The caretakers of the wild horses on Shackleford Banks and Rachel Carson Reserve are looking for volunteers to be part of the “Pony Patrol,” an effort to help protect the wild horses and increase visitor compliance with wild horse rules and guidelines.
A partnership of Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses Inc., Pony Patrol volunteers will work four-hour shifts at least four times a month on Rachel Carson Reserve and Shackleford Banks beaches, sharing information with visitors about how to best experience the beauty and natural behavior of the horses.
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Volunteers can apply online through Jan. 10, 2020. The application period opened Sunday. The selected candidates will be contacted for an interview in mid-January.
Want to help protect #WildHorses and visitor safety at the #RachelCarsonReserve & @CapeLookoutNPS? Apply to join the 2020 Pony Patrol volunteer program by 1/10/20: https://t.co/N7L7ge98IP#PonyPatrol is a partnership between the @HorsesSB, @NatlParkService, & @NCReserve. pic.twitter.com/TgBDXlOMV3
— N.C. Coastal Reserve (@NCReserve) December 2, 2019
Pony Patrol volunteers, who must be 18 and a United States citizen or permanent resident, will receive a one-day training to learn how to communicate with visitors about why they should give the wild horses plenty of space, how to protect the safety of both the visitors and wild horses, and answer basic questions about the horses and their natural-barrier island homes.
Volunteers must be physically able to walk the beach in a dynamic setting, consisting of sandy terrain, extreme sun, heat, humidity, wind and buggy environments.
