[DutchmenSport]

Earlier this year I posted about the declining care and attention given at some of our Indiana State Parks, how nasty people were at leaving trash and burning everything BUT firewood in campground fire pits and then leaving a mess. I've complained about the lack of involvement from park staff, campground hosts, and DNR rangers.

When I investigated at some of the state parks from management (once I was able to locate them), the story was the same everywhere.... they are lacking help. They can't get anyone to work. They can't get hosts who are willing to actually work. They want the free campsite, but don't want to work for it. They can't recruit volunteers. It seems that's a dying breed of people. They can't hire people for pay, because no one want's to work for a minimum wage (or slightly higher) .... oh, they want the money, but once they get there they realize they actually have to do something to earn it, they quit.

This year, I've volunteered my services at several state parks, while camping there! And I also served as a camp host and gave them 100% of my time, effort, and energy. Everywhere we go now, I check in with campground management now and ask what I can volunteer to do while we are camping there. Almost every one say, help pick up trash if you want to do something. That works well in our schedule as we do a LOT of hiking anyway!

If we (all) want to help save our campgrounds that are quickly dying because they cannot get help, then maybe we, as avid campers, need to step forward and do some volunteer effort at the campgrounds we patronize the most. No doubt, some of these campgrounds that are struggling to stay afloat for lack of help, will gladly use any volunteer. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Each of us are either part of the problem, or we are the cure for the problem. It's in your ball park.