Help at our iconic tourist destination and explore southern Maine, USA

Details

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  Description

  Our property is a nearly 100-year-old iconic tourist destination in Maine, 20 acres of rolling sand dunes in the middle of a lush Maine forest, near the coastal city of Portland. We receive tens of thousands of visitors every year who come to learn about the incredible stories from our history. We are in the middle of a comprehensive renovation project which includes a luxury campground with gorgeous cabins; new attractions that teach visitors about the history, geology, and ecology of this fascinating place; a new mini golf course; the transformation of our 200+ year old barn into breathtaking concert and event venue; and the building of an 1800s farm house museum. In addition, we have a new non-profit organization that receives school groups, leading kids through hands-on learning activities, and organizes artistic events such as live music, art workshops, and more.
  
  You would have accommodations in our beautiful campground, so this is an ideal opportunity for experienced tent campers or folks with travel vans or small campers. You would also have access to all that southern Maine has to offer including nearby Portland (a beautiful, vibrant city!), beaches, hiking, paddling, Acadia National Park, and so much more. Most importantly, the staff and leadership here is filled with the kind of people that you would actually want to spend a summer working with--talented, hard-working, respectful, passionate, and funny. Well, we think we're funny anyway--we crack ourselves up all the time!--but your mileage may vary. The point is we have made it a point to hire people that are quick to laugh (often at themselves!), and find joy in the situations that arise running such a unique property. We believe work shouldn't feel like work.
  
  We are looking for people that are willing to commit to our entire season, May - October. Expect to be fully integrated into our team, joining us for staff meetings, team-building activities and more. Ours is a top-notch organization with the highest standards imaginable so we are looking for people who are keenly interested engaging in the work here, pushing themselves to develop new skills and contribute to our burgeoning organization as much as possible. We are looking for travelers who want to combine career-building with their travel experiences!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  DIY and building projects

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are located 2 miles from the ocean, 20 minutes from Portland, and a short ride to the mountains, Acadia National Park, and many of the most beautiful sites across Maine. Staff get to immerse themselves in life on the Maine coast while learning about Maine history through the Desert's story. We have a small seasonal team who become very close-knit and work well together. Staff are welcome to (and encouraged to!) attend any programs, concerts, and events hosted at the Desert, along with staff events.

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  Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage

  This host offers accommodation and payment.

  Host has indicated that they will pay at least the minimum hourly wage of their country for each hour worked and that accommodation will also be provided. They are asking for help with a business or business activity. Contact the host directly via the site messenger for more information and details about the wage provided. Any arrangements should be agreed in advance with your host.

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  Help

  We have two different roles that we are looking to fill for the 2024 season. We are seeking people to work in a visitor-focused role in our tourist attraction, helping in our Welcome Center, snack bar, and mini golf course, and occasionally filling in driving our electric train. This staff member would interact with our daily visitors, selling tickets and providing information about all they can experience here, making food in the snack bar and scooping ice cream, selling items from our gift shop, running the mini golf course, and so much more! This is a fun and varied role and great if you like working with the public!
  We are also seeking grounds and maintenance staff for the 2024 season. This role consists of a varied list of outdoor work, including but not limited to: daily exhibit maintenance, daily campground site turnovers, mini golf pond maintenance, mowing, weeding, light carpentry, painting, varnishing, and staining as needed, and equipment repair. This is a good role for people who enjoy working outdoors and like problem solving and project-based work. Experience operating power tools, lawn care equipment and basic carpentry is preferred for this role.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Our workaway staff will have a campsite in our beautiful campground, so this is an ideal opportunity for experienced tent campers or folks with travel vans or small campers. If you do not have a camper or tent, we can provide a tent, complete with electricity, water, an outdoor seating area that is lit, and a fire pit for relaxing in the evening. Our bath house is a short walk away and has literally the nicest bathrooms in the history of campgrounds (or so we're told), and private showers with actually hot water. We do not recommend reaching out if this type of living situation does not work for you.

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  What else ...

  We can't wait to meet you!

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Our internet connection is off-the-charts. We have 300Mbps internet throughout our campus using enterprise-grade wireless equipment.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a campground so, camper vans are right at home here! We have 30A service and water at each campsite! We cannot fit large motorhomes in our sites unfortunately, but small campers 20-25ft, travel vans, and truck campers are fine.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We love dogs!

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Flexible. The business is open 9am - 6pm daily.

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