Covide-19 After a short break from the park, the Living Desert Garden and Gardens Park and the Carlbad Garden Association are looking for volunteers.
Volunteer coordinator Kathy Hampton said the park once had 30 volunteers, but now has only 10. Director David Heckard.
He said many former volunteers had retired and were at risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19 and had chosen to leave for safety.
The Carlsbad Gardening Association takes care of the many unique plants in the park and runs a gift shop. Hampton, for its part, is looking for volunteers to help with the landscaping and growing wildflowers sold at the gift shop.
“The front desk doesn’t just mean we need volunteers. We need people who are willing to come out and help in the park, ”said Hampton.
Volunteers from the Carlsbad Horticulture Society also learn about caring for and distributing plants while helping the park.
According to Heckard, the park needs help filling shifts on the main front desk.
Heckard says: “The front desk is a trusted place to manage money, connect with people and be smart.”
Heckard said the changes that COVID-19 has brought to the Living Desert Garden and Gardens have affected the community.
The park has hosted field trips for schools and events such as games and mines for more than 20 years, Heckard said.
“We love to serve Carlbad and the surrounding area,” Heckard said. We have hundreds of children coming here for Maggie’s birthday.
Heckard said the park began hiring new jobs in July and has four vacancies.
EMNRD Public Information Officer Susan Torres said the government park department of the Department of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources has been suspended for the past year and a half due to revenue cuts and operating budgets, and competitive employment. Email.
She said the state has the largest number of full-time vacancies in the region’s parks.
“The department is actively working to promote and employ more jobs in this department,” said Torres. It wants to be part of a group that provides first-class recreational and educational facilities and opportunities for the protection and development of natural and cultural resources, and seeks to improve public safety to benefit and enrich the lives of visitors – the state has jobs for you in the following program areas – natural and cultural resources; Park jobs, law enforcement, education and administration.
Claudia Silva is a reporter for the UNM Environmental Reporting Union. She can be reached at csilva2@currentargus.com, telephone 575-628-5506 or on Twitter @thewatchpup.