Emma Forthofer - Build Up Internship

Emma films historic preservation projects across the country.

NPS / Kristi Rugg

Emma Forthofer is currently an intern under the Build Up Internship Program. We caught up with her to hear about her experience in the program, her background, and her work.

When did you decide you wanted to work with the National Park Service?

A high school summer internship with a nonprofit group in Acadia National Park known as Friends of Acadia is what first connected me with an opportunity to work side-by-side with the National Park Service. As a member of the Acadia Digital Media Team, I produced photo and video content about the important work being done to protect and preserve Acadia. I was in that position for five seasons in total. Through exposure to the many considerations that NPS employees make daily in order to best care for the landscape I grew to love deeply, I developed a strong admiration for those who work so hard to protect and preserve our park sites. It only felt natural to want to continue working with the NPS.

When a new opportunity arose to intern with Kristi Rugg, the Historic Preservation Training Center’s Visual Information Specialist, it was a “pinch me I must be dreaming” moment. Through this internship, I’ve been able to document important work being done in NPS sites across the country! Though I did not have a background in historic preservation prior to working with the HPTC, through this internship I’ve learned so much about historic preservation and become more fascinated by it with each new experience.

Do you have a favorite National Park Service site?

Having been raised on Mount Desert Island in such close proximity to Acadia National Park, and with it being my first entry point to the work of the National Park Service, I cannot help but feel particularly attached to Acadia. Even if trying to set aside this sentimentality, Acadia is also objectively a stunningly beautiful national park, offering such a vast range of scenery, history, and outdoor adventures with its mountains, ocean, lakes, ponds, carriage roads, more than 150 miles of trails, and overall picturesque landscape.

Emma filmed a number of videos in Grand Teton National Park for the Preservation and Skills Training Program.

NPS / Kristi Rugg

When did you first become a Build Up intern and where are you based?

I’ve been an intern with Build Up since May 2021 working on videography and training materials for the HPTC. Based in Los Angeles for remote work, I travel to different park sites across the country to film materials and then edit content together to promote the important work that the HPTC does nationally.

What does a typical day look like? What is your favorite part of your job?

There are two kinds of “typical” days for my position. The first is when I work remotely on pre-production or post-production for the videos we create. This typically involves hours in front of a computer screen either planning filming itineraries and coordinating with the HPTC preservationists or, more often, editing together final videos. The editing process is time-intensive as it requires careful attention to storyline, visual language, audio clarity, and accessibility steps.

The second type of typical day would involve the actual filming on-site, and this is as far from “typical” is it gets. Though filming does alway involve a camera in my hands, the “where” and “why” changes from project to project. Whether it be documenting important project updates on historic sites that preservationists have labored to complete, filming testimonials from outreach program participants talking passionately about their experiences in the programs and their personal and professional growth, or implementing training videos which help promote and retain the institutional knowledge of traditional trades skills––the filming process on-site is always my favorite part of my position! Getting to hear firsthand about preservation from passionate NPS preservationists and affiliated learners is always such an inspiring pleasure.

What advice would you give someone interested in Build Up?

If you have the opportunity to pursue a Build Up internship, I can only recommend it whole-heartedly. My experiences shaped me both professionally and personally as I continue to garner skills as a documentarian and to learn about the incredible field of historic preservation. Everyone at the HPTC not only deeply cares about historic preservation, but also about sharing all that they know so that these skills and philosophies can continue to live on for generations to come. It’s a pleasure to work with the HPTC and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

What are your favorite parts of the job?

What I enjoy most about working with HPTC is how much I’ve learned about different parks across the country. Since the HPTC does work all over the country to help preserve NPS sites, I am lucky enough to travel about once every other month to spend approximately a week at different sites across the country. I have the privilege to view these sites through the lens of the preservationists who are so passionate about the work that they’re doing to preserve these places for future generations and I get to immerse myself in the beauty and significance they see as they describe it and then share that beauty with the public through the videos I make.

Do you have a dream project/place to work on?

To be honest, it seems as though I’m already living a dream-come-true with my current position. I hope to continue working as a documentarian and videographer with the HPTC.