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Making Summer Jobs More Engaging

Summer at Blue Hole Regional Park is beautiful, but it’s also long, hot, and can feel pretty repetitive if you work here. Our part-time staff spend their days greeting visitors, checking trails, helping with maintenance, and doing all the usual park tasks. It’s important work, but after a couple of months, even the most enthusiastic staff can start to feel the routine and the heat. Some days are physically demanding, others mentally repetitive, and by mid-summer it’s easy to get a little worn out.

This year, we wanted to try something different. We offered our staff the chance to take on a small project. We thought this would be something they could call their own, explore their interests, and make their days a bit more engaging. We suggested a few ideas to get the ball rolling, but what came out of it went far beyond anything we expected. Each person brought their own creativity and perspective, and the results were impressive, and practical. It was a reminder that when people are given a little freedom and ownership, they often surprise you… and they make the park better in the process.

Sean created some spectacular original artwork.

Illustration of various fish species on a green background labeled 'The Shallow End'.

Heidii designed a visitor use survey to help us better understand who comes to the park and what they enjoy. It received over 440 responses!

Survey page with a header image of a person swinging over a river in a forested area.

Bar chart showing nature connection ratings: most responses are '5' out of 5.

Reagan identified plants and created tags, adding to our understanding of the park’s natural areas.

Yaupon Holly tree with a label showing its botanical name, Ilex vomitoria.

Tyler created a workout circuit for visitors and staff to try out.

Blue Hole Workout Circuit poster with 3 levels: Calm, Standard, Intense. Includes park map link. Green grass background.

Kim took photos around the park to use for social media and the website.

Person backflipping into a lake with two others swimming nearby, surrounded by trees.

Sunset through trees by a pond with green foliage in the foreground.

Serena took photos around the park to use for social media and the website.

Person climbing a tall tree in a forested area under a clear sky.

Green foliage with small red flowers in a forest setting.

It was really neat to see staff find something they were interested in and explore it. These projects added value to the park in ways we hadn’t planned.

Small things like this remind us that even in a job that can feel repetitive, there’s room for creativity and ownership if people are given the chance. This summer, our staff proved that with a little freedom, they can make their work (and the park) better. We’re excited to do this again next year and see what the next group of staff comes up with. To apply for jobs with Wimberley Parks please visit https://wimberleyparksandrec.com/join-us/

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