Last updated: March 3, 2026
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AmeriCorps Spotlights: Lauren Knierim and Luis Diaz Rolon
Through the Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Program, an AmeriCorps initiative managed in partnership with the National Park Service's Volunteers-In-Parks Program and the Stewards Individual Placement Program of Conservation Legacy, members do more than support volunteer programs. They strengthen the National Park Service’s ability to protect natural and cultural resources, build lasting relationships with local communities, expand access to public lands and historic places, and ensure parks remain relevant and resilient for future generations.
Meet CVAs Lauren Knierim and Luis Diaz Rolon, whose work is helping advance mission-driven stewardship and deepen public connection at Acadia National Park and San Juan National Historical Site.
Lauren Knierim at Acadia National Park
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How did you find yourself at the National Park Service in a Community Volunteer Ambassador AmeriCorps position?
I was lucky enough to already be working in my park site when I learned about the Community Volunteer Ambassador program. At the time, I was halfway through a fellowship in environmental education at Schoodic Institute, a research learning center and long-term partner in science to Acadia National Park. I had hit that over-halfway mark in a job where you start to think about your next steps, and it was as if my next step fell right into my lap.
I had never heard of the CVA Program before, but ran into Acadia National Park’s 2023 CVA, Claire Burnet at an event for Acadia’s nonprofit partners to meet and mingle. Listening to what Claire was working on, I felt a clearer idea of my own desired career path start to take shape. A mix of my interests in community engagement, project management, and fieldwork, this position was my perfect next step.
Acadia’s CVA position specifically offered a unique opportunity to continue working on citizen science projects while also letting me take a greater leadership role in project and volunteer management. It also allowed me to maintain and work with the connections I had made in my previous position and to stay in Downeast Maine, an area I had already fallen in love with. Now in my second CVA term at Acadia, I feel so lucky to be immersed in such an impressive and inspiring network of people.
What has been a highlight of your experience as a Community Volunteer Ambassador and AmeriCorps member with the National Park Service?
By far it has been connecting with Acadia’s volunteers and seeing their impact on the park’s resources and the community. Acadia’s unique geography creates this feeling that the national park is part of people’s backyard, and that creates volunteers with a unique sense of responsibility for the land and community. Acadia has an incredibly robust cache of volunteers across almost all divisions, and you can trace their work all throughout the park.
I’ve been able to work with volunteers through Friends of Acadia, seasoned and brand new, community residents and short-term visitors. Every single volunteer I’ve worked with has been so joyful, whether we’re panting for breath while hiking up mountains or simply exchanging emails. Their enthusiasm is the greatest pick-me-up on a tough day and a reminder that we are all working together to care for our public lands.
What projects have you been involved so far?
I work mainly on volunteer programs part of the Wild Acadia initiative, a partnership between Acadia National Park, Friends of Acadia, and Schoodic Institute that focus on managing Acadia’s natural and cultural resources for future conditions. I work with a small group of dedicated volunteers monitoring the phenology of native plants, lead adventurous volunteer hikers up mountains carrying soil used to restore Acadia’s native vegetation, and manage a program encouraging community members to remove invasive plants in their own backyards. Being involved in every aspect, from the initial planning stage to meeting and leading volunteers, has helped me better understand the objectives of each program and allowed me to make confident decisions in order to sustain them as they change and grow.
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What have you learned that you will take forward in your career?
My time as a CVA has taught me to embrace all the little roadblocks, hiccups, and full-blown walls you can hit when working on a project. I find that when I come across a challenge and am forced to stretch my brain a bit more, I tend to find more creative solutions.
These challenges offer an opportunity to slow down and reassess a project and can sometimes lead to an even better outcome than your original plan. Pivoting can look like reassessing your goals and objectives, leaning more on your partnerships, or completely restructuring a program. And sometimes those hiccups are more of the Full-Blown Wall variety and learning to step back and just control what you are able to can be a great lesson as well.
Luis Diaz Rolon at San Juan National Historical Site
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How did you find yourself at the National Park Service in a Community Volunteer Ambassador AmeriCorps position?
While serving as an education intern at San Juan National Historic Site (NHS), I often crossed paths with Gustavo Mendoza Solis, a previous CVA who was laying the foundation for this position and some of the projects at the Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program at San Juan NHS. After completing my term and taking a short break, I realized I wanted to continue serving at the park.
Rediscovering it as a young professional gave me a new perspective—it wasn’t just a historic site; it was a living part of our community. The Community Volunteer Ambassador AmeriCorps position felt like the perfect opportunity to keep engaging local communities around our World Heritage Site and to showcase the incredible work our volunteers do every day to support our mission.
What has been the highlight of your experience as a Community Volunteer Ambassador and AmeriCorps member with the National Park Service?
One of the greatest highlights has been bringing the site closer to the Puerto Rican community through volunteerism—a value that truly resonates with locals. It fills me with pride to serve here and to do the work I do. Meeting our volunteers, hearing their stories, and seeing how a monument to 500 years of history can serve each person in a unique way is inspiring.
For example, recently we hosted different troops from Girl Scouts of the USA, some visiting for the first time. One of them, Emma, had come before, and she took it upon herself to lead the tour—guiding her fellow scouts around Castillo San Felipe del Morro and its history. Moments like that remind me that even one individual impact is more than enough.
What projects have you been involved in so far?
My main projects have included completing a VIP booklet that provides an overview of park and program history along with key resources for volunteers. We also launched a quarterly newsletter—our first edition in January featured a message from the sSuperintendent to our volunteers. Additionally, I developed a VIP supervisor booklet to help staff manage volunteers effectively and empower them to make the most of the program.
One of the most exciting events I’ve worked on was a living history program commemorating the 77th Anniversary of San Juan National Historic Site as a national park. It was a full day of demonstrations at Castillo San Cristóbal titled “Puerto Rico: Soldiers at the Castles Throughout the Ages.” Looking ahead, we’re planning more demonstrations from our living history program and a “May the Forts Be With You” activity.
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What have you learned that you will take forward in your career?
I’ve learned the importance of allyship and resource management. In volunteerism, allyship guides the way—everyone wants to feel that their service matters. Understanding the expectations of different stakeholders and aligning them through education and communication has been key. I’ve also learned how crucial it is to make sure our allies—staff, volunteers, and partners—feel empowered to suggest changes and improvements to their national park and World Heritage site. These lessons will stay with me as I continue building collaborative environments in any future role.
About the Community Volunteer Ambassador Program
As a 50-week professional AmeriCorps service term, the Community Volunteer Ambassador program is managed in partnership between the National Park Service Volunteers-In-Parks Program and the Stewards Individual Placements Program of Conservation Legacy. CVA members are youth (ages 18-30, or 18-35 if veterans) who aspire to future careers in service and conservation stewardship.
Questions? Email us.