By HOYT ELKINS

The Union Democrat

The return of wildflowers, blossoms and migrating birds aren't the only signs that spring has sprung in the Mother Lode.

Most of the region's state parks are preparing a kind of welcoming committee to greet the hoards of visitors who arrive with the changing season.

Midwinter visitors might have gotten the feeling that something was missing. And, if they arrived midweek, were probably right.

Docents — the volunteer greeters, interpreters, tour guides and storytellers who bring park themes and characters to life — are fewer in number when crowds are sparse and outdoor venues might be a bit blustery for carefree enjoyment.

The barren tourist months, however, offered an opportunity for park personnel to train volunteers in anticipation of springtime crowds.

"Docents are the first contact most visitors will have in Columbia," said Amber Cantisano, an interpreter on the state park's staff. "They bring the town's Gold Rush history to life — they explain why Columbia is an historic state park."

Audie Buckler, a docent for 19 years, agrees the park needs volunteers, but said her interpretive role fulfills a need in her personal life.

"We like to play dress up," she said, "and, over time, we try to be more authentic."

Audie portrays a true-life character who lived in Columbia from the 1850s into the 1920s.

"When I tell my story to visitors, I know it's true," she said.

When she tells her story to newly-recruited visitors, it's mentoring.

February weekends in Columbia were dedicated to bringing volunteers of all ages into the program, and it can be a family-based enterprise.

For example, Nolan Morikawa is an 11-year-old volunteer who often works beside his father, Alan Morikawa, in the park's museum.

In recent training sessions, Ben Wright,11, a youngster growing up in Columbia, joined the docent ranks, following in the footsteps of his father, Daniel Wright. The Wright family has a long history in the park. Young Ben's grandfather, Harry Wright, has operated the local photo studio for many years.

Operating as A. deCosmos Daguerrean Studio, the photo parlor sports a wardrobe locker chock full of period costumes. Customers pose before an old-style camera and are presented with a print that well could have been snapped by an 1890s street photographer.

Family ties are strong at Railtown 1897 in Jamestown, too. Virgil and Marge Lovingfoss, and Marge's son, Jay Cullen, all of Soulsbyville, join the park's workforce on Tuesdays.

Virgil and Marge volunteered for years in Columbia, and Virgil oversaw the restoration of the Fallon Garden, a showplace of heritage roses and other historically-correct foliage.

"We decided about six years ago that Railtown needed us more," Marge said. "And Virgil has a special interest since he worked for Southern Pacific years ago."

As an amateur photographer in his teenage years, Virgil amassed a collection of railroad photographs chronicling the 1930s and 40s, which was the pre-airline heyday of rail travel.

"We think it's important to preserve rail history," Marge said. "And, it's true that docents are the first to welcome the visitors and answer their questions."

The most frequently-asked question?

"Where are the restrooms?" Marge chuckles. "It's the same at all the parks."

Railtown and Columbia aren't the only parks in the region reliant on volunteers and living history.

A visit to the Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Site near Volcano, for example, allows folks to stroll through a re-creation of a native Indian settlement complete with bark houses.

Without a guide, however, the display raises questions about the people who once lived there.

At the Big Trees State Park on Highway 4 in Calaveras County, intrepid travelers can take a self-guided tour among giant sequoias, but miss out on lectures on everything from bats and butterflies to moss and assorted mammals, which are offered during the busy season.

Without docents or guides, a mid-week wintertime stroll through Columbia might take a person to the park museum. The voice of a guide echoes from a room on the backside of the museum, drawing the visitor into a smallish 1800s-style warehouse stocked with tools, bales and barrels. The voice comes from a video presentation projected on a screen.

The program is informative, well-produced, but somehow lacking the warmth visitors experience in the presence of a warmblooded docent glowing with the love of history.

Contact Hoyt Elkins at helkns@uniondemocrat.com or 736-4092.