About This BlogMy name is Collin Beckham and I am currently a student at Northern Arizona University working towards a parks and recreation management degree. I am from Cave Creek, Arizona and I can definitely say that I love Arizona with all my heart. I love being outdoors and going on adventures, whether it be backpacking across Catalina Island or through Arizona, snorkeling in the great Barrier Reef or Hawaii, or just going out into the desert behind my house to explore. I genuinely enjoy meeting new people and am always up for a good conversation. I feel extremely grateful to be given the chance to serve the National Parks Service for my summer break, especially when I get to be in the Verde Valley at Montezuma Well, Montezuma Castle, and the Verde River, some of the most amazing places in the country! Southern Office of Arizona
August 09, 2016
Unfortunately, today was my last day interning with the National Park Service. Administration Day 2
August 09, 2016
Another great day at the Camp Verde NPS headquarters! Ryan has ordering authority, which is a privilege that few park staff members hold. Administration Day 1
August 03, 2016
Today I was given a chance to experience the “behind the scenes” work of the National Park Service. Natural Resource Day
August 02, 2016
I met Tina Greenawalt at the natural resource building and we headed over to the main park service office building to pick up some boxes, then headed over to Montezuma Castle. Site Assessments and Interp
July 28, 2016
I met Matt Guebard and Lucas Hoedl at the Montezuma Castle Visitor center and we headed out to a huge plot of Park Service land in the Camp Verde area. Archaeology at Tuzigoot
July 28, 2016
I met archaeologist Lucas Hoedl at the Tuzigoot Natural Resources office and we headed out to the dwelling together. Field Trip Day
July 21, 2016
Today was a field trip day where my supervisor Krystina Isaac took me and another volunteer named Jon Hayden to multiple sites around the Flagstaff area. Interpretation at Montezuma Well
July 20, 2016
When I first arrived at the well to start a day of interpretation I saw two people sitting in a boat in the middle of the greenish body of water. Tree Trimming, Ditch cleaning, and Camera Checking
July 18, 2016
Montezuma Well was bustling with activity today as there was the Arizona Youth Conservation Corps, a youth group from The Nature Conservancy called “LEAF,” the archaeologists Matt and Lucas, the natural resource crew, the Hopi Masons, Tim Yates from maintenance, and myself. Inside Montezuma Castle
July 14, 2016
Today I was lucky enough to have been able to enter Montezuma Castle with a few members of the natural resource crew, two archaeologists, and the Hopi masons. Montezuma Well Interpretation
July 12, 2016
Today was spent at Montezuma Well working on Interpretation. Before it got too busy I walked the drainage ditch to the end of the Park Service property with Tim Yates. Tuzigoot Interpretation Day 2
July 06, 2016
Today was spent with more interpretation at Tuzigoot. I had the pleasure of meeting John Reid, who was a park ranger at Tuzigoot for thirty-five years, and now volunteers his time to the monument. Tuzigoot Day 3
July 08, 2016
Another great day at Tuzigoot! At the beginning of the day the park was a bit slow ... Tuzigoot Interpretation
July 06, 2016
Today was spent at Tuzigoot working on interpretation. I walked around the monument and answered any questions that guests had. Park Police and Interpretation
June 30, 2016
I met Ryan Isaac and officer Ron Sams at the Park Service office in Camp Verde. We then headed out to Tuzigoot in one of the park police vehicles... Montezuma Castle Interpretation
June 29, 2016
Today was spent working on interpretation at Montezuma Castle... Snakes and Dragonflies
June 23, 2016
I met the natural resource crew along with two researchers from NAU named Iain Emmons and Kayla Christy at the marsh to do some Northern Mexican Garter Snake surveys... Hummingbirds and Interpretation
June 22, 2016
I walked down to the picnic area by Montezuma Castle to help out with some hummingbird banding... Flute Concert Day
June 21, 2016
I met a volunteer named Jon Hayden at the Montezuma Well parking lot and we drove together down a very long dirt road to reach the V-V pronounced “V Bar V” Heritage site... Natural Resources Day 2
June 19, 2016
Another great day with the natural resource department! The day started off with Hannah Siroky, Dan Batha, and myself changing out hummingbird feeders at Montezuma castle... Natural Resources
June 19, 2016
Today was spent with the natural resources division at Tuzigoot. The day started off with me and three employees from natural resources going out into the marshlands around Tuzigoot... Montezuma Well Maintenance
June 15, 2016
Week two is off to an excellent start! Today started off with some weed pulling on a plot of land near Montezuma Well... Site Visit
June 12, 2016
Today was “site visit day”, which is kind of like a field trip day to all of the national parks in the Verde Valley including Tuzigoot, Montezuma Well, and Montezuma Castle... Fire Extinguisher Training Day
June 09, 2016
Today was my second day at Montezuma Castle, and another great day! I was given the chance to receive fire extinguisher training along with some Park Service staff members, including a few park police... My First Day
June 08, 2016
I chose to intern at the National Parks Service in the Verde Valley because I would like to gain hands-on experience while also helping an organization that I have loved since childhood. I feel that this internship will guide me in the right direction for a career path, considering I don’t know exactly what career path is right for me just yet... |
Last updated: December 18, 2021