Wilder Ranch’s educational programs depend on volunteers, and becoming a park docent is a great way to get involved and give back to your community. Park staff leads this in-depth volunteer-docent training just once per year, so now is the perfect time to sign-up. Docent Training begins Saturday, February 2, at 9:30am in the park’s historic Meder House. After training, new volunteers give a minimum of 6 hours per month by hosting activity stations, leading nature walks, conducting tours of the grounds and buildings and helping with events. Call (831) 426-0505 to request an information and application packet and become a docent at one of Santa Cruz’s most treasured state parks!
Volunteers are especially needed to help with the park’s “Ranch Kid’s Days,” with elementary school children that come to experience life on the ranch first-hand at volunteer-led activity stations. The success of this program is based on the number of volunteers available to lead each activity. Students try their hand at many early-day tasks including forging iron in the blacksmith shop, Pelton Water Wheel; water-powered machinery, animal care & driving the horse drawn wagon, churning butter from fresh cream, baking muffins and cookies and preparing vegetable soup on the wood burning stove, shucking/grinding corn to feed to the chickens, and washing laundry using bar soap, a grater, tubs, washboards, wringers and an old-fashioned iron. The day is an unforgettable lesson in local history for the kids, and a great way for you to volunteer, get involved, and give back.
To share your time to make these programs possible, and to get an application for docent training (due by the end of January 2013), please contact: Barbara at Barbara.Cooksey@parks.ca.gov Bobbie at Roberta.Haver@parks.ca.gov Call Wilder Ranch State Park Interpretive Center (831) 426-0505