Camp Host: All in a day's work...

Long before I retired a new career called to me... volunteering for state parks, national parks, and other worthy causes.  As with any job or career, you really need to spend some time in the field before you understand the situation.  

Rose of Sharon
One of the July blossoms at the park

Well, after almost a year of volunteering for the Florida State Park system performing a variety of jobs the verdict is "Yes!".  We do enjoy our assignments.

Lizzy, our current mascot
riding along in our cart.
Lizzy was a former resident of the woods
and migrated there from a plastic factory

So, as a camp host what do we really do?  First I should say there are different types of camp hosts.  Some hosts "on call" to answer questions and help with registration, some clean the bath houses and/or campsites, some perform a combination of tasks.  Additionally, there are camp hosts who reside in the campground and others reside in an area slightly removed from the campground.  To date, our camp hosting has been the cleaning variety but residing slightly removed from the campground in a unit called a Volunteer Village.  The villages are fun and often located in areas where you perform an unstated job such as observing park traffic or activity in a non-public area.

Mops drying between use

Our camp host day at Anastasia State Park starts around 7 AM with a bath house 'check' which often means wiping down the sinks, plunging a toilet, sweeping and perhaps mopping the floors.  Oh yes, and refilling the toilet paper.  Around 9 AM we do a site 'check' which means cleaning the fire pits, picking up trash, trimming any stray branches, and smoothing any holes.  

Billy cleaning the woods
Note the long pinchers

When there are not many check-outs we cruise the roads and woods on trash detail searching for wind-blown, people-tossed, or raccoon-stashed trash.  This really could be a full-time job.

Drink can tossed on the roadside

Captured!

And recycled

At our park, check-out time is 1 PM and many campers do not leave until 12:30 or 1 PM, particularly in the summer when the beach beckons.  And who can blame them?  Yes, I often enjoy a park in the morning and pull out at the stated check-out hour.

Campsite packing up
after a busy morning

So, once we clean the early check-out sites it is back to the bath house for a mid-day check.  In the summer you figure it is time to mop or sweep again.  Then take another pass at the campsites and if everyone is still at the beach you'd best grab some lunch as it could be a long afternoon.

Typical bath house
Note mops on the right, ready for action

Long about noon it is time to decide if you clean the bath houses or finish the sites.  This all depends on the number of remaining check-outs, their stage of packing, and the particular bath house (not all bath houses are created equal).  Selecting a time to clean a bath house can be tricky as you don't want to shut it down only to be mobbed by desperate campers.  Somehow it all works.

Cute frog lurking around the bath house.
One of the highlights of camp cleaning.

With everything clean we head home but are not finished for the day as a late afternoon area and bath house check is necessary.  This is normally a brief trip around 6 PM to insure nothing untoward has happened in the loop or bath house.  With the toilet paper refilled and the bath house dry you head home for the evening.

Job complete
Ready for the next morning.