Hearst San Simeon State Park is recruiting new docents (volunteers) to help share the fascinating life history of the northern elephant seals at the rookery in San Simeon, California. California State Parks, part of Central Coast State Parks Association, supported by Friends of the Elephant Seal, will be offering a Spring 2025 training class to prepare new docents to meet the public as informal educators and wildlife interpreters. The application deadline is March 2. Visit bttr.im/mfapo to apply. Interviews will be held in person in San Simeon during the first two weeks of March.
Piedras Blancas is the largest mainland rookery for these amazing animals. Elephant seals visit the beach twice annually: once to give birth and breed and again to molt and grow a new coat. The rest of the year they migrate long distances, diving deep to avoid predators and find food.
Volunteering as an elephant seal docent is one of the Central Coast’s best opportunities for outdoor public service. Docents are crucial to enhancing the visitor’s experience at one of the most highly visited sites in Hearst San Simeon State Park. The best reward is the opportunity to meet curious visitors from around the world, provide meaningful and memorable interpretation and help people gain an appreciation of this unique species and its critical ocean habitat.
Professional-quality training, reference materials and mentoring are provided, allowing docents to get started with confidence. The training program includes independent study assignments and virtual & in-person sessions. Three on-site, outdoor mentoring sessions will be scheduled individually during the month of April. Two virtual sessions will take place via Zoom on March 20 and March 27. Two in-person training sessions will take place in Morro Bay on April 19 and May 3.
Docents must be able to volunteer three or four 3-hour shifts a month, either in the morning or afternoon. Docents are asked to commit to at least one year of service. If you would like to welcome visitors to their state parks and unlock the wonders of the amazing wildlife and habitat along the Central California Coast, please apply to become a docent by the March 2 deadline. An online application is available at bttr.im/mfapo.