Grand Canyon National Park
Key Messages – Week of September 20, 2021
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Federal Workforce Vaccination Update
- All federal employees need to be fully vaccinated by November 22, 2021. Full vaccination is achieved two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer) or two weeks after the first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
- In order to reach this deadline, we are working with our partners at the Grand Canyon Clinic and Coconino County Health and Human Services to offer additional vaccine events in our local community. See information below on upcoming vaccine events on the South and North rims.
- Requests for any medical or religious accommodations regarding the vaccine requirement should be made in writing to your supervisor for consideration on a case-by-case basis. Supervisors will work closely with our Employee Relations representative, Shawn Gay, on any requests for accommodation.
- Employees will be required to supply an official vaccine record that indicates the type of vaccine administered, dates of administration, and the name of the health care professionals or clinic sites administering the vaccines.
- If you do not have your vaccination records, they can be requested from the Department of Health from the State where you received your vaccinations.
- This link provides the request form through the Arizona Department of Health Services: ADHS Immunization Record Request Form
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Arizona and Grand Canyon Community Statistics
COVID case numbers in Arizona decreased slightly this week to 2,564 new cases per day compared to last week’s average of 2,578.
As of Tuesday, there have been a total of 244 cases in the 86023 zip code since the beginning of the pandemic. There have been approximately 62 cases in the park since the beginning of the pandemic.
- This includes four park residents who tested positive this week; these individuals are currently isolating.
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Reporting COVID symptoms is critical to limiting exposure and keeping our staff and community safe.
If you think you may have been exposed to COVID, regardless of your vaccination status, immediately isolate and report your situation to your supervisor and Public Health Consultant, Ronan King, and await their instructions.
Following this protocol and Ronan’s instructions is extremely important so that any community spread can be contained as quickly as possible.
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Public Health Contacts
Ronan King, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service
For all email correspondence, please also cc: Chris Glime, Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
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Upcoming COVID Vaccine Events
Grand Canyon Rec Center Ramada:
- The first event will be held on Monday, October 4 from 3-5 p.m.
- A follow-up vaccine event will be held on Monday, November 1 from 3-5 p.m., for those individuals getting their first shot at the October vaccination event who need a second dose for full vaccination.
- Next week we will provide more information on whether the flu shot will also be available at these events.
Coconino County Health and Human Services will not be administering booster doses until a final decision is reached by the CDC. As of Thursday, discussions by the CDC are still ongoing on who qualifies for booster doses. A North Rim vaccine event is tentatively being scheduled for early to mid October. More information will be included in next week’s issue.
Federal employees are now authorized to get a COVID vaccination on work time. Talk with your supervisor for more details.
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Messages and Grand Canyon News
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National Public Lands Day
This Saturday, September 25 will mark the 26th annual Condor Release at the Vermilion Cliffs as part of National Public Lands Day. Due to high Covid-19 transmission levels in counties surrounding the condor release site, and to help prevent further spread of the virus, partners hosting the event are strongly encouraging the public to attend the live stream event online. In 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team took the celebration online with more than 10,000 viewers of the event. Because of that success, the event will be live streamed again this year.
The programming for the live virtual event will begin at 10:30 am (Arizona time). The release pen will be open at 11 a.m. (Arizona time).
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Maswik South Construction Progress
As many of you know, new lodging facilities are being built by Xanterra at Maswik South. This new construction will result in four new lodging units consisting of 90 standard rooms and an additional 30 rooms with full kitchenettes.
The buildings are being built in a phased approach, and Xanterra anticipates the first building being substantially complete in early December 2021. The remaining buildings are all scheduled to be completed in late February of 2022.
We would like to thank Xanterra for their partnership and we are excited to see these new facilities being built and coming online next summer!
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Grand Canyon Celebration of Art Recap
We had a fantastic week working with the Grand Canyon Conservancy on the 13th annual Celebration of Art. Twenty-five artists spent last week at Grand Canyon, capturing its essence through their paint and pastel. Their exceptional works are now on display and available for purchase at Kolb Studio and on GCC’s website. This year’s event included an online auction with sales exceeding all previous auction events (including the onsite Quick Draw event held in 2019 and earlier). GCC also incorporated an onsite “Paint Out” on Friday, September 17 selling all 22 pieces of art created during the event and far exceeding last year’s Paint Out revenues. While the numbers are still being finalized, total sales from all opening weekend events is $217,000, and GCC believes they are on track to meet 2019 sales. Sales in the gallery itself exceeded last year’s opening weekend sales by approximately $6.000. Funds raised by Celebration of Art will benefit the creation of a future publicly accessible art venue and support art programming at the park.
A HUGE thanks to the GCC Team and all the volunteers for their hard work and dedication to continuing the legacy of art in our parks!
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Launch of NPS Mindful
NPSMindful is a new employee wellness program sponsored by the NPS Wellness and Resilience Branch.
The purpose of NPSMindful is to provide opportunities for employees to regularly participate in mindfulness activities designed to support employee well-being and to make mindfulness-related resources available for all employees through the Wellness and Resilience Portal. Mindfulness is being in the present moment, not being distracted by the future or the past, or what is going on around us. By purposely paying attention to the here and now in a non-judgmental way, we are less likely to become overwhelmed or overreactive to what’s going on around us. Although mindfulness isn’t for everyone, regular practitioners report benefits such as reduced stress and anxiety, increased focus, and a consistently calmer state of being. These benefits are backed by a growing body of scientific research.
Starting this week, NPSMindful will offer short (15 – 20 minute), weekly Guided Mindfulness Breaks every Wednesday at 1:00 ET (10 a.m. Arizona time). More information can be found on the Wellness and Resilience Portal site.
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AMC’s ‘Over the Edge’ Cleanup this Weekend
This weekend will mark the 32nd consecutive year that the Arizona Mountain Club (AMC) will participate in the ‘Over the Edge’ Cleanup event on the South Rim. This Saturday and Sunday, 26 volunteers from the AMC will be rappelling over the edge of the canyon at popular overlooks to collect trash and debris.
At last year’s event, volunteers collected 47 pounds of trash below the rim as well as 14 pounds of coins below Mather Point. We would like to thank these volunteers for the invaluable service they provide each year in keeping our canyon clean, safe, and healthy for wildlife and the visiting public.
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Leadership Spotlight
Manager, NPS Fundamentals Program, Susan Collins
Susan Collins is the new manager of the NPS Fundamentals Program at the Albright Training Center (HOAL). In her role, she manages the program and six instructors who deliver the 8- and 5-day classes for new employees – typically, those within the first 2 to 3 years of permanent employment with NPS. She is very excited to be part of HOAL and the GRCA community.
Susan has been a learning and development professional for over 20 years, primarily working in leadership and organizational development. She has her Professional Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation and has been a certified leadership coach since 2002. Most recently, Susan worked as a manager in leadership and organizational development for US Citizenship & Immigration Services, and previously served as Manager of Executive Education at the Treasury Executive Institute. Before working for DHS, she was a consultant to federal agencies in the areas of human capital strategy, performance metrics, leadership development, and executive coaching. She has led leadership and organizational development programs and teams since 2000 following a first career as a housing and labor research economist.
Over the years, Susan has volunteered with companion animal rescue, equine medical care, wildlife rescue, Appalachian Trail maintenance, hike leading, and as an interpreter at the Smithsonian National Zoo in the Reptile Discovery Center. She pursued the position with HOAL at GRCA to bring her professional work in better alignment with her passion for nature and wildlife. She still can’t believe she has been offered the opportunity to live at the Grand Canyon!
Susan moved to GRCA from the Washington, DC, area in March of 2021, after having lived in the DC area for 33 years. She has a PhD in economics from the University of Rochester, and BA from Wellesley College. She has been pursuing a master’s degree in wildlife conservation from Unity College but has put further study on hold so she can explore everything the region in and around GRCA has to offer. She is very excited to be building her stamina to go down to the Colorado River.
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Current Operational Hours
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South Rim
- Maswik Lodge Cafeteria: 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Bright Angel Fountain and Coffee House, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-10 p.m.
- Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 6 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Deli-7 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Bright Angel Bikes, Rentals: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Cafe: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Kolb Studio: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Grand Canyon Visitor Center information table: 8a.m.-5p.m.
- Beginning Monday, September 27th, Delaware North’s Camper Services laundry and shower facility will be open from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. daily. The last laundry load will be at 2:30 p.m. and the last shower will be at 3:45 p.m.
Desert View
- Desert View Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream and Market, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
- Desert View Watchtower, staffed by GCC Saturday-Wednesday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The Watchtower will be closed to the public on Thursdays and Fridays.
- Desert View Information Table (staffed by NPS), 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. The table is located on the north side of the main parking lot, in front of the building on the left side of the Orientation Plaza.
- Desert View Campground is open. Reservations can be made via www.recreation.gov.
North Rim
- General Store, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily
- Roaring Springs Overlook Kiosk, NPS staffed from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily
- North Rim Visitor Center, GCC staffed from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- North Rim Lodge dining, 4:30-9:30 p.m. daily
- Deli in the Pines, 6 a.m.-7:30 p.m. daily
- Rough Rider Saloon, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily
The following park closures remain in place:
- South Rim Visitor Center (indoors), information table staffed 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. daily
- Headquarters Information Desk
- Yavapai Lodge Restaurant
- Maswik Pizza Pub, Arizona Steak House, and Fred Harvey Burger
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Photo Credits (in order of appearance)
- Orange Harvest Moon moonrise on the South Rim on September 20 (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
- A searcher in the Walhalla Glades area on the North Rim during a search last week (NPS Photo/L. Cisneros)
- Five condors perch in the release pens during the 2019 condor release (Photo courtesy of BLM)
- Maswik South construction progress (NPS Photo/J. Baird)
- The Celebration of Art Gallery set up within Kolb Studio, with dozens of paintings of Grand Canyon lining the walls (NPS Photo/B. Maul)
- Sacred datura (Datura wrightii) along Nankoweap Creek (NPS Photo/J. Baird)
- AMC volunteer rappelling below Mather Point during the 2020 ‘Over the Edge’ cleanup (NPS Photo/B. Maul)
- NPS Fundamentals Program Manager, Susan Collins (Photo courtesy of Susan Collins)
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