Museum seeks volunteers for Amtrak program

Klamath County Museum volunteer Patrick O’Donnell, left, interacts with passengers on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Klamath County Museum is seeking volunteers interested in serving as docents on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight route.

Information on the Amtrak docent program will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the museum, 1451 Main St. Anyone interested in becoming a docent is invited to attend.

Docents provide an interpretive program for passengers on the Coast Starlight route between Klamath Falls and Eugene. The route passes through the communities of Chiloquin, Chemult and Oakridge, crossing the Cascade Mountain range near Willamette Pass.

“This program is fun and rewarding for anyone who is comfortable with public speaking and who doesn’t mind putting in a long day talking with passengers,” said Todd Kepple, museum manager for Klamath County. “We provide all the information and training needed to help our volunteers make a great presentation.”

Volunteer docents board the train around 8:00 a.m. in Klamath Falls and make the four-hour trip to Eugene, providing narration about features such as lakes, forests, wildlife, historic sites and geology.

Docents usually have a four-hour layover in Eugene before boarding a southbound train for the return to Klamath Falls, arriving around 10:00 p.m.

Prospective volunteers are asked to purchase a copy of the docent script, and participate in a training program. Those who are accepted into the program will be asked to make the trip to Eugene once a month.

For more information call the Klamath County Museum at (541) 882-1000.