Bluestem Tour Guides & Ambassadors
|
Bluestem tour guides and ambassadors play an important role in helping to introduce visitors to Bluestem and doing natural burial education. Individuals are invited to serve as tour guides and ambassadors only after getting to know Bluestem and participating in some volunteer capacity.
Bluestem Tour Guides offer group walking tours on-site, introducing newcomers to this place and our mission. Bluestem Ambassadors speak at events, table at conferences or fairs, and otherwise help to share information about Bluestem with the public. These roles are absolutely critical to what we do; thank you for your interest and dedication in serving Bluestem in this way. Natural burial, though an ancient practice, is new to many people. And as a conservation cemetery, Bluestem is a unique place where active conservation work intersects with the practice of natural burial. There is so much information to absorb, so having multiple opportunities, conversations, and viewpoints to offer folks as they are learning about it all is invaluable. Training for these positions occurs in conversation and in the field. If you are new to the positions, you will shadow staff or seasoned volunteers for your first tours or talks. Feel free to ask them questions! Tour guides are especially encouraged to come walk and get acquainted with Bluestem's paths and trails anytime on your own as well. Tour Guide & Ambassador Responsibilities
Below are the tasks you may be asked to perform in these roles:
Information for Tour Guides & Ambassadors
As a tour guide, please communicate with Kathleen, the volunteer walking tour coordinator (for walking tours), or Katie (for golf cart tours) to schedule your tours. At least three days prior to your tour, please email the attendees to remind them of the tour time and recommend that they wear long pants, closed-toed walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, bug spray and a rain jacket depending on the weather, and to bring a water bottle with them. We recommend the same for our tour guides while on-site. Always be mindful of weather and bugs. In the case of inclement weather, please communicate with the coordinator and Bluestem staff to cancel or reschedule the tour, and let your group know about the change. After the tour, please send follow up email to tour attendees. You can use a message like this example or something in your own words.
As a tour guide or ambassador, please wear a Bluestem shirt and/or hat so that you're easily identified as a representative of Bluestem. Always feel free to respond to questions in your own words — your perspective and experiences of Bluestem are the most valuable information you can share. If you do not know the answer to a question, always feel free to say "I don't know." You can ask staff and follow up with the person, or you can simply point them to Bluestem's website for staff contact information. Below are a few resources that may be helpful to you as you stay familiar with Bluestem, and for guests who are learning about Bluestem:
We also maintain a robust FAQ page on the website that you can reference. Below are a few additional questions we find that tour guides and ambassadors often receive: Q: I'm interested in making a reservation at Bluestem. What do I do next? A: When someone is ready to move forward with making a plot reservation at Bluestem, they should first connect with Bluestem staff by completing a Burial Interest Form. Then, a Bluestem staff member will reach out to answer any questions and schedule an in-person reservations appointment with them. They can review this webpage in preparation for their appointment. Q: What do the stakes and markers I see out in the fields symbolize? A: Tall, white-tipped t-posts appear every 100 feet North-South and East-West. These mark our grid system. Blue-tipped t-posts appear 100 feet from the creeks. These mark the water-quality buffer, a zone in which we do not do burial. Short, yellow-capped metal stakes indicate available burial plots in the woodlands. Large caps indicate standard sized plots for natural burial, small caps indicate ash plots. Large, round metal markers on the ground either have a last name, indicating a plot is reserved, or a full name, DOB, and DOD indicating a grave. A variety of small, round metal markers on the ground are additional markers for our grid system. The ones you see are usually pointing toward a "lane," a row where burial does not occur that allows our mowers to access each grave as needed. Other temporary stakes, markings, and flags may come and go, indicating new plantings, ongoing conservation activity, or other planning processes. Q: Can I send Bluestem staff a photo of the yellow-capped site I would like to reserve? Unfortunately, no. All burial reservations are made either in-person with staff OR by designation of staff. Bluestem staff do our best to provide the guest with the burial option of their choice, however, we always prioritize conservation in the selection process. Not all yellow-capped stakes are fully available for a burial reservation. Tour Guide Map
Please find a suggested Tour Route here. This route works well for walking or golf cart tours.
Please note that the golf carts can be driven on: all paths that go around and through the fields, the small part of the yellow trail that goes from the Barn through the Sanctuary, the small woodland trail that goes from the top of the Meadow through the Beech Sanctuary, the path that encircles the pond, and the part of the Black trail that goes from the Barn to the pond. The golf carts cannot be driven: on most of the Yellow Trail and other small trails through the woods, off the paths/trails, over plant growth, or on any paths that are muddy, snowy, or icy. As much as is possible, please also avoid driving on grassy areas when they are soggy from recent rain. Accessing the Golf Carts
When staff are not onsite and tour guides have scheduled with us ahead of time, tour guides can enter Bluestem and access the golf carts and the Salt House, to share with their guests. Please contact staff to schedule the appointment, and for access instructions.
Thank You
Bluestem ambassadors and on-site tour guides do some of the most essential education and relationship-building involved in this community-powered project! Your time is a gift to Bluestem visitors, families, and to us. Thank you for being a part of this journey. As we grow in our experiences together, we welcome your feedback and ideas for improving our processes.
|
