Last updated: April 20, 2023
Article
My Park Story: Dr. Laura Barraclough
Meet Dr. Laura Barraclough, a member of the Volunteers-In-Parks program with the Trails & Rails program who brings her own unique perspective to volunteering with the National Park Service.
What early experiences did you have in visiting national park areas prior to volunteering with the Trails & Rails program?
I didn’t visit any national parks as a child, or with my family; we grew up in the middle of Los Angeles and didn’t visit many parks at all, but if we did, they were city parks. But in my early 20s, I began a tradition with my best friend of visiting Yosemite National Park over New Year’s Eve. Usually, it was snowing outside, and we would hike or snowshoe through the park during the day, then gather at the Lodge on New Year’s Eve for live music, board games, and apple cider or hot toddies. While the national parks are probably more popular during the summer, it was wonderful to experience such a beautiful place during the winter season!
How do you see your volunteer opportunity with the Trails & Rails program, making a difference in connecting new audiences to the National Park Service?
I’m a professor and research scholar with expertise in race, ethnicity, and immigration. I volunteer with Trails and Rails to figure out how we can better represent diverse histories in our interpretive programming on Amtrak’s long-distance passenger routes. Trails and Rails reaches a different audience than the people that usually visit national parks – people who are often just trying to get from point A to B, and who may not be expecting to hear a history program. So, when we work to tell them more diverse stories in unexpected places and unexpected ways, we have an impact well beyond the traditional park sites or audiences.
Why should people volunteer with the National Park Service and the Trails & Rails program?
The community! Everyone I’ve met who works with the NPS or Trails and Rails, whether as staff or volunteer, cares deeply about our public lands and serving the public. It’s a treat to work with such passionate, committed people! Working together helps me feel part of something bigger than myself, and more hopeful about the future.
Learn more about the Trails & Rails program.
Interested in becoming a volunteer?
Visit Volunteer with Us to discover volunteer opportunities at national park sites near you.
