Women's Future Month at Congaree

Women-In-Parks ACE crew members (left to right) Carolina “Caz” Decker, Jackie Kelsh, Lauren “Lolly” Martinek, Regan Little, and crew lead Jamie LeTellier.

NPS Photo

 

Women-In-Parks ACE crew members (left to right) Carolina “Caz” Decker, Jackie Kelsh, Lauren “Lolly” Martinek, Regan Little, crew lead Jamie LeTellier.

NPS Photo

Every March since 1987 the country, including the National Park Service, has celebrated Women’s History Month. This year, Congaree National Park continued the celebration of women into the month of April; however, instead of looking to the past, the focus was on women currently shaping the NPS and other federal land agencies as well as young women who aspire to work alongside them.

In April 2020, the park was awarded one of twenty Women-In-Parks grants from the National Park Foundation. These grants funded projects highlighting women’s stories at parks across the country. With the grant, Congaree hosted an American Conservation Experience (ACE) field crew of five young women interested in natural resource conservation. During their three weeks at Congaree, the crew helped the park in its efforts to restore the upland pine habitat, gaining valuable field work experience.

 

ACE crew participating in a roundtable discussion with women from the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests.

NPS Photo

The crew was supervised by Theresa Yednock, Biological Technician at Congaree NP. For over two decades, Theresa has worked tirelessly to restore the park’s upland longleaf pine ecosystem. During this time, she has supervised more than 30 Public Land Corps participants, instilling in them that they can be successful in the fields of conservation and the natural sciences. Theresa continued her role as the quintessential mentor for the all-women crew.

In addition to their field efforts alongside Theresa, the women also had the opportunity to participate in roundtable discussions with over a dozen other women in positions with federal land agencies, including the NPS, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. From women just starting their federal careers to Congaree’s superintendent K. Lynn Berry, the panelists provided varied perspectives on what it means to be a woman in the federal service. “The most impactful thing I learned from the round table discussions is that there are many opportunities to have different roles and jobs within the National Park Service,” remarked ACE member Lauren “Lolly” Martinek, “and you don’t need to have followed a traditional path to get there.”

 

ACE crew with their year-long mentors. Mentors are Valerie Morgan (Carlsbad Caverns NP), Sara Strickland (Shenandoah NP), Amorita Brackett (SE Region Invasive Plant Management Team), and Leslie Frattaroli (National Mall and Memorial Parks).

NPS Photo

The crew’s stint at Congaree ended with a virtual roundtable discussion with four women currently in resource management careers with the NPS. They called in from across the country to answer questions and offer the crew their insight and guidance. Leslie Frattaroli, Natural Resources Program Manager for the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C., reflected “It was exciting to meet up-and-coming women in conservation from around the country. It's been a fantastic experience to help these women develop their career in natural resources/conservation and share some of the wisdom I've gained from mentors throughout my career.” All four women also graciously agreed to act as mentors to the ACE crew members for the remainder of the calendar year.

The park would like to thank the National Park Foundation for its generosity and support in funding this project, the American Conservation Experience, Theresa Yednock for her inspiration, and all the panelists who participated in the roundtable discussions. Everyone’s efforts have ensured that the impact of this program won’t fade as April turns into May, but will act as a reminder that every month is an opportunity to celebrate the future of women in the National Park Service.

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"ACE was so excited to be invited to join this program. Interacting with professional women in different phases of their careers helped these corps members to see a place for themselves as future leaders in conservation. It was also a unique opportunity to be part of a long-term restoration project; they can come back years from now and see how their work has helped to bring a rare ecosystem back to life!"

- Karen Vaughn, ACE Program Manager

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COVID Safety

The ACE crew members deploy as a “family unit”, working and living together on their projects. To ensure COVID safety, ACE interns undergo COVID testing before their term and when changing family units. Additional federal guidelines were followed during their stay, including wearing masks when inside any government building and maintaining social distance when in proximity to park employees and visitors.