Blog Purpose & Policy

What's the purpose of this blog?

This blog was created November 9, 2010, to facilitate a proposed volunteer partnership project between the blog author and Montezuma Castle, Tuzigoot and Montezuma Well National Monuments. We hope to volunteer to assist those NPS units to plan and implement effective usage of various social media resources.

How can this blog help other NPS units?

As we studied online social media usage by various NPS units, we realized we needed a platform with which to organize, display and discuss relevant NPS examples of social media tools and administrative policies. Any NPS unit Staff may find helpful information here. We believe all material is public domain.

Blog Disclaimers

This blog has no official connection whatsoever with any unit of the Department of Interior National Park Service or any other local, state, or federal entity. The blog author is solely responsible for its content. The blog author is not related to anyone employed by the federal government.

This blog is and will forever remain non-commercial in all aspects. It will not be "monetized" or otherwise associated with any for-profit enterprise(s).

This blog is and will remain non-political and non-partisan. It will not advocate any positions other than increased usage of social media by NPS units, especially those in Arizona's Verde Valley.

All blog content is believed to be in the public domain. If we have inadvertently published copyrighted material, we will remove such material immediately upon notification.

This blog is a "work-in-progress" and the blog's design, organization and content are subject to change at any time.

Blog Policies

This blog will use attribution by full name only with permission or unless any individual's full name has appeared in the public domain context of the internet-at-large.

All content quoted or used in part on this blog will be "sourced" to the original web address (URL) at which it was located when found by the blog author.

Comments made to any and posts on this blog will be moderated. Word verification will not be utilized. Comment moderation is necessary to avoid intrusions by spammers, etc.

It is our policy to respond to all email as soon as possible. We invite comments, suggestions, criticisms and all other forms of input. Our email is embedded in a graphic at left above to prevent recognition by spam robots, etc. Emails are forwarded to our personal email address. Since we are often offline, there may be a delay in reply.

Who authors this blog?

John Parsons has extensive experience in both the internet and volunteerism. He began designing natural resource conservation websites in 1994. Upon retirement in 2001, he and his wife, Susun, served 7 seasons as USDA Forest Service volunteers. They each logged more than 4,000 official hours.

Parsons also served more than 400 hours for Arizona State Parks in 2007, preparing a recreational river guide and founding a Friends group for The Verde River Greenway.
In 2007 Parsons became the full time paid director of the Eastern Idaho Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). He worked with 175 non-profits and gov't agencies in a 19,000 sq. mi. area. He managed a roster of over 700 volunteers whose average age is 73. After a 2nd retirement in early 2010, The Parsons has served in numerous voluntary capacities, including an extensive project for the USDOI BLM. To contact Parsons directly, please use the email embedded in the graphic at left above.

Why the interest in Montezuma Castle, et al?

John & Susun spend each winter in a straw bale home they built on land that is adjacent and contiguous to the Montezuma Well National Monument federal property boundary. They have owned land there for 25+ years and consider themselves fortunate to have the NPS as a neighbor. They maintain an excellent relationship with NPS Staff and look forward to any opportunity to be of voluntary service to Monument Staff.

John & Susun spend the summer season in Idaho. It is their hope that the use of social media by the Verde Valley NPS units will help keep them better informed and involved in their beloved neighbor, Montezuma Well NM, and its associated units, Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot.