Keith Park: Horticulturist, Arborist in the Pacific West Region

Keith Park has served thirteen years as a horticulturalist and certified arborist and maintains the historic landscapes at John Muir National Historic Site, Eugene O’Neil National Historic Site, Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, and Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. He works with underserved communities and provides hands-on technical assistance to other NPS units and non-profit organizations across the region. Park taught the City of Richmond’s Urban Tilth nonprofit staff to prune street trees along the Richmond Greenway, a rails-to-trails park that runs through underserved neighborhoods in the city. He also collaborated with Yosemite National Park staff, the Yosemite Conservancy and a local Native American forestry crew on maintaining the historic Curry Village apple orchard. Park taught skills to the forestry crew while gaining insight into traditional values and knowledge in stewarding this landscape. Learn more this Yosemite project in the video below.

Duration:

3 minutes, 10 seconds

The NPS Pacific West Regional Awards for Cultural Resource Stewardship recognizes employees for their expertise and outstanding contributions in cultural resource management. For 2021, Keith Park is recognized for his cultural landscape outreach projects, including a collaboration with Yosemite National Park and a local Native American forestry crew on maintaining the historic Curry Village apple orchard. Park taught skills to the forestry crew while gaining insight into traditional ecological knowledge.

Learn more: Traditional Ecological Knowledge