Escapees September-October 2022

skp stops

up the outside walkway and informational signs. As guests start coming in, we greet them and provide a fun and engaging experience about the life of the mill and the people who kept it productive for almost 150 years. We demonstrate how the machinery worked by electricity and the highlight of every tour is opening the fl ume gates, letting the water power the turbines to run the mills. At the end of the day, we close the mill, feed the chickens and ducks, check for eggs and enjoy a quiet evening in our yard. At dusk you check to see the chickens and ducks are settled in their coops, and you close them in for the night. On slow days there are many things to do around the property if you want but it is not required. My husband and I enjoyed helping the rangers with projects, so we pitched in with clearing brush around the young oak grove, worked on the future nature trail and identi fi ed and fl agged the native Camas plants. If you already enjoy volunteering at state parks or are thinking about trying something new while on the road, being an interpretive host is unique. We have been volunteering for fi ve years now and have been to two states and four parks. Each park has been different, interesting and a wonderful experience, but isn’t that what all Escapees look for? Article and photos by Camille McCullough #110158

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September/October 2022 ESCAPEES Magazine