National Park Service Vegans

[cem90611]

Are there any National Park Service vegan members? If so, we need to band together to demand vegan alternatives to the leather uniform shoes, hat bands and belts.

[journey]

Absolutely! I've been contemplating how to do this, giving a lot of thought lately. I was thinking of calling VF Uniform Solutions and asking how one makes a request for a look-alike alternative to be developed that could be bought with uniform allowances (since many of us can't afford to spend our own limited salaries on these items). I'd like to see a choice - those who want look-alike alternative vegan items could choose them instead of the leather version (yeah, I'd like to get rid of the leather versions altogether, but I'm trying to be realistic.)

I'm thinking that starting with a polite request may be the most effective way to really make it happen. A request focused on rangers wanting to support the identifiable NPS uniform, without having to violate their religious and ethical principles.

I'd add gloves and boots to your list, but with gloves, they're cheap enough and easy enough to find some brown or black synthetic that most parks won't notice if you just wear your own vegan version. I'm especially concerned about the identifiable arrowhead items (belts, hatbands), but I'm sure a lookalike alternative could be developed. And boots are so expensive, I'd really like an alternative there that I could get with the allowance.

Where do we start? I'm thinking there may be a vegan or vegetarian/vegan friendly rangers who are not on this forum. What about trying a thread on InsideNPS forums?

[ellaminnowpea]

I think I'm some kind of honorary member... My dad joined a long time ago and gets all the stamps in the parks passport and I think he pays a fee or something. But I definitely don't work there. It would be pretty cool, though. How do you like it? What kind of training does it entail?

[journey]

ellaminnowpea,
Job announcements are at usajobs.opm.com - search for National Park Service. Or call specific parks you are interested in - sometimes they have additional openings that aren't on the website. Always glad to have more vegans work for NPS.

You usually have to be a college graduate, although students are sometimes hired. Then you are trained for the specific job you'll have (often for a week, more or less).

[cem90611]

Hello,

I keep forgetting to respond. Sorry! I called the regional uniform coordinator and she said she would pass on my comments at the national yearly uniform meeting. I've talked to my supervisor about this and he has also asked our personnel administrator to mention it to WASO. We'll see. I formally requested to be let out of the uniform requirement. My reasoning was that it conflicted with my spiritual/moral beliefs and that I'm rarely in the public eye. I do archeological surveys and assessments now and then, so I'm out and about but mostly in the woods. My supervisor said they let me out of uniform because of the public eye reason. They didn't want to set a precedent for letting anyone out of uniform for being a vegan. I think you should email or call your regional uniform coordinator and put in a request. If we could find enough vegans and make enough racket, maybe they would do something.

[cem90611]

I meant put in a request to the uniform coordinator concerning the vegan uniform options.

[journey]

I'm in the public eye, so being out of uniform is not an option. I had sent an email request to the contact on the uniform ordering site to ask how to make a request that non-leather alternatives be developed, but got no reply whatsoever. (and it was a polite request too). I'll try the regional uniform coordinator - any idea where I find out who that is/contact info? (northeast region)