Our planned volunteer efforts on behalf of Glacier National Park this year, have been severely impacted by the coronavirus, both in the park and the outside communities.
Here is a partial list of our activities that have been affected so far:
- The installation of the bat house we helped construct for Saint Mary has been put on hold.
- The third installment of the Winter Speaker Series in Kalispell was canceled.
- The native plant nursery intern's tenure at Columbia Falls High School ended when the school was closed.
- Volunteers at Park Headquarters were told not to report for their shifts.
- GNPVA'S board meetings in April and May were canceled.
- Volunteer Day, scheduled for May 16, has been canceled.
- Our Annual Meeting, also scheduled for May 16, will be moved to a later date.
- The West-side Mini Work Week scheduled for May 14-16 has been shelved.
- The Apgar Nature Center, staffed by 32 GNPVA members, will not open this season.
- The summer backcountry ranger intern will not be hired.
- The spring cleaning of the Artist-In-Residence cabin at Lake McDonald has been put on hold.
With the park currently closed and then re- opening in phases, our volunteer activities will continue to be adversely impacted. The health and safety of all staff, visitors and volunteers is the park’s highest priority and GNPVA certainly understands this unfortunate situation.