Making A Better Park For You

Day 308 (Part One): "Good morning! My name is Crow, and I work with the National Park Service. This week, we're conducting visitor surveys throughout the Park, collecting demographic data in conjunction with the University of Idaho. The information we gather will be analyzed by them and the results will be returned to our Superintendent. If you have a moment, I'd like to ask you a few quick questions and then send you home with a questionnaire which you can mail back, postage paid. Would you care to participate?"

At least 90% of the time, the answer I received was an enthusiastic, "Yes!" When the interview was completed, I would add, "Every survey which is returned is helpful to us. By answering the questions, you are helping make the Park a better place...for YOU!"

Today was my third day of visitor surveys. It was at least ten degrees cooler, but still warm enough that I shed the jacket by 9:00 AM. It was also the slowest day of the three (my other two days were on the weekend). In seven hours, I handed out 40 surveys on an "interval" basis, evenly distributed to the occupants of 228 vehicles. My peak day was Saturday when I was working with a partner. Together, we handed out 85 surveys to the occupants of over 2100 cars.