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Vern and Rae Nell Hasker make their home on the road and never stay in one place very long.
However, each pause in their nine-year journey has been a unique learning experience and an opportunity to serve others.
“Before we were even married, we talked about what we wanted to do when we retired,” said Rae Nell. “We always wanted to travel.”
The Haskers arrived at Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge, a short drive south of Bastrop on U.S. 165, in October and plan to stay through March. This is their second stop at Black Bayou as “resident volunteers” of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Black Bayou Public Use Specialist Gay Brantley explained the refuge has two RV pads reserved for traveling volunteers, who render services alongside the Friends of Black Bayou and refuge employees.
“For the most part, the volunteers are retired couples who work here for a month or more in exchange for [RV] utilities,” said Brantley.
All of the resident volunteers have unique stories to tell. Vern and Rae Nell Hasker are natives of South Dakota and Iowa, respectively. They met in Lincoln, Neb., while Vern was serving in the U.S. Air Force and were married the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Following through on their longtime dream, the Haskers are making the most of their retirement.
“We sold our home in 2003 and we’ve been traveling around the country ever since,” said Rae Nell. “Now we’re full-time RVers.”
Last year, the couple volunteered at parks and refuges in Florida, Texas, New York and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where they served as “weed wranglers,” clearing thistles from campsites. They also served as visitor center docents in Homer, Ala. for three months.
“We usually stay at one place a minimum of three months, which is good because it takes the first month to get oriented to a new place,” said Vern.
The Haskers’ primary responsibility at Black Bayou is to greet and guide visitors. They also help feed the animals in the Conservation Learning Center, and clean the fish and reptile tanks.
Vern assists the Black Bayou crew in clearing hiking trails, while Rae Nell has sewed new curtain panels for the wildlife and birdwatching blinds. An estimated 5,000 school children visit the refuge each year, and one of the highlights of the Haskers’ job is to give presentations and interpretive nature walks to young people.
Vern and Rae Nell Hasker make their home on the road and never stay in one place very long.
However, each pause in their nine-year journey has been a unique learning experience and an opportunity to serve others.
“Before we were even married, we talked about what we wanted to do when we retired,” said Rae Nell. “We always wanted to travel.”
The Haskers arrived at Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge, a short drive south of Bastrop on U.S. 165, in October and plan to stay through March. This is their second stop at Black Bayou as “resident volunteers” of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Black Bayou Public Use Specialist Gay Brantley explained the refuge has two RV pads reserved for traveling volunteers, who render services alongside the Friends of Black Bayou and refuge employees.
“For the most part, the volunteers are retired couples who work here for a month or more in exchange for [RV] utilities,” said Brantley.
All of the resident volunteers have unique stories to tell. Vern and Rae Nell Hasker are natives of South Dakota and Iowa, respectively. They met in Lincoln, Neb., while Vern was serving in the U.S. Air Force and were married the day after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Following through on their longtime dream, the Haskers are making the most of their retirement.
“We sold our home in 2003 and we’ve been traveling around the country ever since,” said Rae Nell. “Now we’re full-time RVers.”
Last year, the couple volunteered at parks and refuges in Florida, Texas, New York and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where they served as “weed wranglers,” clearing thistles from campsites. They also served as visitor center docents in Homer, Ala. for three months.
“We usually stay at one place a minimum of three months, which is good because it takes the first month to get oriented to a new place,” said Vern.
The Haskers’ primary responsibility at Black Bayou is to greet and guide visitors. They also help feed the animals in the Conservation Learning Center, and clean the fish and reptile tanks.
Vern assists the Black Bayou crew in clearing hiking trails, while Rae Nell has sewed new curtain panels for the wildlife and birdwatching blinds. An estimated 5,000 school children visit the refuge each year, and one of the highlights of the Haskers’ job is to give presentations and interpretive nature walks to young people.
“We close the gates at night and open them in the morning,” said Rae Nell. “We always ask ourselves, ‘How many deer are going to see today?’”
They counted 19 deer in one day at the refuge this week.
“One of the disadvantages is that many places we go to don’t have cellular service,” said Vern. “We get asked, ‘How do you communicate with your family and friends?’ The answer is WiFi.”
Vern said many parks and refuges are beginning to offer wireless Internet service at the request of traveling volunteers.
Meeting new people is part of the adventure. At Black Bayou, they have received fish caught in the refuge and produce from local gardens. They once met a married couple who came to visit the restored 1885 house now serving as the visitor center -- where they first met decades before.
When they’re not working, the Haskers stay busy. Rae Nell sews quilts that her husband designs, and she has recently completed a series of outdoor-themed pillowcases called “The Colors of Black Bayou,” for sale in the gift shop. And they keep traveling, visiting nearby sites like Poverty Point and Natchez, Miss. Vern said he plans to visit Simmons Sporting Goods in Bastrop.
The Haskers’ next destination is Paola, Kan., where they will be close to their children and grandchildren. They’ve applied for volunteer positions at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota and they hope to return to Alaska.
“We want to keep traveling and see more of the United States,” said Rae Nell. “We’re encouraging people who are retired to volunteer -- it’s a great learning opportunity.”
Learn more about becoming a resident volunteer at America’s parks and refuges at volunteer.gov/gov.
