The Workamper Show Podcast

Today I will be speaking with an employer from Iowa who is looking for volunteer Workampers for the 2022 season to work in a remote part of the state, but not too far from Des Moines.

Jessica Heath is a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project at Lake Red Rock, Iowa. Nestled in central Iowa, about 35 minutes southeast of Des Moines, Lake Red Rock is the largest lake in the state.

It was made in 1969 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) erected a dam along the Des Moines River to create an 11-mile-long lake and 35,000 acres of surrounding land offering bountiful recreation opportunities.

The project is home to six federally-managed campgrounds as well as three others operated by the state and county, including a primitive wilderness campground managed by USACE that is accessible by paddleboat or a short hike. There are 641 campsites at Lake Red Rock.

In addition to camping, many people enjoy boating, canoeing, kayaking and swimming. The lake is known for catfish and striped bass. Spring and fall seasons attract a number of hunters seeking white-tail deer and turkeys.

An 18-mile, paved bike trail guides visitors along one side of Lake Red Rock where they can enjoy some spectacular vistas of surrounding countryside. There are also 10 marked hiking trails and even a water trail for paddlers.

The project is technically open year-round because water below the dam never freezes and people like to fish in all seasons. It’s for that reason that eagles like to hang out at the lake.

Ranger Heath hires about 60 Workampers every year to staff campgrounds, day-use areas or the visitor's center from mid-April through October. At that time, the weather can turn cold, which forces staff to winterize campgrounds.

Jobs are scattered throughout the project, but center around five developed campgrounds. Most Workampers typically live in the campground they are assigned or near the recreation areas they oversee.

Some jobs involve custodial work taking care of bathrooms and shower houses as well as keeping sites free of litter. They also take care of fire pits at the park. Workampers use Gators, or side-by-side utility vehicles, to travel around the park or along trails looking for debris.

Gate attendants collect fees from visitors, check people into campsites and serve as hosts at the main recreation areas. They drive through the park several times a day ensuring there aren't any problems and helping to educate visitors about park rules.

Maintenance jobs require Workampers to fix things, refurbish picnic tables and help with landscaping chores, like brush removal.

People working at the visitor’s center answer phones, sell passes, greet people seeking information, pass out literature and look after various displays and animals.

Ranger Heath starts looking for Workampers for next season in early November, just after the current season draws to a close.

Whether the job is staffed by a couple or solo, Workampers typically volunteer a minimum of 20 hours per week, per position. Couples have the option of splitting job responsibilities between themselves, such as each performing 10 hours of work apiece. However, Lake Red Rock also actively recruits solo Workampers each season.

All Workamping jobs are volunteer; however, they receive a free full-hookup campsite with water, sewer and 30- or 50-amp power connections.

Although the nearby marina is not managed by USACE, its contractors do offer discounts on pontoon boat rentals to Workampers.

Rangers host a potluck dinner for Workampers early in the season to help them get to know each other, and another one toward season’s end to recognize volunteers for their work. They also receive small gifts, like windsocks, metal yard signs or engraved glass coffee mugs, as well a framed certificate highlighting the total number of volunteer hours contributed to USACE.

Volunteers also plan their own potluck gatherings with other Workampers throughout the summer.

There are no special skills required to work at Lake Red Rock. Training regarding safety and specific job duties is provided for all positions.

Because Workampers will be working directly with the public, Ranger Heath said it would be good to have interpersonal skills to speak with them. One of the biggest traits she looks for is a positive attitude and someone who enjoys working well with others.

Because so many people are depending upon Workampers to help run the park, it could feel like a real job some days. However, the staff tries to balance that work with plenty of time off for relaxation and recreation so that everybody enjoys being here, said Ranger Heath.

To apply, you can get the ball rolling by emailing Ranger Heath at [email protected] or give her a call at (641) 426-0115. More information about the project is available at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's website.

Who knows, after a summer in Iowa, you might be asking the big question from the movie Field of Dreams – Is this heaven?

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That’s all I have for this week’s show. Next week, I’ll be interviewing a volunteer who spent the summer right next door at a state park in Wisconsin. He’ll tell us all about his first Workamping job on the next episode of The Workamper Show. Until then, have a safe, enjoyable Labor Day weekend to mark the end of another summer season. Thanks for listening!

Doug Lehman and Donna Hughes had been RVing for five years by taking shorter trips when they opted to go full time once they retired. They started Workamping right away, then took three months off last winter to see what real retirement was like. Neither of them liked it and thought Workamping was a much better option to keep busy and give them a sense of purpose.

Today we are going to talk about a big what-if in Workamping. What if you’re injured, sick, need surgery or require some other type of long-term care, but you don’t have a sticks-and-bricks home to return so you can recover? What are your options? Fortunately, there is one with Escapees CARE. It’s a program developed by the Escapees Club just for full-time RVers who have no place to go if they require significant medical care. Escapees CARE is basically a campground located in Livingston, Texas, with a full-time nurse and other services to provide care to patients as they recover from an illness, accident or surgery. The million-dollar center also provides services like laundry, housekeeping, transportation to medical appointments and even meals. It includes a respite center so if an RVer has dementia, their spouse or partner can have a day off knowing that care will be provided.

Mike and Betty Gill actually started RVing in 2015 a few months after attending their first Workamper Rendezvous gathering. Prior to that, they intended to retire from the corporate world, stay home, plant a garden and raise chickens. Then, at the urging of another RVer, they attended the Rendezvous and their eyes were opened to a whole new way to retire. The Gills operate several businesses from their motorhome, including RV inspections, maintenance and a new venture doing RV detailing.

Jill and Randy Shepard are from Raleigh, N.C., which is their home base. They have been RVing for a little over a year after having started out of necessity during the COVID lockdowns. Randy is semi-retired, but Jill works in a sales position for Senior Living, a company with 120 locations around the country which provides care and housing for seasoned citizens. She is assigned to work at 14 of those locations where she remains onsite for 10 days in a row, then has four days off and repeats the cycle. The company gives her a stipend that helps pay for her RV site and food every day. She opened the company’s eyes to how cost-effective and efficient living in an RV would be for the type of work she was doing.

Ann Marie and Jim Fulton have worked many different positions and currently have two Workamping jobs. Jim does nighttime security work at a Dollywood campground three nights a week, and they also drive a tram taking people from the parking lot to the Dollywood front entrance 12 to 14 hours a week. One job provides a free campsite and the other gives them spending money. They describe some of the duties they perform and explain why they really like Workamping. They have so much experience now that whenever they update their resumes at Workamper.com, they frequently get calls right away from prospective employers.

Workamper News editor Jody Anderson Duquette about how employers can find the best Workampers for jobs they are looking to fill. This episode just isn’t for employers, Workampers themselves will learn more about what type of people employers are hoping to find. Communication is super critical for a successful experience for employers and Workampers alike. Once a hiring decision has been made, it’s really important for employers to prepare work agreements that cover things like starting and ending dates, the number of hours to work, expected days off, what is included in compensation, etc. Putting everything in writing helps to ensure there are no misunderstandings later in the season.

Dr. Lynne Swanson is a retired veterinarian who founded Safe Harbor Farms, a canine rescue and rehabilitation center in coastal North Carolina. She grew up living with around 20 dogs at a time and has invested three decades – more than half her life – working with large groups of dogs. She calls them the best teachers because, once you learn their language, they can tell you everything you need to know about what they are thinking or experiencing. There are two things that pet owners can do with dogs to make their lives better. The first is to create positive associations with RV travel and the second is to introduce dogs to new environments, people and situations in ways that reflect a canine culture instead of human culture.

This summer, Nina is working at the Georgia Veterans State Park where she works as a host aboard the SAM Shortline Excursion Train. Nina gets to hand out brochures, sell tickets and answer questions passengers may have. She also works in the commissary car, which means she gets to fix and serve lunch as well as prepare snacks. A former kindergarten teacher and principal, Nina started Workamping in 2019 at the urging of several friends who had been camping for many years. So, she bought a 22-foot travel trailer and headed to Texas for her first assignment.

Pastor and author John Stange makes a great point that regardless of how much time we may spend speaking with other people, we spend much more time every day talking to ourselves. John says we all tend to preach messages to our hearts that are unhealthy and discouraging. Many times we allow thoughts of one discouragement after another to replay on an endless loop through our minds. We also subject ourselves to a litany of unhealthy self-criticism that if we allow ourselves to dwell on those ideas, it can rob us of peace and joy. John encourages people to "Dwell on These Things" instead.