Last week at First State was a bit of a strange one – rain and office responsibilities kept us mostly indoors on Thursday and Friday, but things kicked into high gear for Saturday and Sunday as a result of the holiday weekend. We spent all day on the 4th trying to manage the Smith Bridge Picnic Area and its associated parking lot, which filled up early in the morning. After the lot filled, dozens of cars began to park on the side of the road (in posted no parking areas) and in emergency pullout areas (also posted no parking), creating a hazardous situation for pedestrians and other vehicles.
Keeping track of the flow of people in and out of the lot and directing cars to different lots or other parking options took most of the day. The rest was filled with roving through the picnic area, passing out trash bags to picnickers, letting people know about certain rules (for example, no alcohol in the park), and informing them that they needed to be packed up and out of the area before it closed for the night.
Despite some visitors who were frustrated with the parking situation, and some folks who were breaking park regulations or getting a little rowdy, we had many positive interactions throughout the day. It is always nice to see people getting together to responsibly enjoy the park and the holiday with their families. Most importantly, we were able to close the lot on time without a single car left, with no injuries or major incidents, and with limited damage to the resources (there are often several bags worth of trash left over after a big picnicking day).
This week I’ll be working with the Interpretation, Education, and Volunteer Coordination team, so stay tuned for my next update!
No comments:
Post a Comment