
Yogi Bear watches over activities at Jellystone Park near Milton including the work of groundskeepers Bert and Dori Staman. While the couple long to travel and camp full time, they are realizing half their dream until Bert’s retirement. CAROL SHETLER/The Luminary
Bert and Dori Staman came up with a solution to temporarily satisfy their wanderlust for camping, according to The Luminary.
“We love to travel around the country in our RV, but as we’re not yet retired could not afford to do so full time,” Bert said.
Thirteen years ago, Bert, formerly of Montgomery, Pa., and a 1981 graduate of its high school, along with wife Dori, of Union County, came up with a solution.
“We decided to look for employment at a campground, trying out the experience for one year to see if we’d like it. We went online at workamper.com looking for a location,” Bert said.
Now the couple serves as a landscaping team over the 58 acres at Jellystone Park, south of Milton, near the intersection of routes 405 and 147.
Bert affirmed that “Our job is to keep the park looking good. The golf cart holds everything needed, rakes, edgers and shovels; space for buckets to collect debris from cutting and pruning shrubs and flowers; also a water tank not needed this year due to sufficient rainfall.
The rains, however, added unexpected duties such as Dori removing 10 frogs from the pool and rescuing ducklings trapped elsewhere. Another time they pulled boats away from the rising waters of the Chillisquaque Creek which meanders onward a bit before dumping into the Susquehanna.