Unique and Rare - Catalina Island Conservancy

The Work We DoThe Truth About Visitor ServicesThe day started out like any other Monday in summer. Not too busyby late afternoon, no cruise ship that day. I receive a call from AvalonSheriff’s Station dispatch. They report a deer caught and injured neartown. The deer will probably have to be put down and they wouldlike assistance. The location they describe is not on Conservancyproperty, and deer belong to the State of California, but I let themknow that I will inform the Ranger on duty so he can follow up. Icontact Jim, our Ranger, about the deer by radio. He advises me thatthe California Department of Fish & Game has a couple employeeson the island at present and he will try to contact them.Visitor Services staff keeping it under control. (l to r),Rebecca Guay, Liz Johnson, and Diane Conover.Meanwhile Jim is dealing with a broken down vehicle that may posea danger if left in its current location after dark. He asks me to lookup the license plate number in our database to see if we can identifythe owner. At the same time, the phones are ringing, and people arewaiting at the counter for hiking permits. Liz, our front desk staff, isaway making the afternoon post office drop.A call comes in from a hiker on his cell phone. He thinks he is lost, heis almost out of water, it is warm outside and he is getting worried. Itry to help him figure out where he is.After determining that the broken down vehicle is not in our database as an annual permit, I check the daily card key list to see ifwe can identify the owner that way. The phones are still ringing. One of the calls is an employee to inform me about the deer. Ilet him know that a Ranger has been contacted.In the meantime, I am trying to keep the hiker calm and have him tell me what his surroundings look like. I give him landmarksto look for to try to head him in the right direction. I advise the Ranger of the hiker. The phones are still ringing and people arestill waiting. A Deputy Sheriff calls to tell me about the deer. I explain to him what’s going on. He asks for the Institute for WildlifeStudies’ phone number.I cannot find any information on the disabled vehicle. I can only assume the vehicle is out there without a permit. Now the hikersees a landmark and I think he is headed the right direction but he is still worried. I get his cell phone number so that I can callhim back and keep track of him. By now, Jim has dealt with the deer situation. He has determined that the vehicle will have tostay where it is for now and heads for the hiker. A few minutes later Jim calls to inform me the hiker is on his way back to town,and Jim will stop by the office to follow up on the vehicle.Somewhere in all this Liz has returned and has helped the people at the desk.Just a typical hour at Visitor Services, mid-July....Visitor Services Staff answer phones, offer Ranger support, issue various permits, manage the Jeep Eco-Tour reservations, continue afifty year rainfall log, design, purchase and sell retail Conservancy logo items, among many other tasks. There’s always a smile waiting,even on a day that starts out like any other Monday.Rebecca GuayDirector of Visitor ServicesYou Make The DifferenceVisitor Services gives a warm thank you to the following volunteers for their dedicated time as CatalinaConservancy Greeters and Eco-Tour Drivers; Rita Dlugokecki, Judy Hibbs, Paul McIlroy, Mary McKernan, and Jim Watson.Conservancy Times1 5