The photo above was taken a year ago on April 11 by Pauline. This was when the park was closed, nature was enjoying a break from humans, things were quiet. That’s also when we had rain, remember what that is? A weird time for all.

We wanted to introduce and remind volunteers of some of the features available on the VIP Voice.

The VIP Voice is a fun, interactive way to keep informed about what’s happening within the park and within the VIP community in the park. It’s also not meant to be a one-way conversation. You can contribute to the blog by submitting articles, photos, or sharing anecdotes of your experiences while serving as a VIP at Cabrillo.

Under the Reference menu you will find the Volunteer Orientation Guide and the Ebinder.

Ebinder – Even though we haven’t produced a new pdf or been able to print and update the hard copies of the ebinder, you don’t have to wait to find out what’s new! The online version continues to be updated. If you want to see what the latest changes are, the Version Description document has that information along with links to those updated documents.

In addition to the online version, there are other new documents in the works; including a history of the Assistant Keeper’s Quarters (AKQ) and the history of the “Bunker” or Base Station. There may be other things added as well. Perhaps you have seen new critters in the tidepools that aren’t in the ebinder. If you are interested in helping contribute to the ebinder, let us know.

Volunteer Orientation Guide (VOG) – The VOG is available both as a downloadable pdf and an online version. Similar to the ebinder, the online version is always kept up to date. This is the place to start if you are a new volunteer.

The Tidepools menu has several items for you to visit. Along with the tide charts, and tidepool tips, you will find the new What’s in the Tidepools? posts. In addition you can view the Tidepool videos to see what volunteers have discovered while working in the tidepools.

Under the Media tab you can visit the hundreds of photos that Pauline and others took while the park was closed in 2020 to help keep us connected to the park.

The Events menu has been temporarily removed. Once we get back to “normal” operations (whatever our new normal is), then we will start to publish upcoming events.

On the home page of the VIPVoice website you will find social media posts from Cabrillo through Facebook. You will also find a link to login to Volgistics to enter your hours or sign up for shifts. You can also see recent comments that people have made to various posts.

If you have ideas or other items you would like to see on the VIPVoice website or have other comments, send an email to cnmvipvoice@gmail.com

Remember that Junior Ranger day is this Saturday, April 17. It’s also a fee free day, so expect a lot of visitors. Sign up to help if you can, but remember to stay safe and healthy. Hopefully we can all be back in the park soon doing the things we love.