You load 16 tons, that do you get?

Another foot further and covered in sweat

Thank you to Sharon Wright for adapting Merle Travis’s lyrics to our 2021 Alaska Volunteer Trip experience.

Lucky to be leading a trip

Call me crazy, but even with the mosquito bites, I felt very lucky to be one of the trip leaders on this year’s trip. I don’t get to go on many volunteer trips. For me, volunteering at ConservationVIP involves more office work than field work. (I owe my soul to the company store!)

Our 2021 Alaska Trip was so special that I was determined not to miss it. It was our first volunteer trip since February 2020. We had cancelled 16 volunteer trips due to COVID-19, which was dispiriting. More importantly, we can’t accomplish ConservationVIP’s mission to help sustain some of the world’s greatest landscape and cultural heritage sites while staying home. But because safety is our priority on volunteer trips, we had to wait.

Venturing out meant a LOT of Preparation Work

With increasing vaccination rates in the U.S., we concluded we had an opportunity to safely run a trip in Alaska. We “just” had to modify our prior lodging, transportation, dining and volunteer project plans. It took faith, hope, more computer work (&!@$#^!!?*), and the efforts of a lot of people.

Marti Marshall tracked down her Alaska contacts to make the travel arrangements. Ed Eads dedicated countless hours to drafting our COVID protocols. Trip leaders had a lot to manage, but my cheerful co-leader Susan Murray kept the group humming along. She made sure we were well-fed and on schedule, which greatly lightened my load. 

And yes, we did get chewed on by bugs and we worked hard. Our 2021 Volunteer Trip Report has pictures which show the 13 cubic yards (more than 16 tons!) of gravel we moved. It shows the rest of our accomplishments as well. Our project hosts, TrailMix in Juneau and National Park Service in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park were very happy to have our help. The local vendors also clearly appreciated our being there.

The Joyful Reward

We also had an unprecedented 10 days of great weather, surrounded by beautiful mountains, flowers, and plentiful water – so special to a person from drought-stricken California. So, working outdoors, getting dirty, always with one eye on the sky to spot another majestic bald eagle, was exactly where I wanted to be.

More importantly, we had a terrific group of seasoned volunteers who worked hard and shared their suggestions. Plus, they never criticized me for my challenges unlocking the trunk of the van and they rolled with the inevitable hiccups. What I most enjoyed was the shared laughter. Why? because it seemed so normal, yet so precious, after the months without seeing our volunteers. Sharon’s revised rendition of “16 Tons”, which she sang a cappella at our final dinner, was the frosting on the cake. It still brings a smile to my face. Remembering our baked Alaska dessert doesn’t hurt either!