Astronomy Volunteer

El Morro National Monument is looking for friendly, motivated people to assist our Division of Visitor Services and Interpretation.

The Volunteer position(s) runs from approximately early April to mid-September. Beginning and ending dates are somewhat flexible. Volunteers work 32 hours/week (4 days on, 3 days off per week).

DUTIES: This volunteer will aid seasonal and permanent staff with a variety of duties. Duties include assisting with Star Parties and other astronomical events. Collecting night sky quality data. Developing social media posts that interpret night sky conservation. And helping to further El Morro National Monument's community outreach and education efforts. Other duties include: staffing the visitor center, opening and closing facilities, roving the trails, assisting park visitors, and helping with special projects. Physical requirements include the ability to hike a 2 mile, moderately strenuous park trail that climbs 250 feet and crosses uneven terrain.

Duties may include special projects, depending on the volunteer's interests and abilities.These projects may include, but are not limited to, rockfall and inscription monitoring, campground patrols, assistance with interpretive displays and publications, library tasks, and assistance with special events. We are also very supportive of volunteers creating special projects based on their own interests and skills.

SKILLS: Knowledge of telescopes and the night sky is helpful. Customer service experience, cash handling experience, ability to hike trails of uneven terrain including moderately steep switchbacks, and the desire to learn about El Morro. Must be able to pass a background check before entering on duty.

ORIENTATION: Volunteers new to the area will have work time to explore nearby parks and attractions, as well as quiet time in the library to become familiar with the natural and cultural history of the national monument.

HOUSING: Furnished housing is provided on site and free of charge.  This may be shared housing, where the volunteer shares a three-bedroom house with anywhere from 0 to up to 2 other housemates.

LOCATION: El Morro is located in a rural area and is considered a remote duty station. The town of Grants, NM (population 10,000) is located approximately 50 miles east of the monument on Highway 53. Due to the distance to super markets, gas stations, and other services, a personal vehicle is required. Depending on your carrier, cell phone reception and WiFi may be limited or non-existant.

DESCRIPTION OF EL MORRO NATIONAL MONUMENT: All other rocks in America do not together hold so much history as do those of El Morro National Monument. Rising 200 feet above the valley floor, this massive sandstone bluff was a welcome landmark for weary travelers. A reliable waterhole hidden at its base made El Morro (or Inscription Rock) a popular campsite. Beginning in the late 1500s, Spanish explorers and soldiers, followed by American surveyors, immigrants and soldiers, passed by El Morro. While they rested in its shade and drank from the pool, many inscribed their signatures, dates and messages. Ancestral Puebloans, living in an 800-room pueblo on top of the bluff over 700 years ago, began this trend by carving hundreds of petroglyphs. El Morro was proclaimed the second National Monument in the National Park system on December 8, 1906. The vast continuum of human history inscribed upon the rock and preserved in the ancient ruins makes El Morro National Monument a handbook of cultural history of the Southwest. The majestic bluff, shady pool, high desert forest (7200 ft.), and sweeping vistas make this a natural wonder as well.