Opportunities From: Tennessee State Parks

Interested in learning to work with birds of prey?  Join Roan Mountain State Park for a series of volunteer workdays with Park Ranger Phil Hylen and our park owls: Shiloh and Sunshine.  Volunteers will help the park to clean owl cages, complete minor aviary maintenance, and assist with the care of the owls (obtaining weights, checking housing conditions, and learning their stories to educate the public).  Each shift will begin by meeting Ranger Phil at the Park Headquarters building to sign in and brief for the shift.  While 3 volunteers will help to clean, a handler will be present to work with the owls directly and train cleaners on skillsets necessary to work directly with the owls.      

Shifts vary on time and the maximum number of volunteers.  We will be trying to conduct two volunteer days per week to allow for more enrichment time with the owls and volunteers.  

RMSP is looking for volunteers interested in hiking and trail building to assist our park with maintaining and improving park trails.  Trail maintenance can be done in a general fashion or by adopting a trail to monitor and maintain on a regular basis.  Maintenance duties include lopping overgrowth, leaf blowing, blazing trails, assisting park rangers with trail structures, and utilizing Avenza Maps to mark any issues found while inspecting trails.  

To register as a trail volunteer, please contact Ranger Marco Rodriguez at Marco.Rodriguez@tn.gov to schedule a time!

Are you a farm kid at heart? Want to get your hands dirty for a good cause? Many hands make light work and we need more hands!

The Miller Farmstead is on the National Register of Historic Places because it represents the history of Appalachian subsistence farming. The farm features an early 20th century farmhouse and outbuildings, a (retired) horse, chickens, native and ornamental gardens, orchard, and composting operations. 

Throughout the year, we need general assistance with a variety of projects, including:

Pruning, Planting & Weeding Turning Compost Minor Repairs to Fencing and Buildings Interior & Exterior Cleanup Painting Moving heavy objects Barn choresChicken Coop Cleaning More!

Please come prepared for general outdoor work with sturdy shoes, plenty of water, and weather-appropriate clothing. If you'd like to help with routine maintenance at the farmstead, we'd love to have your help and we will work with you to schedule service hours at your convenience. If you have a specific relevant skill (fencing, landscape design, historic home maintenance) you'd like to offer, please let us know. 

The Dave and Louisa Miller family came to Ripshin Mountain in 1870, having leased the land from General John T. Wilder. Over the following 90+ years, 3 generations of Millers lived a subsistence farming lifestyle characteristic of those who populated the lands that now comprise Roan Mountain State Park. Throughout the warmer months, park interpreters offer tours of the Miller Farmstead to share the story of Roan Mountain's pre-park history. 

We are seeking volunteer tour guides who are interested in telling the story of the Miller Farmstead to park visitors. Interested volunteers must be able to:

Learn and deliver a scripted tour lasting approximately 45 minutes (with training and support) Stand, walk on uneven ground, navigate uneven steps during the tour.  Welcome and manage groups of up to 10 guests as they visit the house. Follow rules & regulations Convey customer service details to park guests. Be comfortable in a farm setting, which includes livestock. Be comfortable in inclement, muddy weather.

Tour volunteers have the option of dressing in period clothing, subject to site manager's approval. 

Tours are offered Tuesday – Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day & on weekends in October. Tours are scheduled each day at 11AM, 1PM, and 2PM. Volunteer schedules can be flexible, but must accommodate the scheduled tour times. If you have an interest in helping us fulfill our park's historical mission by hosting tours at the Miller Farmstead, we welcome your assistance!

Please leave a note in your initial sign up with your availability to host tours this summer and fall. Sign-ups may be asked to provide previous tour guiding or interpretive experience. If selected, volunteers will be asked to attend select Miller Farmstead Volunteer Days to help prepare the house for the season, receive training and a copy of the tour outline, and practice giving the tour with Ranger Price.

The Miller Farmstead was built in 1908 and is preserved as a reminder of the communities that populated these mountains in the early 20th century. The farmstead is open for daily tours from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day and weekends through October. Because of staffing limitations, we rely on volunteer service to support our farmstead programs.

We are seeking living history enthusiasts to demonstrate historic crafts, farm work & trade skills at the farmstead. If you have an interest in historical research, costuming, and skills, we'd love to help you develop a living history program to deliver at the Miller Farmstead this summer.

All living history programs at the farmstead are subject to site manager review and should be centered on early 20th century subsistence farming and regional history. 

We have a multitude of container and traditional gardens leading up to and surrounding the Miller Farmstead. Over time, we'd like to convert each of these plots into arrangements of native and traditionally-relevant perennial plants that will provide eco-services to local wildlife and be beautiful to look at for our visitors. 

We are currently recruiting regular service volunteers to adopt small garden plots to maintain on a regular basis. Maintenance can be as little as tackling weeds in an existing plot for half an hour twice a month during the growing season, or as much as designing appropriate plantings and working with staff to renew a bed from start to finish.

This is an opportunity where experienced gardeners can work relatively independently, but we are happy to provide training and direction to inexperienced gardeners where needed. Bring your own tools and gloves, or use ours. 

If you'd like a smaller project to manage that will make a big difference and be seen and enjoyed by millions of visitors, we welcome your help. 

Before claiming a plot, please sign up for our Miller Farmstead Volunteer Days opportunity to visit the Miller Farmstead with Ranger Price, assist with garden set-up, and establish a plan for your plot. We look forward to gardening with you soon!

Interested in history or have experience with historic preservation? Are you needing volunteer hours to receive or maintain a related certification? Roan Mountain State Park is in the process of researching and cataloging holdings into our newly established park archives. We are looking for volunteers to assist with preservation and archival activites.

Shifts are flexible and will be scheduled as volunteers and park staff are available. Activities will include coordinating as a team to carefully move objects (which may be both heavy and delicate), bending, reaching overhead, climbing a step ladder, and more. 

For more information, please respond to this opportunity. Ranger staff will contact you to discuss what you are interested in contributing and to coordinate further.