Staff Swap!

The sheer beauty of Vermont State Parks, not only attract guests from a variety of places with a variety of interests but also attract a variety of staff.  Vermont State Parks Staff is composed of a dynamic groups of enthusiastic individuals.  You may find “retired” employees from successful careers in almost any sector, people who grew up on a farm, young people just starting out, college students on a variety of career paths and long time park veterans, among others.

All of these diverse backgrounds bring unique skill sets to the parks.  So when Agnes Barsalow, the Ranger at Elmore State Park, suggested we swap a few staff members for the day, we here at Smugglers’ Notch jumped at the chance.
Not only was it a chance for the staff to have a little variety over the summer but also a chance for each of our parks to learn from one another.  Each park was able to learn about great things the other parks do and absorb tips and tricks from the staff at the other park. And, we had fun!
What better day than a busy Saturday to jump right in and see another park in action, so on Saturday the 4^th of August, Smugglers’ Notch sent two staff members to Elmore and Elmore sent two to Smugglers’ Notch.
All the staff had a great day working with a new crew and absorbing their knowledge even with the routine tasks.  Somehow cleaning the bathroom is more interesting when it is one you haven’t cleaned before.
But most importantly they got to talk and share ideas with staff of another park.  We each certainly had several great ideas that we are taking back to our own parks to implement and it is this way, through the sharing of knowledge that all of our parks become better for our guests.

Written by: Aaron Jacobs, Ranger, Smugglers' Notch State Park