By Nadia Werby
Chimney Rock Interpretive Association
For over 20 years, the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), and its volunteers have shared the story of the ancestral Puebloan people with thousands of visitors through tours and special programs at Chimney Rock National Monument.
Historic places like Chimney Rock reflect the past while enriching our future, but without our volunteers, CRIA would be unable to provide the interpretive program that keeps Chimney Rock’s history alive.
CRIA must recruit new volunteers each year to meet increased demand in visitation and to replace volunteers who leave the area or can no longer volunteer.
To help community members learn about the exciting volunteer opportunities at Chimney Rock National Monument, CRIA will host an open house on March 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tennyson Event Center located at 197 Navajo Trail Drive. There will be a host of CRIA volunteers on hand who are eager to introduce guests to the variety of roles that support this unique program and the flexibility in level of commitment. Some of the volunteer positions include: visitor cabin host, mesa host, tour roving interpreter and maintenance crew.
CRIA offers a great, in-depth training program in a fun environment to anyone interested in joining our amazing team of volunteers. This year volunteer training will take place on the morning of April 24 at the Tennyson Event Center with a trip to Chimney Rock National Monument in the afternoon. We are very excited for the upcoming season starting May 15 and want to encourage the community to join us.
CRIA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that runs the daily operations and interpretive program at Chimney Rock National Monument in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the San Juan National Forest.
For more information, see the CRIA website at www.chimneyrockco.org or call 731-7133.
