Volunteer Opportunities

March 19, 2018 Nathalie Drotar

with the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation (BSGF) – The process to be a Volunteer Assistant Guide (VAG) aka tail guide with the Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation (BSGF) is as follows:

Fill out the necessary information in the Volunteer Assistant Guide (VAG) application. Our schedule for the season can be found here. The VAG application form can be found here.

Provide proof of First Aid – Level C certification.
Provide specific dates of availability.
Read and sign the waiver found here.

Some expectations of the VAG are as follows:

There will only be one (1) volunteer per hike to either the Walcott Quarry or Mount Stephen.
Volunteers will walk at the back of the group and, in the event that a client cannot complete the hike, the volunteer must be prepared to take them back to their car or the trailhead.
Volunteers may help with group morale but will not provide interpretive presentations about geoscience.
Volunteers are encouraged to share interesting pieces about the environment, nature, and history (e.g. Flora and Fauna of Yoho national park) during hikes but must not interrupt the tight hike schedule with long monologues.
Volunteers must read and understand the hike information for either Walcott Quarry or Mount Stephen prior to their hike. Details
The meeting place for both hikes is here. (Field Gas station).
Walcott Quarry: 12 hour day. Volunteers will usually meet at 7:30AM the morning of the hike but in the event that there are multiple Walcott hikes that day the starting times for the extra hikes will be later. Please contact us to make sure you know what time the hike is starting.
Mount Stephen: 8 hours day. Volunteers will usually meet at 8:15AM the morning of the hike but in the event that there are multiple Stephen hikes that day the starting times for the extra hikes will be later. Please contact us to make sure you know what time the hike is starting.
Volunteers are expected to bring a First Aid kit and must meet the minimum required clothing indicated on our webpage.
The taking/buying/selling of fossils from the Walcott Quarry or Mount Stephen is prohibited. It is illegal and offenders can be charged up to $2 million in fines.

Volunteers with interpretive guide association (IGA) membership will receive 12 hours (Walcott Quarry) or 8 hours (Mount Stephen) of continuing professional development (CPD) hours or hiking guiding experience toward their professional development.