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Yosemite Association Work Week Program
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for your interest in volunteering in Yosemite! The Work Week Program is a benefit of membership in Yosemite Association and so popular that we usually have more applicants than we can use. In order to clarify both the Association’s and your expectations, please read the answers to these frequently asked questions.
1. How do I apply?
2. When do I apply?
3. What constitutes a "complete" application?
4. Once I submit my application, what should I expect?
5. How are new applicants assigned to a work week?
6. How will I know the application period is open?
7. Can I go on more than one work week in a year?
8. If I have to cancel, what happens to my fee?
9. Are there waiting lists?
10. What is the Association’s goal in the work week assignment process?
11. Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to participate?
12. What kind of work will I do?
13. Do I need to bring my own tools?
14. What is the routine for the week?
15. What happens on the day off?
16. What is the lodging arrangement?
17. How does the crew get to the work site?
18. What sort of meal menu can I expect?
19. Will I have access to showers? Toilets? Running water?
20. Can a trip be cancelled?
21. Can I arrive early or extend my stay in the park?
22. Can my children participate with me?
23. May I send my child on his/her own?
24. Who are the partners in this program?
25. How can I reach the Yosemite Association?
1. How do I apply? The Work Week Program is for current members of the Association. Applicants may join or renew an expired membership on-line or by phoning 209 379-2317 prior to applying. An application may be downloaded from the volunteer page of the website, or members may request that an application be mailed or faxed to them from the Association’s office by calling 209 379-2646. Completed applications may be submitted by mail, FedEx, UPS, or fax. Please do NOT email completed applications. All applications must include the work week fee, and email is NOT a secure method for transmitting credit card information.
2. When do I apply? Dates for the work weeks are posted on this website (install link) in January. Completed applications must be received by March 31, 2010 to be included in the lottery process used to assign applicants to work weeks.
3. What constitutes a "complete" application? A complete application contains responses to all requested information and payment of the registration fee.
4. Once I submit my application, what should I expect? The Association will acknowledge receipt of your application with an email or phone call. You will be notified of your assignment to a work week or a waiting list by email or phone. Processing of the fee will occur after assignment to a work week. About 6 weeks prior to the work week, the additional information needed for you to participate will be provided.
5. How are new applicants assigned to work weeks? Applicants who meet the March 31 deadline are assigned to a work week by a lottery process which occurs after March 31. These applicants will receive notification in April. Applicants who apply after March 31 will be placed on a waiting list in the order their applications are received. They will fill any remaining vacancies and be notified when that occurs. The Association reserves the right to refuse an application if the information provided suggests the applicant's participation would pose a significant risk to his or her health, the safety of the crew, or the success of the work project.
6. How will I know the application period is open? The 2010 work weeks will be posted on the website in January.
7. Can I go on more than one work week in a year? Due to the popularity of the work week program, applicants are assigned to one trip per year. Exceptions can occur when a work week does not fill up.
8. If I have to cancel, what happens to my fee? Late cancellations can result in wasted food and labor. If after being assigned to a work week, you are unable to attend and the Association is able to fill your position with a replacement, 85% of your fee will be refunded and a 15% cancellation fee will be retained. Cancellations that cannot be filled with a replacement will not be refunded. If a trip has to be cancelled by the organizers, all fees will be refunded.
9. Are there waiting lists? Yes, waiting lists for filled work weeks are established. Highest priority is given to applicants who applied before March 31 and did not receive an assignment to a work trip. You may ask to remain on the waiting list for a specific work week if placed in another of lesser preference. However, if a space opens and you switch from one work week to another, the deposit for the original work week will be refunded only if a suitable replacement can be found.
10. What is the Association’s goal in the work week assignment process? The Association strives to place all qualified applicants into one of their most preferred work weeks. For this reason it is important to list preferences from most preferred to least. Flexibility and a timely application increase the chance of being accepted into the program.
11. Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to participate? Yes. Our volunteers directly support the National Park Service which requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (possession of a green card).
12. What kind of work will I do? Each location presents a variety of projects which typically involve some or all of the following: data collection, digging, moving soil and plant material, seed collection, replanting, carrying equipment and containers of water for distances, identification of plants, removal of invasive species, trash collection, fence repair and construction. Many people find the days of manual labor, especially at high elevations and in high or low temperatures, to be exhausting. Participants must be in good health with strong stamina. In addition to project work, everyone takes turns helping out with meal preparation and cleanup in the group campsite.
13. Do I need to bring my own tools? All tools will be provided by the National Park Service. You should bring your own heavy-duty work gloves, one or two water bottles, sturdy hiking boots, and your own camping gear.
14. What is the routine for the week? Volunteers arrive at the assigned campground on Sunday afternoon and set up their tents in a group campsite. They work roughly eight-hour days with the National Park Service project leaders on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday is a rest day; most people hike together in the park. Three hearty meals a day are provided on site, starting with Sunday dinner and concluding with breakfast Saturday. Everyone take turns helping with meal preparation and cleanup. They make their own lunches with provided food.
For the backcountry work week, volunteers arrive at the assigned group campsite in Tuolumne Meadows on Sunday afternoon and provide their own meals. They hike into the backcountry on Monday and work roughly eight hour days Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday is a day off to relax and enjoy the park. Meals are provided and volunteers camp together using their own camping equipment. Participants hike out on Saturday and provide their own meals upon returning to Tuolumne Meadows Campground.
15. What happens on the day off? Volunteers are free to do as they please on Wednesday. Volunteers hike together or visit another area in the Park. The day is theirs to do as they wish.
16. What is the lodging arrangement? Everyone tent-camps together in a group campsite and provides all their own camping equipment. All campgrounds are equipped with bear boxes which are used to store the week's food and any scented items, including volunteer toiletries.
17. How does the crew get to the work site? The crew hikes or is driven to the work site, depending on the work location.
18. What sort of meal menu can I expect? The meals have the reputation of being hearty and delicious. Menus are planned in advance by a qualified food service manager. Breakfasts usually include the choice of a hot dish or cold cereal, along with fruit. Participants make their own lunches from the fixings provided and pack them out to the work site; typical dinners include pasta, meat, or chicken dishes, salad, and dessert. Nonalcoholic drinks such as milk, coffee, decafe, and hot tea are available. Vegetarian options usually exist, but volunteers must tell the Association in advance if they require a vegetarian menu or have other dietary restrictions, such as lactose intolerance. Volunteers with wheat or gluten allergies should be especially mindful of this and may have to provide for their special requirements. Alcoholic beverages are not provided, but some adults bring their own beer or wine to enjoy in the evenings. The Association expects those who drink alcohol to behave politely and responsibly: they must never drink and drive, and never overindulge to the point that they are unable to work the next day.
19. Will I have access to showers? Toilets? Running water? There are no showers in any of Yosemite's campgrounds, but there are showers nearby for volunteers to use free of charge. All frontcountry campgrounds have either vault or flush toilets and potable running water; in the case of Yellow Pine, the volunteer camp in Yosemite Valley, a potable water tank is provided.
In the backcountry, composting toilets are available for volunteers. Volunteers should consider bringing their own solar showers or be prepared to wash themselves in the nearby creek, downstream from water intake.
20. Can a trip be cancelled? Any significant fire activity or park emergency can cancel a work week. Volunteers are required to call the Association’s office prior to the work week to check for last-minute changes.
21. Can I arrive early or extend my stay in the park? Yes, but you must make your own camping or lodging arrangements. Work week group campsites are reserved from Sunday afternoon through the following Saturday morning.
22. Can my children participate with me? Children under the age of 18 are not admitted into the work week program. All volunteers must be capable of performing the required tasks safely. Applicants 18 to 21 years old are considered on a case by case basis by the Association and the National Park Service and are subject to being accompanied by a parent or guardian.
23. May I send my child on his/her own? Children under the age of 18 may not participate in this program unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
24. Who are the partners in this program? This program is a cooperative venture of the Yosemite Association (YA), Delaware North Parks & Resorts at Yosemite (DNC), and the National Park Service (NPS). YA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of Yosemite National Park through programs, visitor services, publications, and membership activities in cooperation with the National Park Service. DNC is the concessionaire in charge of managing the park's lodging, food, and retail operations. The NPS, an agency of the United States Department of the Interior, is charged with preserving Yosemite’s natural and cultural resources while providing for the enjoyment of Park visitors. Each of the three groups plays a vital role in each work week: YA arranges for members to serve as volunteers, organizes the pre-trip information; manages campground logistics and handles food preparation; DNC underwrites some of the expenses and provides food and showers. NPS plans the projects, provides group campsites, and leads the actual work in the field.
25. How can I reach the Yosemite Association?
By mail: P.O. Box 230, El Portal, CA 95318
By FedEx or UPS: 5020 El Portal Road, El Portal, CA 95318
By phone: 209 379-2646
By fax: 209 379-2486
By email: info@yosemite.org
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