She Has a May-September Romance with Yosemite

The Modesto Bee - August 14, 2004

Every spring, after Virginia Ferguson finishes up another
year of work as a school librarian in Montreal, she heads west to Yosemite National Park.

Virginia Ferguson of Montreal has been a volunteer in Yosemite for 10 years. She is the latest recipient of the Yosemite Fund Award.

From May through September, she camps in Yosemite Valley and works as a volunteer for the Yosemite Association. During her 10 years of doing this, she has played a key role in coordinating the association's volunteer program, organizing as many as 100 volunteers every summer.

Her daily activities include assisting park visitors, managing and coordinating volunteer tasks, scheduling, training programs and recruitment. Ferguson and her volunteers staff information centers and serve as docents at six locations in Yosemite Valley.

For her efforts, she is the recipient of the 2003 Yosemite Fund Award. Yosemite Fund officials presented the award -- $2,500 and a commendation -- during an Aug. 4 ceremony in Yosemite Valley.

"I am truly honored by this award, which I share with all of my fellow Yosemite volunteers," she said. "Yosemite is a very special place and quite literally a second home to me. After 10 years at the park, it's rewarding to see the many tangible results of thousands of volunteer hours.

"I invite everyone who loves Yosemite to join us in helping preserve this national treasure for future generations."

While working in Yosemite, Ferguson lives in a tent at Lower Pines Campground. Other volunteers camp there, too, all supplying their own food and camping equipment.

During the summer of 2000, she inspired her colleagues by returning to volunteer, despite a winter spent fighting cancer and undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

"By donating her time, Virginia helps keep services operational for thousands of Yosemite visitors each year," Yosemite Fund President Bob Hansen said. "Without her and her crew, Yosemite Valley attractions such as the Happy Isles Nature Center, the Museum Gallery and Yurt Information Station would be closed. She is a shining example of how important volunteers are to the future of Yosemite National Park."

The Yosemite Fund created its annual award in 1991 to recognize people whose work enhances the park as a national treasure.