My name is Kia Amirkiaee and I am a George Perkins Marsh Intern this summer at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. I currently live in Barnard, Vermont and plan to major in political science at Dartmouth College next fall. Things you should know about me: I love animals, eating maple creamies, spending time with friends, following politics, and hiking. I also have a knack for American art--the Hudson River School paintings in the Mansion are really cool!
When I was younger, I remember coming to Vermont each summer to visit my grandparents on our small family farm. The lush green forests, rolling hills, and abundance of wildlife stood out starkly, juxtaposed to the “suburban utopia” I called home. Vermont is a unique place. Despite living here for the past nine years, I am still enchanted by its bucolic landscape and the natural beauty of its flora and fauna.
So why did I become a George Perkins Marsh intern? I am passionate about ecological stewardship and protection of natural resources. A quick look into Vermont’s past reveals the importance of maintaining working forests. Although our state’s economy relies heavily on timber and wood products harvested from forests, it is also imperative that we protect against deforestation--which can lead to a multitude of issues such as erosion and mudslides. I am also really interested in different divisions of the government and how national parks are run from both a financial perspective and a systematic approach.
T.S. Elliot once said in his poem “Burnt Norton,” “Time present and time past are both perhaps present in time future.” Similarly, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is deeply rooted in the past, but its message of conservation, stewardship, and sustainability and current park initiatives project the ideologies it was founded upon into the future. As an intern at the park this summer, I hope to learn more about these connections.