Deadman Lake Volunteers, Claude Bruand and Nicole Young, re-staining a picnic table. - Photo Credit: Kay Lynn Odle-Moore, USFWS

Deadman Lake Volunteer, Jim Grubb, trimming along the Taiga Trail - Photo Credit: Kay Lynn Odle-Moore, USFWS

Visitor Center Volunteer, John Wicklund, completing a little construction project - Photo Credit: Kay Lynn Odle-Moore, USFWS

Our valuable volunteers helped to make 2015 another successful summer season for Visitor Services at Tetlin. Their valiant efforts in our behalf helped us in so many ways: leading guided hikes, providing interpretation, and completing clean-up/ maintenance projects.
Thanks so much to our stellar volunteers for 2015:
Nicole Young & Claude Bruand (Deadman Lake Campground—Session 1) 576+ hours
Sandi & John Wicklund (Visitor Center—Session 1) 528+ hours
Jim & Sandy Grubb (Deadman Lake Campground—Session 2) 544+ hours
Jim Sumrall & Karen Smith Sumrall (Visitor Center—Session 2) 608+ hours
Jack Trout —Maintenance 152+ hours

2015 accomplishments included:
• Providing interpretive talks for visitors at Deadman Lake, the VC, and Seaton Recreation Area as well as politely answering questions no matter when, how many times, or how they were asked
• Leading well over 300 guided hikes to the Trapper’s Cabins at the Visitor Center
• Cleaning 7 interpretive pullouts along the Alaska/ Canada Highway & checking/ cleaning Hidden Lake Trailhead
• Putting out PFDs and making sure the “Kids Don’t Float” stations remained stocked throughout the season
• Cleaning RRs at both of our campgrounds (& @ Seaton) as well as keeping garbage bins emptied/ trash back-hauled to Northway or Tok
• Helping with the re-roofing of the Trapper’s Cabins at the Visitor Center; constructing and installing a guest register at Seaton Recreation Area
• Cleaning fire pits at the campgrounds, brush cutting, clearing, weed whacking, landscaping; helping pull invasive plants; building a covering for the new water tank at the Visitor Center
• Filling pot holes in campground roads; completing many maintenance tasks at facilities
• Staining/ repairing picnic tables at facilities
• Sanding, re-painting Taiga Trail sign holders and stabilizing sign posts along the trail (many had previously been wobbly in the permafrost)
• Happily greeting visitors and sharing information with them
• Cheerfully helping with many other tasks WHENEVER they were asked!

We couldn’t have met our visitors’ needs nearly as well without the many, many hours our volunteers contributed to Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge!