardiner, Montana.

Specifically, the Executive Director’s responsibilities include:

Leadership, Planning, and Supervision

Providing informed and visionary leadership for the organization, including the creation and execution of a long-range strategic plan to fulfill YA’s educational mission

Representing the organization in the Greater Yellowstone community, including developing and strengthening productive relationships with members, donors, the National Park Service, and others critical to the organization’s success

Preparing and overseeing a goal-oriented annual budget with a focus on financial capacity and long-term security

Prudent management of YA resources within its approved budget according to current laws and regulations

Overseeing operation, design, marketing, delivery, and quality of all YA programs, products, and services, including retail stores throughout the park

Supervising the hiring and firing of staff and selecting, training, and developing employees, including establishing appropriate compensation and benefit levels and ensuring that all staff are meeting objectives in an efficient and team-oriented approach

Setting and maintaining a high-level of professionalism and accountability throughout YA

Board Relations

Maintaining productive working relationship with Board that includes regular reporting on progress toward organizational goals and objectives

Working closely with Board Chair to identify key issues for YA and setting appropriate agenda for board meetings

Ensuring the implementation of all board policies

Fundraising

Overseeing all fundraising activities, including ensuring growth in member support

Leading stewardship efforts with major donors and Yellowstone Society members to ensure continued support of YA

Oversee all other fundraising projects as the Board dictates

Qualifications, Skills, and Characteristics:

Proven track record of excellent organizational and people management

Solid financial management skills and familiarity with accounting procedures

High-level partnership and relationship building skills, including the ability to strengthen and grow relationships with leadership and staff, volunteers, and other key stakeholders

Track record of success with fundraising or relevant experience in strategic relationship building strongly preferred

Previous experience working with a Board of Directors

Collaborative team-builder and motivator

Genuine passion for YA mission

Strong results- and goal-orientation

Ability to deliver under firm deadlines

Creative, innovative approach, including the ability to present new strategies and concepts

Highly strategic, able to anticipate future consequences and trends, and position organization favorably

The ability to solicit input and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders and to make informed decisions and judgments

Calm, confident demeanor and the ability to maintain grace under pressure and manage challenging situations toward a positive outcome

Exceptional oral and written communication skills

Dedication to maintaining high standards for quality and professionalism in all work

The ability to adapt to changing priorities and circumstances with flexibility

BA required, advanced degree preferred

Compensation:

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and includes an excellent package of employee and health benefits.

To Apply:

Yellowstone Association has engaged Koya Consulting to help with this hire. Please email a cover letter and resume to Molly Brennan at executivesearch@koyaconsulting.com.

Yellowstone Association is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBT applicants.

About Yellowstone Association: The non-profit Yellowstone Association educates Yellowstone National Park visitors by offering trip planners, books, videos, and guided classes through Yellowstone Park by it’s field institute. The Yellowstone Association is located in Yellowstone National Park and promotes preservation of Yellowstone National Park through its educational Park Store bookstores, publication of books, and funding provided to Yellowstone through membership and sales of educational materials to park visitors. Since 1933, the Yellowstone Association has been the National Park Service’s official partner in education in Yellowstone National Park. For more information, please visit: http://www.yellowstoneassociation.org.

About Koya:

Koya Consulting is a national retained search and consulting firm that works exclusively with non-profits and social enterprises. We deliver measurable results, finding exceptionally talented people who truly fit the unique culture of our client organizations. For more information, please visit: www.koyaconsulting.com.

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=316000020

*** From Mark Sofman

8.) Senior Manager, Public Relations, Mountain Hardwear, Richmond, CA

http://bit.ly/eYWABU

9.) Public Relations Manager, Brooks Sports, Inc, Bothell, WA

http://bit.ly/h4oB8I

10.) Field Staff, Year-round wilderness program, RedCliff Ascent, Enterprise, UT

RedCliff is an extraordinary program with research based outcome studies to back it up. The effectiveness of the program and the significant changes made by students and families, as born out through the research, has a direct correlation to the quality of staff employed at RedCliff. Therefore, we search out the best.

If you prefer a hike in the backcountry to a walk in the park, or waking to the wind in the trees over the sound of an alarm, then this career might be for you.

If you have any questions concerning employment with redcliff ascent or would like to talk to someone live feel free to contact Tana in our Human Resources department by phone at: (435) 592-4422 or by email at jobs@redcliffascent.com

Contact Us

Interested in becoming a member of our staff? Contact our recruiter at:

Apply online for our Field Staff Position.

RedCliff Ascent Recruiting

Attn: Tana

709 E. Main Street

PO Box 1027

Enterprise, UT 84725

Phone: (435) 592-4422

Phone: 1-888-588-HIKE

Fax: (435) 878-2860

Email: jobs@redcliffascent.com

The above address is for recruiting inquiries only. Please direct any other inquiries to our corporate office.

Apply to Redcliff Ascent

You may also fill out our online application if you decide you are interested in becoming a member of our team.

Welcome to the RedCliff Ascent employment site. For over a decade, the staff at RedCliff has helped thousands of teenagers and their families find a new beginning.

http://www.wildernesswork.com/apply_online.php

11.) Executive Director, Hartley Nature Center, Duluth, Minnesota

http://www.hartleynature.org/downloads/ED-JobAd-Final12-11.pdf

12.) Lifeguard / Cabin Counselor, Gwynn Valley Camp, Brevard, North Carolina

Founded in 1935 – Gwynn Valley is a summer camp for boys and girls with a farm, wilderness, and traditional program that nurtures the child while fostering a connection with the land and the simple joys of childhood. We introduce a variety of programs to children in a noncompetitive and accepting environment. The camp property is located near Brevard NC, in the Appalachian Mountains. The property sits on 320 acres of mostly wooded land held in a conservation easement with a small lake, large creek and access to the French Broad River. With a working farm and 1890's grist mill the children are involved in maintaining, harvesting, and preparing vegetables and field crops grown on our camp farm. www.gwynnvalley.com

Lifeguard:

You will assist the Waterfront and Assistant Waterfront Director with teaching a creative program, as well as create a safe environment for our campers. Direct responsibility for planning program is the Program Leaders responsibility, however as a Lifeguard you will be expected to offer suggestions and assist teaching children in a specific area. You will also Lifeguard at our pool, lake, creek, and on the French Broad River while leading activities as varied as Creek Hikes, Zip Line, Kayaking, Rafting etc.

Cabin Counselor:

Live in a cabin with a co-counselor and 8-10 campers in Main Camp. Responsible for the physical, psychological and emotional safety of the children. Some tasks in the cabin include waking children up and putting them to bed at night, personal hygiene for campers, consistent discipline, homesickness issues, and communication with your co-counselor. Teach for 2 hours daily in one of the ten program areas. Each summer we have openings for male, female, & married couples for a 9 week program. (+ 1 week of staff training)

Job Requirements

Gwynn Valley’s staff is what makes each summer a success. We hire creative, fun, inspiring individuals who demonstrate a desire to work with younger children and who have strong character, leadership skills, and experience to teach in our program areas. Our staff is made up of people from all over the world and these diverse cultures are an important part of Gwynn Valley. Countries such as Scotland, England, Ireland, France, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and New Zealand have been represented at camp. In addition, we have staff from many US States.

Qualifications:

Minimum of 19 years old.

Current Lifeguard Training. Waterfront Certified preferred.

Current First aid and CPR for The Professional Rescuer.

Strong desire to work with children.

Be a positive and supportive member of a community.

Ability to put others needs ahead or your own.

Salary: Lifeguard / Cabin Counselor $240+ per week (d.o.e.) room, board, laundry.

Dates: June 2 – August 14, 2011

Apply online: http://www.gwynnvalley.com/employment/

http://careers.naspa.com/c/job.cfm?vnet=0&t735=&t730=&max=25&site%5Fid=190&jb=4889590

13.) Director of Communications, Employer: National Business Travel Association, Alexandria, Virginia

The National Business Travel Association seeks an individual to lead the development and execution of the Association's member and external communication strategies. This position serves as the primary liaison with NBTA's strategic PR firm and is in charge of leading efforts to draft and promote all communication from NBTA. Coordination with government affairs, the Executive Director and President to draft, refine, and finalize positions on industry issues. Serve as primary contact for media outlets and maintain positive relationships with industry media professionals. Develop proactive outreach strategies in coordination with PR firm that support the positioning of the Association to represent the global business travel community.

Responsibilities include: Preparing position statements, speeches and presentations; writing, editing and formatting electronic newsletters, member communications, press releases; media relations, media tracking, social media strategy and management, web writing and editing; planning and managing media relations for association events, including our major convention in August; drafting letters on behalf of NBTA leaders for placement in industry, business, and consumer publications; maintaining a high level of industry knowledge and familiarity with current trends in corporate travel.

Position reports to SVP of Operations

Job Requirements

Qualifications: 7-10 years experience in Communications/PR environment; bachelor's degree in related field. Masters degree preferred. Experience with basic and advanced public relations techniques. Experience with all of the following: speech writing, press release writing, web writing, creating marketing copy, and copy editing. Knowledge of travel industry/transportation issues preferred. Experience in legislative affairs a plus. Bilingual a plus. Prefer candidates who are familiar with and active in industry organizations and associations. APR certified is a plus.

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is a solid growing association located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. NBTA offers an excellent benefit package, and competitive compensation in a pleasant modern office setting.

Qualified candidates should send a cover letter and resume with salary requirements to info@nbta.org or fax to 703-684-0263. No phone calls, please. http://www.jobtarget.com/link.cfm?c=LY2bRoWwvUAy

14.) Captain, Glacier Park Boat Company, Kalispell, MT

Employment Alert: Now accepting applications for summer 2011!

A bank teller turned boat builder started a family legacy in Glacier National Park. What started in 1938 as a two-boat operation, Glacier Park Boat Company has grown to include five locations throughout the Park. Seasonal boat captains staff historic wooden boats that carry from forty-five to eighty passengers from the first part of June until the end of September. Captains are trained to drive the boats and give professional commentary informing visitors of the historic, cultural and geographic aspects of America's Little Switzerland. Applicants need no prior captain experience, must be 18 years of age, possess current CPR and first aid certificates, and pass physical exam and drug test. A desire to learn how to operate these historic boats and people skills are a must! Pay starts at $9/hour, with increases for experience. Housing is family-style and is included in the compensation package; employees provide their own food. To begin the application process, email your resume to Denise VanArtsdale (denise@glacierparkboats.com).

Glacier Park Boat Co.

P.O. Box 5262

Kalispell, MT 59903

(406) 257-2426

E-mail: info@glacierparkboats.com

*** From Bridget Serchak:

15.) Full-Time Freelance Travel Writer and Editor, American Park Network, New York City

American Park Network, a leading publisher of visitor guides to national parks and public lands, seeks a hard working, self-directed writer and editor to help with the production of our park guides and write articles and compile information for our website and e-newsletter. Responsibilities of this temporary freelance position will include editing and updating guide content, pitching and writing articles for our website and e-newsletter, identifying and posting items to our online calendar of events, and enhancing our Twitter and Facebook content. We’re looking for an energetic self-starter who is proactive, and has great writing and interpersonal communication skills and a strong work ethic. Ideally, applicants will have an interest in travel, parks and the outdoors. The position is based at our Manhattan headquarters and will last from January with mid-April, with the possibility for transition to a full-time position. To learn more about American Park Network, visit OhRanger.com *beta*. For consideration, please send a resume, cover letter, compensation history and writing sample to jobs@americanparknetwork.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Your Very Next Step newsletter for December 2010

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

–Robert A. Heinlein

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

This issue is being sent to you from Monterey, California.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 657 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

*** December is festival time:

- Internationales Tübinger, Schokoladenfestival, Tuebingen, Germany

Fête du chocolat | Festival del cioccolato

- Terra Madre Day

- Burning the Clocks in Brighton

Brighton, UK

- 'Noche de Rábanos' (Radishes Night), Oaxaca City, Mexico

- Christmas Markets and Fairs in Edinburgh 2010

*** The snakeheads are still out there:

*** YVNS Sport Ned Has Never Heard Of: Extreme Ironing

*** Rail Trail of the Month – Vermont's Island Line

*** How to Avoid the Six Most Common Boat Winterizing Mistakes

*** How to Recycle Old Outdoor Gear

*** Virginia Conservation Police Notebook

*** Trail and Outdoors Volunteer opportunities:

*** Travel, Outdoor and Adventure Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities

1.) Executive Director, Amazon Conservation Association (ACA), Washington, DC

2.) Center Director, The School for Field Studies – Center for Marine Resource Studies, Turks & Caicos

3.) Field Research Internships, Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA), Hurghada- Red Sea- Egypt

4.) Marine Mammal Research Internship, IMMS, Gulfport, MS

5.) Internship, University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, Biddeford, Maine

6.) Visitor Information Center Supervisor, Convention & Visitor Bureau, Billings, MT 7.) UWCA Education Outreach Coordinator, Wilderness Inquiry, Minneapolis, MN

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for December:

*** TSA Security Crackdown Triggers Uproar

Backlash against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including a revolt by two pilots unions, ensued this month after the Transportation Security Administration implemented more invasive pat-down procedures for travelers who refuse full-body scanners. Although many in the corporate travel realm doubt such security measures will impact the frequency of travel, some are seeking duty-of-care policies to address travelers' concerns.

(Ned notes: I’ve had the “Hold your hands in the air” scan, which apparently is monitored at another place at the airport, apart from the security line. It’s no big deal.)

*** Airport campaign targets sex tourists

CBC News

The posters will soon be up at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal and the Jean Lesage International Airport in Quebec City. Air Canada will begin showing an in-flight video reminding Canadians they can be prosecuted at home for sex abuses they commit abroad.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/11/18/airport-campaign-targets-sex-tourists.html#ixzz15mVqlNAU

*** How to Choose the Best Seat on the Airplane

Not all economy seats were created equal. Follow these tips for choosing the best seat before you board the plane.

http://www.frommers.com/articles/7075.html#ixzz15izzd86E

*** I’ll bet the economy is getting better:

Las Vegas Sees Uptick in Visitors

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said Wednesday that visitation is up 2.4 percent for the first nine months of the year, compared with January through September 2009. Tourism officials added that the city welcomed 3.1 million visitors in September, 2 percent more than the same month last year. Further, average daily room rates were up 6.7 percent for the month and nearly 3 percent for the first nine months of 2010.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40112762/ns/travel-destination_travel/

*** AMC's 135th Annual Meeting!

Plans are in full swing for the 135th Annual Meeting of the Appalachian Mountain Club being held on Saturday, January 29th, 2011, at the Four Points by Sheraton in Norwood, Massachusetts.

This year’s keynote dinner speaker will be Dr. Char Miller, historian, award-winning author, and forest service history expert. Dr. Miller will be speaking on the 100th anniversary of the Weeks Act and how AMC played a leading role in the passing of this pivotal law.

Special Recognition – New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg will be recognized during a dinner presentation with the AMC Lifetime Achievement Award. U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from AMC in recognition of his longtime dedication to land conservation and stewardship of New Hampshire’s natural resources throughout his career as N.H. Executive Councilor, U.S. Congressman, N.H. Governor, and U.S. Senator.

We also invite you to join AMC during the day for club’s 135th Annual Business Meeting, committee meetings, volunteer recognition and educational workshops.

Workshop highlights include:

• A historical film of the early years of August Camp

• Edible wild plants and mushrooms of New England

• David Goodman – author of AMC’s newly released Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast – will share his love of backcountry skiing

• Learn about social networking for conservation advocacy

• Where AMC draws the line with commercial wind power development

• Cold weather hiking

• Plus much more!

To register or for more information about this event, Dr. Miller, Senator Gregg or the AMC, log onto our website at www.outdoors.org/annualmeeting.

*** What’s the rub with all of the TSA-pat down brouhaha? Search me!

I’ve been through the big scanners. They can gawk at my layered look all day long. I don’t care. If they want to pat me down, I don’t care. I do recall one flight a few years ago where the very attractive woman ahead of me was asked to take off several layers of her clothing. She looked at me and said, “Usually I get dinner and a movie before I go this far.”

*** 2010 December Festivals:

*** Internationales Tübinger, Schokoladenfestival, Tuebingen, Germany

Fête du chocolat | Festival del cioccolato

30.11 – 05.12.2010

Tuebingens Chocolate Festival offer top manufacturers and exclusive chocolatiers the opportunity to present their exquisite products to an enthusiastic audience – and the audience provides a unique opportunity to get to know the variety of chocolate and the charm of the old town of Tuebingen.

http://www.chocolart.de/en/about/festival/

*** Terra Madre Day

December 10, 2010

Everywhere

In 2009 the first Terra Madre Day organized by Slow Food saw more than 1,000 events take place across 120 countries in one of the largest collective occasions celebrating food diversity and the right to good, clean and fair food ever achieved on a global scale. This year we have the opportunity to demonstrate the diversity of our network, and its connectedness and resolve, by supporting the Thousand Gardens in Africa project. Many actions for Terra Madre Day will incorporate exchanges or twinnings between their community and those participating in this Slow Food project, or raise funds to support one of these food gardens. This year will also be an opportunity to present our communities, local decision makers and media with a new document, to be developed during the international Terra Madre meeting, outlining sustainable policies to support the change we are actively working for.

http://www.slowfood.com/terramadreday/

*** Burning the Clocks in Brighton

Brighton, UK

December 21, 2010

http://www.2camels.com/burning-the-clocks.php

*** 'Noche de Rábanos' (Radishes Night), Oaxaca City, Mexico

December 23-24, 2010

A tradition that dates back to colonial times, a great exhibition of figures made of radishes is put on display. Figures of animals, humans, saints, and other characters are made using this vegetable only, and the artists are rewarded for their ingenuity and skill. The Radish Night festival lasts only a few hours as vegetables have a limited lifespan as folk art.

http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/oaxaca/rabanos.html

*** Christmas Markets and Fairs in Edinburgh 2010

‘Tis the season to be generous… so why not impress your loved ones this year with a quirky, unique gift from one of Edinburgh’s many fantastic Christmas fairs and markets? From the famous German Market on the Mound, to the smaller craft fairs going on across town, Edinburgh residents really are spoilt for choice this Christmas. Whether you’re looking for crafty treats, tasty food, or just a festive mug of glühwein, check this out to find an event that will cater to you.

http://www.informededinburgh.co.uk/whats-on/christmas-markets-and-fairs-in-edinburgh-2010/

*** The snakeheads are still out there:

NOTICE: All anglers are reminded to acquaint themselves with a good description of the northern snakehead fish. If you should manage to catch one of these exotic imports, please kill it immediately and report the catch to either the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries or the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_1HmUY5EOo

*** The December sport Ned has never heard of: Extreme Ironing

Welcome to the home of extreme ironing – the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt.

http://www.extremeironing.com/

Extreme Ironing (or EI) is an extreme sport and a performance art in which people take an ironing board to a remote location and iron items of clothing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_ironing

Ten best “Extreme Ironing” stunts from around the world

http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/22/ten-best-extreme-ironing-stunts-from-around-the-world/

*** How to Avoid the Six Most Common Boat Winterizing Mistakes

With winter approaching, BoatU.S. Marine Insurance has reviewed its claim files and reports the following six most common mistakes made when winterizing a boat:

1. Failure to winterize the engine: Freezing temperatures occur in all 50 states and while they are taken seriously up north, it's the balmy states of California, Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Georgia where boaters are most likely to have freeze-related damage to engine blocks. It routinely occurs to boats stored ashore here. Boats left in a slip are less susceptible to sudden freezing as the surrounding water retains heat longer than air.

2. Failure to drain water from sea strainer: If your winterizing plan calls for draining the engine, the seawater strainer must be winterized or residual water could freeze and rupture the watertight seal. Sometimes you won't know it's damaged until spring launching and water begins to trickle in.

3. Failure to close seacocks: For boats left in the water, leaving seacocks open over the winter is like going on extended vacation without locking the house. If a thru-hull cannot be closed, the vessel must be stored ashore – the sole exception is cockpit drains. Heavy snow loads can also force your boat under, allowing water to enter thru-hulls that are normally well above the water line.

4. Clogged petcocks: Engine cooling system petcocks clogged by rust or other debris can prevent water from fully draining. If one is plugged, try using a coat hanger to clear the blockage or use the engine's intake hose to flush anti-freeze through the system.

5. Leaving open boats in the water over winter: Boats with large open cockpits or low freeboard can easily be pushed underwater by the weight of accumulated ice and snow. Always store them ashore.

6. Using biminis or dodgers as winter storage covers: A cover that protects the crew from the sun does a lousy job protecting the boat from freezing rain and snow. Unlike a bona fide winter cover, biminis, and dodgers tend to rip apart and age prematurely by the effects of winter weather.

To get a free copy of the BoatU.S. Winterizing Guide full of tips to help you prepare your vessel for the winter, go to www.BoatUS.com/seaworthy/winter, or call 800-283-2883.

*** How to Recycle Old Outdoor Gear

by Alicia MacLeay

Depending on who you're talking to, today is either America Recycles Day (sponsored in part by major beverage and waste management companies) or Zero Waste Day (as repurposed by Treehugger).

Zero Waste is an excellent goal. Donate, sell, or pass along your outdoor gear if it's still safe and usable. Buy only what you need and what will last. (Buyer beware: we do not advise buying used climbing gear.)

But eventually, if you've been using it in the backcountry, certain outdoor gear needs to be retired and, if possible, recycled. Then what?

Your backcountry gear is ready for recycling if it's no longer safe for use and you can't repair it, donate it, sell it, repurpose it, or give it away in good conscience.

Below are a few recycling options if your outdoor gear has reached the end of its trail life. Share others below.

•Climbing ropes: Recycle your retired dynamic climbing rope from any brand through Sterling Rope's Recycling Redemption Initiative. It could become a new carpet or toy.

•

The Jetboil CrunchIt toolFuel canisters: Empty butane fuel canisters often can be recycled (check local ordinances), but first you'll need to puncture the canister several times with a tool like the Jetboil CrunchIt to show it's empty and ready for recycling. (The CrunchIt is launching this month; it will be available alone or you can get it now in a Greenkit with a Green Flash.)

•Metal and plastic: Check to see if your stainless steel or plastic water bottles and camp kitchen products can be recycled locally.

•Trail running shoes: Find a drop-off location near you and turn your old running shoes into sports surfaces through Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe Program.

•GoLite: The GoLite Product Take-Back Program accepts all GoLite products (except footwear, which they don't manufacture) from any season and any year. GoLite repairs, donates, repurposes, and/or recycles everything, and if the technology doesn't yet exist to recycle it, they'll hang on to it until it does. Bonus: You get a discount of 20 percent off a purchase at www.golite.com.

•Klattermusen: In Europe, Klattermusen retailers will take back used Klattermusen products through the rECOver program. Klattermusen recycles or donates the gear as appropriate. Products from 2009 and beyond are labeled with a return value of 1 to 20 Euros.

•Patagonia: In 2005 Patagonia started taking back used Capilene through its Common Threads Recycling Program. Since then, they've expanded to accept Patagonia fleece, Polartec fleece clothing (from any maker), Patagonia cotton T-shirts, and some additional polyester and nylon 6 products that come with a Common Threads tag.

http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2010/11/15/recycle-gear.html

*** Virginia Conservation Police Notebook

To increase awareness of the activities of our dedicated Conservation Police Officers, previously called game wardens, the “Virginia Conservation Police Notebook” provides an overview of the variety of activities encountered by our officers who protect natural resources and people pursuing outdoor recreation in the fields, woods and waters of Virginia.

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2010/11/23/#virginia-conservation-police-notebook

*** Trail volunteer opportunities:

Parks and Open Space Volunteer Naturalist, Boulder County, Longmont, Colo.

Be a Volunteer Naturalist and inform the public about the natural history of Boulder County. Develop and present outdoor and indoor interpretive programs, and lead nature hikes and other natural history-related field experiences.

Contact the Natural History Program Coordinator at lcolbenson@bouldercounty.org

http://www.bouldercounty.org/openspace/volunteering/programs/naturalists.htm

*** Trail Construction and Maintenance Opportunities, Natural Areas Division, Jefferson Memorial Forest, Louisville, KY

Duties: Trail Team Volunteers will improve the condition of the hiking, equestrian, and multipurpose trails within the Natural Areas of Metro Parks. Sample tasks include participation as a member of a volunteer trail construction and/or maintenance crew, assist in layout and redesign of trails, maintain safe trail conditions, patrol and complete reports on trail condition, usage and needs.

Qualifications: Individuals or groups serving as Trail Team Volunteers will have a desire to build and maintain sustainable hiking, equestrian, and multi-use trails. Background in trail contruction and design a plus. Volunteers should have training in tool safety, FirstAid and CPR, and trail design and construction techniques or be willing to gain such training.

Directions: Contact Sherry Wright, Volunteer Coordinator, at 502-380-1753

Jefferson Memorial Forest

Fairdale, KY 40118

Email: larry.hilton@louisvilleky.gov

Web site: www.memorialforest.com

Minimum age: 16

http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/OD?FROM=5415

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: December 2010

Vermont's Island Line

Flanked to the east and west by Lake Champlain; the Green Mountains looming in the distance; a three-mile causeway arcing out across the bay; and you, basking in the open air on a rail-trail that defies expectations. For a trail made for movement, the 14-mile Island Line will literally stop you in your tracks.

Vermont's Island Line consists of the Burlington Bike Path and the Colchester Causeway, running from Burlington through Colchester and the edge of South Hero. The first seven miles are paved and managed by the city of Burlington. Colchester Parks & Recreation oversees the middle 5.5 miles, and the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife the final mile and a half.

Together, linking three towns and two counties, these united pathways are the rail-trail jewel in a robust outdoor recreation scene. Whether you're after transportation of the body or the mind, the Island Line serves up powerful scenery, railroading history, passionate grassroots support, community connections and more—and it has just been named to Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. So put a foot onto the path at Mile 0 and experience it for yourself.

The trail starts off quietly south of downtown Burlington, home of the University of Vermont, and heads north along the water, cutting briefly inland at Mile 1 to catch up to the rail corridor. Built in 1899 by the Rutland-Canadian Railroad, the Island Line once leap-frogged its way across lakes and rivers via causeways, trestles and drawbridges, carrying passengers and freight on its route from the New England coast to Lake Ontario. The line saw its last train pass in 1961, and though it was considered for trail use at the time, it wasn't until 20 years later that the concept was embraced in earnest.

Today, the Island Line glides by spacious parks (including those exclusively for dogs and skateboarders), through bogs and woods, along public beaches and harbors, and past businesses like the nonprofit Local Motion near Mile 2. Huge proponents of the Island Line, the advocacy organization has been making Greater Burlington a biking- and walking-friendly region since 1999.

Smiling trail users—many with equally gleeful-looking dogs—pack the sumac- and maple-lined trail throughout the year, even with snow on the ground. Groups like the Silver Spokes, a collection of cycling seniors, ride the trail regularly. Children draw chalk art on the portion of the trail that's paved (Mile 0–8), and trailside neighbors use the Island Line as their front and back yards. And when links in the Island Line's chain are broken or missing, locals rally for reconnection.

In 2004, the weather-dependent ferry service across the Winooski River near Mile 7 was replaced with an infinitely more constant bridge. Additionally, the boggy, flood-prone section of the trail just beyond the bridge underwent serious reconstruction to raise the pathway several drier feet off the ground.

And then, of course, there is the causeway itself: 3.5 miles of unique rail turned incredible trail, buttressed by refrigerator-sized slabs of mottled marble and arcing gently out across the lake. American elms, spared from disease by the relative isolation of the causeway, lean sharply with the typically unrelenting wind that sweeps over the water. This spot is popular for birding warblers and kingfishers, and fishing for lake trout and walleye.

Sunsets from the causeway can be especially arresting. Even lifelong locals will stop on the trail to savor every last drop of color until all that remains is the dusky outline of Mount Mansfield far to the east, and twinkling lighthouses across the waters to the west. Standing on the causeway at the mouth of Malletts Bay, darkness comes at you fast when your eyes are riveted to the pink and purple swaths of light pouring across the waters of Lake Champlain. So be careful not to dally too long in this stunning twilight without leaving time to get home safely.

But depending on the time of year, you don't have to end your trail journey at Malletts Bay. To complete the trip from Burlington to the island of South Hero, you must cross “The Cut”—a stone's throw-gap in the causeway near Mile 12.5. For 2011, Local Motion will once again offer ferry service across “The Cut,” on weekends and holidays, from the July Fourth weekend through Labor Day Monday. The big push now is to make ferry service more regular and closer to year-round, running 70 to 80 days a year. In the meantime, check with Local Motion for schedule particulars.

On the other side of “The Cut,” the trail heads another 1.5 miles before it concludes in a parking lot. But whether you're turning around in Colchester or taking the ferry over to South Hero, the thought of a return adventure shouldn't trouble you at all. Because this trail is what a destination is all about.

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

*** From Waynetta Mosley Rogers:

Hello,

I’d like the following internship opportunity included in the weekly Ned’s Job of the Week email blast. Please let me know if you need additional information.

Thanks,

Waynetta Mosley Rogers

Recruiting Specialist

Scripps Networks

SCRIPPS NETWORKS, the Leader in Lifestyle Media

HGTV | DIY Network | Food Network | Cooking Channel | Travel Channel | Great American Country

Intern, Travel Channel, Scripps Networks, Washington, DC

Travel Channel’s DC based Public Relations team is currently looking for a media savvy, detail-oriented and energetic intern. During this internship, the ideal candidate will have the opportunity to learn various aspects of public relations. Candidate should have an interest in entertainment media and be willing to work for a fast-paced, results-oriented cable television network.

Projects and Assignments Planned for Intern:

During this internship, the ideal candidate will:

• Update entertainment and trade media lists containing contacts for print, radio, TV, online and bloggers

• Maintain and file press clipping reports of broadcast, print and online media coverage

• Organize database of talent and show specific publicity images

• Learn how to edit and update external press website for Scripps/Travel Channel

• Assist in writing and compiling programming highlights for media

• Prepare talent travel itineraries for media tours, network events, appearances, and photo and video shoots

• Stock internal supply of screeners and tapes for media distribution

• Draft, edit and update relevant press materials including: talent bios, highlights and episode descriptions, media alerts, one-sheets or press releases, if appropriate

• Participate in team meetings to foster learning and development in network PR strategy and program promotion

• Handle daily press inquiries, as appropriate

• Mail episode screeners to press contacts and populate media screening room with new video assets

• Coordinate local market press interviews with talent, if appropriate

• Other offices duties and larger projects to be assigned

Preferred Field of Study and Skills:

• Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, or English majors in their junior or senior years of study

• Demonstrate strong writing, editing and organizational skills

• Work at least a minimum of 15 hours per week, schedule can be flexible depending on intern’s class schedule

This is an unpaid internship for college credit only. Candidates must be able to receive college credit for completion of this internship.

To apply, visit the Careers section of our website, www.scrippsnetworks.com, and search for requisition 1994.

*** From Jack Duggan:

Over the transom, for those of us old enough to know what that means.

Walk in Peace – Jack

Happy Thanksgiving

1.) Executive Director, Amazon Conservation Association (ACA), Washington, DC

The Amazon Conservation Association (ACA) and its sister organization in Peru, the Asociación para la Conservación de la Cuenca Amazónica (ACCA), have been growing steadily and are now seeking to make a qualitative leap in the efficiency of their operations. The board of directors are looking for a mission-focused, seasoned, strategic, and process-minded leader with experience in leading an executive management team, in guiding an organization’s scaling-up process, and developing a performance culture among a group of diverse, talented individuals. The Executive Director (ED) must be a leader who is able to help others at ACA and ACCA deliver measurable, cost-effective results that make our vision a reality. The successful ED will have the skills, understanding, and confidence to tap into the potential that each member of the team brings to this mission.

Location

This position will be based in Washington, DC, with frequent travel to Peru and Bolivia.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the board of directors of ACA/ACCA, the Executive Director will lead all internal operations and will have the following responsibilities:

• Legal representative of ACA and ACCA

• Represent Association in an official capacity

• Overall responsibility and authority for the programs, finances, administration, fundraising, and management of organization

• Delegate authority for execution of day-to-day management functions to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and the Chief Operating Officer (COO)