My Park Story: Julia Edwards

Julia holds a ruby-throated hummingbird while bird banding. All birds were caught and handled by trained professionals with the necessary state and federal permits.

NPS / Julia Edwards

Hello everyone! My name is Julia Edwards. I am an environmental studies student from Kent State University. I’m originally from Akron, Ohio. For summer 2023, I am stationed in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I have always had a passion for contributing to my community. I feel strongly connected to the parks I grew up visiting. For people who live in Akron or Cleveland, these parks are truly our backyard.

I started my career as a law enforcement park ranger for a local county park in Ohio. I loved my job connecting with visitors to protect not only them but the natural resources of the park. My favorite aspect of that job was education. This experience led me to pursue environmental studies and my summer position at Cuyahoga Valley.

My Fish and Feathers internship is through an organization called Environment for the Americas. The program focuses on fishing and birding for environmental education and research.

I worked out of the Volunteer Management Office. A few of the education programs that I have led and helped assist with are geology, pond and forest exploration, fishing, and fossil programs. I have also led and assisted with service projects to remove invasive species and to restore trails.

A highlight for me was the wonderful opportunity to help with Cuyahoga Valley’s first bird banding station. This is part of the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) research program. Birds are caught in mist nets, aged, measured, checked for disease, sexed, banded, and released. The data are valuable for understanding the health and migration patterns of different species found in the area.

I have learned so much this summer. Being able to educate the community about the importance of our park has been a dream come true!

Find out more about my summer at my Fish and Feathers internship blog.