Image of a pine cone microphone with text reading "Conservation Diaries. National Park Service."

Podcast

Conservation Diaries

National Mall and Memorial Parks, San Antonio Missions, Cabrillo, Youth Programs Division, Heritage Documentation Programs, National Trails Office - Regions 6, 7, 8, Operations, IMR Deputy Director, Resource Stewardship & Science Directorate - Regions 6, 7, 8 more »

RSS feed

Conservation Diaries is a podcast series from the voice of the youth of the National Park Service as they share their passion and commitment to conservation of America's natural and cultural treasures. Listen as interns, volunteers, fellows, or employees across the National Park Service share their perspectives on conservation and why it is important for youth to be involved in the stewardship of their public lands.

Episodes

April 19, 2023

Conservation Diaries: Josefina Polhammer Aliaga

Transcript

[intro music]

Lucy: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Conservation Diaries, a National Park Service podcast. I am your host, Lucy Hurlbut. And in these episodes, we are featuring youth from around the world volunteering in national parks through the National Park Service’s International Volunteers In Parks Program.

Sometimes called "IVIP” for short, this program brings many talented people from different cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds to gain experience to work in conservation-related fields in National Park Service sites and programs. Our agency also has the opportunity to learn from their knowledge and perspective. While this podcast series focuses on youth, the International Volunteers In Parks Program is open to all ages.

Our guest today is Josefina Polhammer Aliaga, a graduate from the University of Chile. Her studies and interest in US cultural and Indigenous history brought her to the National Park Services in search of her next career journey.

Josefina: I thought, well, volunteering in one of these parks, any park in the US, they are actually very beautiful, so it would be fun. In the beginning, the main thing for me was being able to work with nature, because I love the outdoors. But when I got to the program and when I actually started doing the job, I discovered that I was going to get much more from this experience than I was expecting to. I learned so much.

Lucy: Josefina spent four months volunteering at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, often called C&O Canal for short. Today it is one of the most popular national parks in the country providing a wide variety of recreational opportunities including hiking, biking, fishing, and camping. She arrived from Chile just as the busy summer season was beginning and was all too happy to jump in and learn on the job. She worked in the Great Falls section of the C&O in various roles from mule care volunteer, to boat volunteer, to Billy Goat Trail steward.

Built during the heyday of the canal era, the C&O Canal was used for almost 100 years by mule-drawn canal boats to transport coal and other cargo to the ports of Georgetown and Washington, DC. In the 1950s there was a movement to pave over the C&O Canal and turn it into a parkway. Among those in opposition was US Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas.

Josefina: Justice William O. Douglas, he said, "Okay, we can't let this happen." He wrote to one of the newspapers from that time that was doing news about this highway, and he asked the editors to go on a hike with him along the canal that it lasted about eight days, I think. Yeah. It was a long hike, to show them how amazing this was as a park, as a place to enjoy nature, more than as a highway. So they did the hike, and it worked. The editors from different newspapers published articles about how this was a place that we had to protect.

Lucy: Josefina’s joy and passion for her duties was infectious. When asked about the mules, she lit up and bubbled over with love for working with Eva, Dolly, Jen, and Julie. Her attention to the detail in their care, from grooming and feeding to picking pasture and keeping the flies off them, was evident in how the mules responded to her. Eva would follow Josefina every day as she left the paddock to get some extra love. By the conclusion of her time here, she was training and mentoring staff in how to best care for our mules.

She was able to give her coworkers and visitors great advice on trails and could give vivid descriptions to help inform visitors on recreating decisions.

Josefina: So one of the things... Oh, it depends on the weather. Usually, a lot of people like to do hiking. We have the most difficult trail in the whole park was in the section I was working at in Great Falls. It was called Billy Goat A. It was a two, three hours trail and you had to do rock climbing, and usually when it was too hot, we would tell the visitors, try to avoid that trail, try to do some other trails. We had some like that would go into a forest, not as tiring, not as exposed to the sun. But yeah, that was one of the most popular things people would do.

Lucy: Some of the notable accomplishments Josefina can claim during her brief time at the C & O Canal were hosting a discussion on the difference between American and Chilean national parks as part of the park’s monthly VIP Speaker Series, engaging new park audiences by developing a guided interpretive walk in Spanish, designing and publishing our next generation of Mule Trading Cards, supporting the park’s partner organizations by taking a leadership role during Latino Conservation Week events as well as multiple days of service focused on trash pick-up or invasive species removal, helping to identify and provide initial treatment for colic (a potentially deadly condition) in Dolly while calling for more experienced assistance, and obtaining an Certified Interpretive Guide certificate from the National Association for Interpretation. It’s no wonder that the park voted her its volunteer of the year.

Josefina: It was very, very tiring, but super fun. After that, I learned some other positions in the boat, but the other one that I did the most was doing the ranger talk that we would do on board with the visitors. That was super challenging for me. I usually don't enjoy speaking in public and it's worse if I do it in English, but it was good to try it and see that I was capable of doing that.

Lucy: Josefina’s experiences volunteering in the US led her to consider how one’s cultural background can be an asset when connecting with visitors.

Josefina: Yeah, I think in any environment, having diversity, it's super important. You get different point of view and you get to connect with people that have different backgrounds and different life experiences. So yeah, it's really great.

I think that was very helpful in the way that I could engage and connect with visitors that came from Latin America or had some background or they spoke Spanish. It was much easier to connect with them. I noticed that when I was talking to someone and they discovered that I was from Chile and that I could speak Spanish, they would be much more open. They would ask much more questions.

Lucy: International volunteers have a unique awareness of the National Park Service. Many countries do not have a similar organization that provides cohesive management and policies for their public lands. They sometimes also have fewer resources and less staff. Providing opportunities for young people from other countries to work in the US parks is something that is extremely valuable to gain different experiences for the stewardship of public lands.

Josefina: I think volunteering in any park, in any national park in the US, I think it's a unique experience. Of course, it won't be exactly the same as mine, but I can only imagine it would be amazing. You don't only get to work with what I think it's one of the most well-organized park systems in the world, which is the National Park Service. You also get to work with very professional people, very committed coworkers, and you get to see amazing places, amazing landscapes. You get to learn a lot from your coworkers. And I would also like to add that you can also meet some amazing people and make some great friends, which is something that makes the experience much, much better.

Lucy: Josefina credited her international volunteer program with helping her discover the next steps in her career. She discovered what interpretation was and became aware that it could be a profession. As a result, Josefina has decided to pursue a job in a Chilean national park, museum or historical park, and perhaps undertaking a master’s degree in public history in the future. Connecting the US national parks with individuals from other countries makes parks more dynamic. International volunteers bring unique cultural perspectives to them, and in turn, have experiences that have an impact on their own lives and potentially an impact on conservation in their own countries.

The National Park Service’s International Affairs Office coordinates programs like the International Volunteer in Park Program that helps the national parks share its mission with countries around the globe. For more information about the program, you can visit nps.gov slash international cooperation:

And remember, there are many opportunities for youth and young adults 15 to 30 years old and veterans 35 years old and younger to work with the National Park Service.

To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov slash youth programs.

Thanks for listening and happy trails!

[music fades]

Meet Josefina Polhammer Aliaga, an international volunteer born and raised in Santiago, Chile. She spent the summer of 2023 volunteering at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park in many roles, including a mule care volunteer, trail steward, boat volunteer, and interpreter giving talks to park visitors.

April 19, 2023

Conservation Diaries: Erwin Lopez Osorio, International Volunteer

Transcript

[opening music]

Celeste: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Conservation Diaries, a National Park Service podcast. I am your host, Celeste Morales and in these episodes, we are featuring youth from around the world volunteering in national parks through the National Park Service’s International Volunteers In Parks Program.

Erwin Lopez Osorio participated in an international internship with Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology at the Technological Institute of the Valley of Oaxaca. A few years later, he obtained a master's degree in conservation and management of natural resources at the National Polytechnic Institute CIIDIR in Mexico.

Erwin: I'm a Mexican biologist and I'm from Oaxaca City. This year, I had my first experience abroad thanks to the National Park Service and Environment for the Americas.

Celeste: Since he graduated, Erwin has been promoting bird conservation in his community teaching others how to identify birds and involving them in monitoring projects. He wanted to devote his career to their preservation. Working with scientists in the US national parks appealed to him because he wanted to learn new techniques to apply to his work in Mexico. Learning about bird migration patterns and their habitats in the US was equally valuable to him.

Erwin: I specialize in birds, and through them, I make my bachelor's and my master's degree thesis. And also, I participated in some volunteerings in Mexico. One of them focused on bird banding, and another to promote bird watching in my state. I'm a person that loves spending time in nature, so this position was perfect for me because it include all things, right?

Celeste: Erwin worked in Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. Situated in high mesas, located in a beautiful canyon with red rock cliffs, the park contains many signs of ancient Native Americans, who carved pueblo dwellings, into rock walls. It also includes a diversity of wildlife and plants.

The park’s natural resources staff conduct many inventories and monitoring research projects to access the existing conditions of the Bandelier’s natural resources. This helps its scientists to understand the current state of its biodiversity and to develop the best management actions. Bird banding is an important part of its efforts to understand the health and numbers of the park’s avian population.

Erwin: And additionally, in most of the land of this part park is considered a wilderness area, so that represent a refuge of many species of birds, such as beards, and mammals, fish, plants, et cetera. This year, we started an introduction of two species because the water quality and the macro vertebra appoinents is better in the park.

Celeste: Erwin was an intern with the park’s 2022 bird banding team which monitored and tracked nesting birds at four sites at different locations in the park. Erwin assisted the park with identifying, banding, sexing, and ageing southwest birds. This included setting up mist nets, removing birds from the nets, banding the birds, and releasing the bird quickly and without harm.

A key part of Bandelier’s bird banding program was educating under-served school children about the bird banding processes, with an emphasis on the biology of birds and potential influences from warm climates. Erwin created a 45-minute bird banding presentation to deliver it to 20 different 4th-6th grade classes. The classes also visited the banding site to see the park scientists and Erwin in action.

Erwin: We caught different kind of warblers. Yeah, it's pretty cool. During the breeding season, and some of them during migration. Yeah, it was exciting.

Celeste: Bandelier’s bird conservation program is helping to protect species that migrate to Latin America. Working across borders is important to their survival. Teaching conservationists from those countries how to study birds and protect their habitat is crucial. Moreover, relationships between future leaders abroad and national park scientists will promote cooperation to further protect shared populations.

Erwin: Yes, this park has another method to banding birds. So yeah, I learning new techniques. I learned, of course, about characteristics of new species for me. Well, a good news through this time at Bandelier is that now I'll help in our new banding station in Oaxaca thanks to support from Bandelier in a place called Monte Alban.

Celeste: The National Park Service realizes the importance of diversity in the work force. Having different perspectives helps us manage our resources better and helps us to connect to all communities. We need to extend the benefits of parks to everyone and to enlist their stewardship. Hosting international volunteers allows National Park Service to share its conservation strategies around the world.

Erwin: Honestly, I didn't know that, as a foreigner, I could participate in the National Park Service. Yeah, but now I understand that organizations such as Olympias and Environment for the Americas are supporting underrepresented groups like Latinos, which is fantastic. This year, through the Fish and Feathers Internship, most of us were Latinos and that is so cool.

Celeste: Helping children and youth to understand and appreciate nature is vital to the future of protecting our national parks. The experiences that we provide will have a lasting impact on their conservation values; thus, ensuring that our public lands will last for generations to enjoy.

Erwin: We need a better environmental education for tourism activities, promoting activities with children are crucial.

Celeste: Working in national parks is a great experience for young people. They can see first-hand what park rangers and other staff do and have opportunities to live close to nature. For many, it expands their understanding of conservation careers and provides a catalyst to want to learn more about science and history.

Erwin: I want to say thanks for this opportunity as a Latino. I enjoyed my stay in the United States. Yeah, I would recommend that other young people with a similar ethnicity apply to this program. It's a great experience. It's not only a job. It definitely helped to learn new things, and it's sometimes a challenge.

This international program represents an excellent opportunity of training for people involved in the natural sciences. And additionally, we can increase our English skills through these programs.

Celeste: Erwin had a wonderful opportunity to learn new skills that he will bring to his own conservation efforts in Mexico.

The National Park Service Office of International Affairs helps parks throughout the United States share its mission with partners around the world. It coordinates international volunteer programs like Erwin’s, which benefit national parks by connecting them with the global community through sharing skills with future conservation leaders who will be better equipped to protect resources in their own countries.

And remember, there are many opportunities for youth and young adults 15-30 years old and veterans 35 years old and younger to work with the National Park Service. To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov slash youth programs.

Thanks for listening and happy trails!

[music fades]

Meet Erwin Lopez Osorio, an international volunteer from Oaxaca, Mexico. Erwin spent the summer at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico with the International Volunteers In Parks program. He shared his expertise as a biologist, including during research and education programs about birds in the park.

April 19, 2023

Conservation Diaries: Wesley Reverdy, International Volunteer

Transcript

[intro music]

Celeste: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Conservation Diaries, a National Park Service podcast. I am your host, Celeste Morales. In these episodes, we are featuring youth from around the world volunteering in national parks through the National Park Service’s International Volunteers In Parks Program.

Sometimes called "IVIP” for short, this program brings many talented people from different cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds to gain experience to work in conservation-related fields in National Park Service parks and programs. Our agency also has the opportunity to learn from their knowledge and perspective. While this podcast series focuses on youth, the International Volunteers In Parks Program is open to all ages.

Our guest today is Wesley Reverdy, from France. While volunteering with the National Park Service during the spring and summer of 2022, Wesley completed his Master’s Degree in Environmental Science. Wesley had the opportunity to work in several park projects throughout Saguaro National Park. During his volunteer service, Wesley monitored the natural resources and carried out important research studies that help the parks understand the health of the ecosystems in the Sonoran Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network based in Arizona and the Chihuahuan Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network in New Mexico.

Wesley has many hobbies, but his passion is spending time in nature and watching wildlife. He often goes to the mountains near where he lives in France. In his country, students must do a final internship experience to complete their degrees. Wesley’s dream was to do his in a US national park. He did not know how to go about arranging that, so decided to stumble on the International Volunteers-in-Park website and filled out an application.

Wesley: I was like, yeah, I really want to do that final internship in the USA with the National Park Service, because the National Park Service is a big thing in Europe when it comes to nature conservation especially.

Celeste: Wesley helped the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert networks on several wildlife monitoring projects during his five-month term. He worked with a team of National Park Service scientists in various field studies, mostly focused on park mammals and birds. The results of the projects will help National Park scientists to determine which species are located in certain areas of the parks, and how that may be changing over time. Wesley also worked in two other projects related to stream and spring water monitoring. Additionally, he helped measure stream water quality and collect environmental DNA, or eDNA, shed by organisms living in or using the springs.

Wesley: Yeah, I mean, yeah, thanks to that master's degree, I had a lot of courses about coding, for example, coding was really, really important for that second part of the main project about processing the data. So for example, that course from my master's degree was really, really important. Really, really helpful. And I was able to bring my knowledge about that with me in the US and also a lot of more theoretical in information knowledge, I would say. Especially about ecosystems, all the different species and that kind of stuff. That, that's some things that we learn a lot in France, theoretical things.

Celeste: Wesley’s biggest project was with the Chihuahuan Desert Network. He led a research study which established a new protocol for the acoustic monitoring of bird and bat populations. This work involved deploying camera traps in the field and collecting data from them. Due to the rapid effects of climate change and the ever-changing world of science, capturing the research studies is vital to the future of the US desert ecosystem. By using a system of recorders in the field, the team could download the information and listen to it many times, increasing the number of bird and bat species that can be identified, collecting vocalizations remotely was much more efficient than in person observation. The project was the first deployment of acoustic devices in the network’s parks. The new method will have a huge impact on future acoustic evaluation of avian and bat populations.

Wesley: So basically, instead of sending people on the field to hear the bird vocalization, you can just put a monitor, an acoustic monitor on the field during maybe one month, and then you can retrieve it after one month, and it will do a way better job in terms of capturing acoustically, all the vocalizations. And then you can just hear afterwards, everything on the computer and you have way more time to say, yeah, I can recognize this species, or no, it's more these species. It's not one-shots, and if you didn't hear it correctly, then it's not possible anymore to hear it. Here with that matter, you can hear it multiple times.

But we did some tests around the research learning center in Tucson where I was based, and the tests were completed. So we had all the different species and where the recorders codes the vocalizations exactly. And that was really interesting because people that were working at that place since 10 years, they heard on the recordings, they heard some species that they had never heard before at that place. So it's clear that it's really interesting to have that kind of recorder that is recording all day long or during a period of the day. That is really significant.

Celeste: The acoustic monitoring project is revealing some sobering things to National Park Service scientists.

Wesley: If you look at all the statistics, numbers, and everything, it's clear that there is a big issue with birds related to global warming, but not only with birds, it's also dealing with habitats that is fragmented. I don't know if it's the right word, English fragmented. Yeah. So yeah, it deals a lot with that too, and loss of habitat too. And it's kind of same thing for bats. So yeah, I mean, if you look at all the statistics and the number, the last four birds for bird species is really consequence, especially for North America and for bats. I think it's the same thing everywhere. I know that we have a lot of issues too in Europe. So yeah, it's not only a problem with global warming, but I guess that's global warming is accentuating a little bit the thing.

Celeste: Wesley, like so many international volunteers, brought such an interesting perspective on management of the National Park Service’s natural resources. Attitudes toward wildlife, especially predators are very different in France and other countries in Europe. Including volunteers and interns with diverse cultural backgrounds in National Park Service projects makes national parks more dynamic as they bring different approaches to the work. These individuals can connect parks to a broader range of communities especially when they develop new stewardship values that they bring home.

Wesley: There are some similarities, but I guess that the biggest difference is I would say our behavior towards wildlife, and especially great predators. I guess that's the whole world, have a lot of work to do about great predators. But in France, I mean in Europe, and especially in France, we have some problems with them. I don't know why, but it's something very cultural, I would say. People don't love wolves, for example, don't love bears and that kind of stuff. I mean, not everyone, but that's kind of a cultural thing. So a lot of our program to bring back these species are not really efficient, not as efficient as some other programs around the world or in the US.

Celeste: Climate change is rapidly affecting our planet and the national parks. Providing young people with opportunities to work with NPS scientists to gain experience managing park natural and cultural resources is so important. Young people will be future park leaders and will need to develop climate change adaptation strategies that will be key to protecting species in the national parks. Wesley spoke about this during our conversation.

Wesley: First of all, I would say that's important. Now, globally, that's young people. I mean, young people have to be really interested now in nature or conservation and that kind of stuff, because with global warming and that kind of problem, it will be a problem for our generation, for everyone. So globally, it's really important that young people are interested in that kind of question. And as I said, that kind of experience with the National Park Service is really helpful because you are learning so many things that we are going to learn in maybe 10 years or something like that. So that kind of exchange is really, really interesting because people that are doing that kind of exchange me will be able to bring this really cool stuff with them more quickly, and so we'll be able to monitor wildlife, for example, way better and more quickly.

Celeste: Wesley has returned to France and is finishing up his degree. He is eager to achieve his dream of working in a national park there. The field experience will help guide the next chapter in this career journey.

The National Park Service’s International Volunteers in Parks Program has coordinated over two thousand programs for international students and young park professionals during the last twenty-five years. These individuals have made a difference in protecting natural and cultural resources in their countries.

And remember, there are many opportunities for youth and young adults 15-30 years old and veterans 35 and younger to work with the National Park Service. To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov slash youth programs.

Thanks for listening and happy trails!

[music fades]

Meet Wesley Reverdy from France who spent summer 2022 volunteering with the Sonoran Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network and Chihuahuan Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network. He used his background in natural resource management to participate in studies to determine the current state of wildlife, plant species, water, air, and climate and monitor long-term trends.

April 19, 2023

Conservation Diaries: Sarah Nolan, International Volunteer

Transcript

[intro music]

Celeste: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Conservation Diaries, a National Park Service podcast. I am your host, Celeste Morales. And in these episodes, we are featuring youth from around the world volunteering in national parks through the National Park Service’s International Volunteers In Parks Program.

Sometimes called "IVIP” for short, this program brings many talented people from different cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds to gain experience to work in conservation-related fields in National Park Service parks and programs. Our agency also has the opportunity to learn from their knowledge and perspective. While this podcast series focuses on youth, the International Volunteers-In-Parks Program is open to all ages.

Celeste: Our guest today is Sarah Nolan, from Buckinghamshire County in the United Kingdom, she is a recent graduate of the University of Cambridge, UK, where she studied medieval history, literature, and languages. After thru-hiking for two weeks in Finnish LAPland-ED, she realized that she wanted to pursue a career working in natural history. She decided that she would spend a year volunteering abroad to gain more outdoor skills and learn about national park management. She spent the first part of the year in Brasov, Romania, working with bears. Then, last summer she volunteered at North Cascades National Park.

Sarah: So, the exchange program with the Park Service seemed like an opportunity where I could actually use my skills and be a contributing member of the society. I was in for the time I was there. And equally I wanted to learn, expand my experience of natural history and working with natural history because natural history is something I'm very interested in a personal level, but I haven't had a lot of exposure in a professional level. And so, if I'm looking for jobs that kind of combine heritage work with natural history, I thought it would be a real benefit to have experience in a more natural history-based work environment. So, I could sort of point to that as professional experience as well. And then also there are just so many beautiful places in the US that I wanted to visit.

Celeste: Sarah worked for four months as a volunteer interpretive ranger in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area of Washington state, which is managed by North Cascades National Park. The park contains a rugged mountain landscape with 300 glaciers and many pristine lakes. The Lake Chelan Area is a very remote place that can only be reached by ferry. There is no cell phone service and groceries stories, supplies must be delivered there. Sarah worked at the park visitor center providing talks and helping orient the public.

Sarah: So interpretive rangers are kind of like the human link between the visitors and the park. So, it was a lot of visitor services, answering questions, learning cool things about the park and then educating people about those cool things.

Celeste: Sarah discovered that she loved sharing stories with visitors. Being a historian, she was drawn to research topics about the history of the area. She loved digging into the park’s archive collections, where she discovered a photocopy of a map from about the year of 1857. It was drawn by a guide from the Native American, Solish Tribe. She realized that it was illustrated very differently from modern GPS maps. She was fascinated and decided to develop an interpretive program about how cultural perspective affects the way people view land. Her talk focused on comparing historic maps made by local tribes and those drawn by early western explorers.

Sarah: So, the essential question that I used for my ranger talk was how do different styles of maps influence our imagination and exploration of place? So that was feeding back into the Solish map that I used where for example, waterways and trails weren't distinguished on the map. They were kind of both just referred to as equal ways of travel. So again, there's that kind of emphasis on travel and kind of practical use over a literal GPS representation of the landscape as seen from a bird's eye view. So, this question was aiming to kind of challenge how when we look at a map, we kind of take it for granted, but how even modern maps can shape the way we think about the landscape. Are we limiting ourselves to the beauty points that are noted on a map? Are we thinking about it in terms of trails, in terms of roots of travel?

Celeste: Learning to develop interpretive talks benefited Sarah by showing her what kind of a career that she might like to pursue. Her program allowed her to combine academic research with working outdoors interacting with people. It helped clarify things for her and gave her some professional experience.

Sarah: And I hope that the park has benefited from me because again, with being a small team, even having an extra pair of hands on board meant that they could keep services running, that they might not have been able to keep open otherwise. And also, it means that future rangers will have access to the kind of research and programs that I prepared. So, for example, the talk on maps that I did, all that research is now available for them. Other programs that I've run such as once on wildfires, I've now kind of put together resources that other rangers can then go on and use. So hopefully I've been an asset to the park too.

Celeste: International volunteers bring diverse perspectives to park’s projects. Having opportunities to explore natural and cultural resources in American national parks is exciting as it may be the first time that they’ve seen them up close. They help parks tell important stories in unique ways inspiring staff and visitors.

Sarah: Yeah, I think whether it be volunteers or interns or workers from all across the globe is only ever going to be a positive because you get so many different experiences, like whether they be cultural or just from different life experiences for example. I think I would approach my work in interpretation from a very historical viewpoint.

Celeste: Volunteering in another country is a great experience for young people especially in a national park. In many developed countries the land was altered more than a thousand years ago, and their parks do not contain as much wilderness as those in the US. Additionally, America’s national parks are a great introduction to our country and to the things that we most value. The International Volunteer Program is designated by the State Department as an official exchange visa program for this reason.

Sarah: I would absolutely recommend that people do it. I think as well with it being a sponsored visa, even if you are in a volunteer position and you're not getting paid for that time with the visa being sponsored, it does feel like you're not being taken advantage of; you are being valued. And it's a fantastic way to actually get to know the character of a place. I don't think you can get to know the character of a place unless you're there for a significant time and you're contributing something. So absolutely would recommend it.

Celeste: Working in national parks provides young people with a wealth of opportunities to challenge themselves and try new things. Sarah hadn’t done any overnight hikes since she was a teenager, so she wasn’t expecting to do any during her volunteer program. However, she met a lot of people at North Cascades who were experienced backpackers.

Sarah: So actually, I ended up borrowing one of my colleague's tents and sleeping bag and camping stove so that I could go on an overnight hike. And it was probably a highlight of my time there because I think if you just tell somebody, oh I went on a solo hike for two days in a wilderness area with a can of bear spray, particularly in the UK where we don't have any animals bigger than a badger, people are like, oh my goodness, what are you doing? You're an insane person. But actually, when you're there and you are around experienced hikers, it really doesn't feel like you're doing anything particularly scary or unsafe, particularly if you are properly prepared. So, it was actually a really great exercise in seeing how you can expand your own comfort zones.

Celeste: Sarah has since returned home to the UK and has discovered a career in the field of interpretation. She credits her volunteer program with providing skills that will be essential to her new career path. The National Park Service’s International Volunteer-in-Parks program coordinates opportunities like Sarah’s for nearly 100 foreign nationals in many US national parks. It is one of several programs that helps the NPS share its expertise with individuals from around the world.

And remember, there are many opportunities for youth and young adults 15 to 30 years old and veterans 35 years old and younger to work with the National Park Service. To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov slash youth programs.

Thanks for listening and happy trails!

[music fades]

Meet Sarah Nolan, an international volunteer from the United Kingdom, who was a volunteer interpretive ranger at Lake Chelan National Recreation Area during 2022. She brought her interest in history and the outdoors to help with historical research, as well as assisting park visitors and giving programs.

April 19, 2023

Conservation Diaries: Elisa Distefano, International Volunteer

Transcript

[intro music]

Sometimes called "IVIP” for short, this program brings many talented people from different cultural, educational, and professional backgrounds to gain experience to work in conservation-related fields in National Park Service parks. Our agency also has the opportunity to learn from their knowledge and perspective. While this podcast series focuses on youth, the International Volunteers In Parks Program is open to all ages.

Our guest today is Elisa Distefano from Rome, Italy. She volunteered at North Cascades National Park the summer of 2022. As a volunteer Elisa stayed in Stehekin Valley which has long served as a passageway for travelers, linking Washington's interior wilderness to the rugged Cascade Mountains. It's one of the most remote places in the 48 contiguous states and has a very small community. During her volunteer service Elisa joined several projects including collection of seeds, of grasses in helping mitigate deforestation of some areas of the park. She also helped with the fire management team and contributed to the management of an historic orchard where some apple varieties are cultivated.

Elisa Distefano: The experience of fire management was super interesting because I had some monitoring sites where the team was measuring how the trees grow after fire events. So I was helping with a series of measurements including, for example, the diameter of best height of the trees. All the trees were numbered with tags and we had a tool for assessing their heights and also we were measuring the build up of the wood material that would have an impact in case of other fire events. So we were measuring the depth of the litter, the depth of the soil, and all the material that was accumulating on the floor of the forest.

Celeste: Elisa assistance of monitoring the effect of the fire control management plan included helping with the park biodiversity of plants. With the impact of deforestation and climate change of warmer summers in the pacific northwest, with Elisa’s expertise she helped managed all the different species that were in the nursery of pruning and adding fertilizer, and watering.

Elisa Distefano: So I would like to say that I have a background in natural resource management as a degree and then I have a master's degree in biodiversity and conservation. Also, my job regards natural resource management, sustainable development, and adaptation to climate change in developing countries. So for me this opportunity, it was great because it gave me the possibility of having insight of how to manage natural resources in a park that is very extensive and where all the ecosystems like pristine and the natural environment in untouched.

Celeste: This experience exposed Elisa to difference natural elements of climate change. For example, seeing cultivation affected by floods, drought, desertification, land degradation, forest fires, overfishing. The land gave her a new perspective of both privilege and appreciation of being in its presence.

Elisa Distefano: My cultural background? Well I come from Italy and Italy has a long history of managing parks, but the difference is that parks are inhabited. There are roads, there's towns, so we are not so used to real wilderness. And so for me this made the experience even more interesting because I come from a highly populated country and population density is kind of high also in natural parks. But on the other hand, I come from a country that has high biodiversity in terms of vascular plants. So we have the highest biodiversity in Europe in terms of plants. So I have a long experience of going out with my professors and teachers collecting samples of vegetation, classifying the flora.

Celeste: Elisa admitted her gratefulness of the supportive park staff that help set her up for success with books and resources of identifying the native true grasses. Within the North Cascades, true grasses include approximately 150 species all of which are native. The impact of this species are invaluable to the ability of stabilizing stream banks and filtering sediments.

Elisa Distefano: And then they spent few days with me looking at the grasses, helping understand how to identify the grasses because the grasses look very similar and it takes a little bit of practice. So the park was very generous in terms of giving me the material to learn to do my job in the best possible way.

Celeste: Elisa’s transferable knowledge of true grasses provided guidance in her services as she assisted the expanding effort of true grasses and the positive future impact it will have to the habitat and food for numerous animals and other organisms.

Elisa Distefano: So I felt that I was there to give as much as possible, but to make their life easier. So how can I really contribute for the projects that are running? This was the question I was asking myself every day. And I really did my best to make them feel I was a support. So I think everybody that applies to this, they should come with this, I think most of the volunteers come with this mindset, but three weeks is a good amount of time to learn and then become active.

Celeste: Volunteering in another country is a great experience especially with the National Park Service. Each year, approximately 100 foreign nationals volunteer in the US national parks, gain new skills while bringing new perspectives on NPS challenges. These International VIP's come equipped with the education and experience that make them valuable additions to national park staff. Like Elisa, they travel great distance and fund their own expenses for opportunities to do work in their career fields.

Elisa Distefano: I think this international exchange has several benefits, not only in terms of how the resources are managed. So not in terms of exchange of knowledge because we had interaction on things and that was, I think, interesting for both parties. But I think the strength of the international volunteer, that's why I am so keen about it, it goes beyond that. It’s a life experience, for me, I found this is a life choice. Like working in a park is really a life choice, like you have so many benefits, but then on the other hand you have to face some challenging situations. So I really admire, so it’s about the life experience, it’s not only about bringing cultural exchange. Of course I can also bring as much as possible from my previous experiences from the national and international level. I’m used to working with people from all backgrounds. My colleagues come from all over the world and I am very local. So for once I am the international one living with locals.

Celeste: North Cascade uniqueness of uninhabited region and isolation is one of many International Volunteers In Parks program opportunities that welcomes cultural exchanges with the environment and the surrounding park community. Volunteering at a park provides unimaginable benefits of facing challenging situations and life experiences.

Elisa Distefano: This experience has changed the way I looked at my daily life. I don't know why it was so intense. I have worked in other remote areas. For example, I worked for the James Cook University on a marine conservation project on an island on the Great Barrier Reef. And there too, I had to order the food online. We were receiving the food with the plane that was bringing the post once a week. So I've been in very remote places. But this park in the US for me has been an experience that really touched my soul. I might reconsider life choices. So yeah. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.

Celeste: Elisa has since returned home to Italy with a new perspective on her daily life. Her experience has left her with an impactful reflection of remoteness in the wilderness. The National Park Service’s International Volunteer in Parks program coordinates opportunities like Elisa for nearly 100 foreign national volunteers from around the world to contribute to the US national parks. It is one of several programs that helps the NPS share its experiences with individuals from around the world.

There are many opportunities for youth and young adults 15 to 30 years old and veterans 35 years old and younger to work with the National Park Service. To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov slash youth programs.

Thanks for listening and happy trails!

[music fades]

Meet Elisa Distefano, an Environmental, Natural Resource Management and Climate Change Adaptation Specialist from Rome, Italy. She works in national parks and protected areas around the world and chose to volunteer at North Cascades National Park in 2022 helping with a lot of scientific research.

August 23, 2022

Conservation Diaries: Kia Hill, Storyteller of Black History and Administrator

Transcript

[Music]

Nicole: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Conservation Diaries, a National Park Service podcast. I am your host, Nicole Segnini. In these new episodes we are highlighting current young National Park Service employees who were once interns, fellows, volunteers, or part of a specialized program.

There are many ways young people can get involved with the National Park Service. And sometimes these youth programs may help you jumpstart your career as a full-time employee with the National Park Service.

We caught up with some employees who have made this jump to hear about their experiences and the advice they have for young people.

Our latest guest is Kia Hill, who I spoke with via videoconference. She is from the small town of Greensboro, Alabama, and majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Management at Concordia College Alabama.

When she was a junior there was a moment where she considered changing her college career path... until an interesting opportunity came along.

Kia: And so my advisor got word of it and he was like, "oh gosh, no, no, no, no. I'm going to get you an internship." And I was like, "okay, cool."

Nicole: And that internship was at the National Park Service with the Greening Youth Foundation, one of our partners.

Since 2009, Greening Youth Foundation has worked with the National Park Service to provide meaningful, interesting, and challenging career pathways to young people from diverse backgrounds. The Foundation’s interns serve in every capacity of resource management across the different National Park Service sites, from cultural resources and interpretation to biological sciences, engineering, business, and more.

Kia became a cultural resource intern for the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. Before this internship, Kia didn’t know much about the National Park Service. But she told me that since day one, she was all in.

Kia: I fell in love with telling the story about the voting rights movement. I fell in love with talking to different people and from all over the world. I mean the story itself is so rich and it's so fulfilling, and I really enjoyed it. I did a lot of research. I worked on a lot of projects. I met tons of celebrities [laughs]. So yeah, it was mind blowing. It was a mind-blowing experience, and I am super grateful to have had that experience.

‏‏‎Nicole: The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail commemorates the people, events, and route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. Visitors can learn about this history and trace the events of these marches along the 54-mile trail.

Kia’s job was to interpret the site’s themes to visitors. And she told me the most rewarding part was being able to connect with them.

Kia: I have a friend from Wisconsin, she's my friend now. She came down to the trail in 2017 and she was crying as I was telling her the story. I console her and gave her a tissue and we've been friends since 2017 and we write each other, email each other. And I feel like that's what it's about. It's about making that connection with people when you're telling a story, whatever you're doing within your internship. For me, it was connecting, making that connection with people.

Nicole: After Kia completed her internship, which she did while also attending college, she was able to get her Public Land Corps hours. The noncompetitive hiring authority can help you get a foot on the door of federal jobs.

After she graduated from college in 2018 Kia received a call, on her birthday, offering her a job as a park guide at the same site she had fallen in love with.

So, she began working at Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, full-time.

During her time at the historic trail, as both an intern and a park guide, Kia saw the importance of telling these stories, of crucial moments in America’s history, and especially having a Black woman doing so. She told me she felt empowered to go harder and continue to be a truthful storyteller. She believes everyone should learn about Black history from the achievements, contributions, and historical journeys of Black people and their central role in US history, to the complex and painful stories and events.

Kia: These are events that happened. These events are real, and these events happened not too long ago. And we have to not forget that these events happened because it's a part of our history and it's vital to us. And I feel like if you don't tell these stories, you will forget... For instance, I have, or I had, young kids, students from elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, they would come in and let me know that they're not being taught this in school. Ans so that right there made me feel like, okay, I need to, I have to, what else can I do? What else can I do to inform these kids about the history that took place? That is so important to me, that is so important to me.

Nicole: Kia thinks that while our job at the National Park Service is to preserve and protect the sites and the history, it also our jobs to be truthful when telling these stories and to be genuine.

Kia believes it’s vital that the National Park Service continues to work hard to become more inclusive and diverse. She told me there should be more people like her in these spaces, in these jobs, because it is important for them to be those storytellers, to be able to tell their story and make sure nothing is left behind.

She also told me she felt compelled to become a role model for young Black kids, so they can see themselves represented in the National Park Service.

Kia: I remember I did this event in Selma, this Jubilee event. And there was an African American family that approached me, and they told me, "I've never seen a Black park ranger before. And my daughter would like to take a picture with you." And I was like, "of course," and that really touched my heart. And it made me think that, okay, what can I do to increase diversity, inclusion, equity, all that good stuff? Yeah, so, that also put a fire under me too, by attending career fairs, internship fairs, talking in the community with our peers, attending friend group meetings. That is our job to connect with these communities. We want to see more people of color in the Park Service. So, it's like, okay, what can I do? What can we do to increase this?

I mean. You can be whatever you want to be, in this world, in this life. You can be whatever you want to be. And I think it's important for young Black kids to see me in this uniform, in this Park Service, because I'm that kid. You know, they can be me as well. And I feel like for me, it's my job to do whatever I can to get them in here. It's my job to leave these doors open for them to walk through because somebody left the door open for me to walk through.

Nicole: Right now, Kia is in a different role at two of the newest parks in the National Park System. She is the secretary for the superintendent at both the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and Freedom Riders National Monument located in Alabama.

The Freedom Riders National Monument includes the former Greyhound Bus Station located where segregationists attacked a bus carrying civil rights activists known as “Freedom Riders” in May of 1961. It also includes the spot six miles away on the side of the highway where they firebombed the hobbled bus and attempted to trap the Freedom Riders inside of it.

The Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument which was established in 2017, features roughly four city blocks in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, where a lot of young Black youth participated in civil rights protesting during the 1950s and 60s.

Kia: So, a lot of prominent figures like Dr., I'm sorry, Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and Dr. King, they were at the A.G. Gaston Motel. So that's our site, that is currently closed right now. They held meetings there. They strategized there and worked on Project C. It's a lot of rich history here in Birmingham, Alabama, and we are excited about opening soon. It's important for people to come out and view this history to see the A.G. Gaston Motel, because this happened not too long ago. And it's super, super vital for people to learn about. And like I said before, some of this history is not in history books for kids to learn about. However, it is our job to tell these stories and to make sure they learn about it for all ages. For all ages. It's a true gem to the city of Birmingham.

Nicole: As an administrator Kia moves and transfer funds. She handles record management, which includes ensuring that the essential records are organized and maintained so that they can easily be retrieved. She also designates a record copy of each document, product, or other record and keep it in an official file. She handles property management and fleet, does employees’ timecards making sure everyone gets paid, and more. Administration supports everything. It provides resources, funding, logistics, and the behind-the-scenes work that allows a park to run smoothly and conservation to happen.

Kia: I love my job. When I got here last year, I literally did not want to go home. I enjoyed it so much. And at first it was a little difficult for me to adjust doing administration work because I did interpretation for so long. And I was talking to people every single day and on my feet every single day, versus me being at work behind a computer, it was a little hard to adjust. But I have amazing mentors that coach me through these new systems that I work with every single day. And I have amazing colleagues that I get to see every single day. And I'm telling you, I really enjoy it. I truly enjoy my job.

Nicole: Kia will continue to tell these key stories of Black history, of American history and be a role model for Black youth. She also has some advice for young people, especially from underrepresented communities, and that is to have faith in their skills and know that their voices matter and are needed in both the conservation field and the National Park Service.

Kia: For me, I feel like it's about us getting out there and getting into the communities, going to the career fairs, going to the high schools, that's our target audience. So, it's about informing them about the Park Service and asking them what they want to do in life and letting them know that you can do interpretation, administration, facility management, project management...

And honestly, apply...apply to those jobs. My mentor, I remember, he was like, "never feel like you don't possess the knowledge or capability skills for this job. Always apply." I was like, "OK." [laughs]. You know, apply! That's what I would tell them. Make sure you apply. I don't care what the job is. If you're interested, apply! You never know what may happen.

Nicole: Find out more online about the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument at nps.gov/BICR. About the Freedom Riders National Monument at nps.gov/FRRI. And about the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail at nps.gov/SEMO. These sites preserve and highlight the untold stories and remarkable stories of African Americans in history, stories that we all should learn about.

And remember, in these new episodes of Conservation Diaries, we are highlighting young National Park Service staff, like Kia, whose National Park Service journeys started as volunteers, fellows, interns, or as part of a special program.

To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov/youthprograms.

Thank you for listening!

Meet Kia Hill, the secretary for the superintendent of Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument and the Freedom Riders National Monument in Alabama. Before landing this job, Kia was an intern and a park ranger at Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. Learn more about Kia’s journey to the National Park Service and her passion for storytelling and being a role model for Black youth.

August 18, 2022

Conservation Diaries: Subria Spencer, Promoting National Parks as Public Health Resources

Transcript

[Music]

There are many ways young people can get involved with the National Park Service. And sometimes these youth programs can help you jumpstart your career as a full-time employee of the National Park Service.

We caught up with some employees who have made this jump to hear about their experiences and their advice for young people.

Today’s guest is Subria Spencer, an Auburn, Alabama native. She went to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB, where she got her bachelor's in public health. She ultimately wanted to help communities achieve better health outcomes by providing access to basic resources. Subria focused much of her time during and after completing school on looking into local food environments, the issues that surround them, and identifying solutions to provide increased access to fresh, affordable options.

Subria: I really kind of only imagined myself being in that kind of sustainability food realm. I'm very passionate about helping people meet those very basic needs in life. If we don't have food, if we don't have those things, like we can't function.

Nicole: Subria had a unique journey to the National Park Service. And while her role here might not focus specifically on food, it does focus on looking at other aspects of an individual’s overall health and wellbeing.

This focus started back in 2017 when Subria was selected to be part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—or CDC’s—Public Health Associate Program. This two-year training program selects candidates to help address public health gaps at local, state, federal, or even tribal organizations across the US and its territories.

Subria was originally placed in the US Virgin Islands working with the USVI Department of Health right after Hurricanes Maria and Irma, but due to the rapidly changing environment, Subria was relocated to DC with the National Park Service Office of Public Health. And, needless to say, she was surprised.

Subria: I knew nothing about the park service. I'm sure I had visited sites and probably been to parks but didn't realize that there was an agency responsible really for managing sites or managing monuments, different units... Definitely did not know that there was an Office of Public Health. [laughs] This is a quite, a very niche sort of job and sort of role.

Nicole: As a CDC Public Health Associate, her role involved helping the Office of Public Health coordinate and facilitate a wide variety of projects. One of her responsibilities was to identify, track, and ultimately help prevent the spread of certain diseases that might exist in the parks, in particular tick-related illnesses.

Subria: I came and I was doing just because there was a need because I don't have a communications background, but because there was a need to better communicate what's happening in the office and connect with new partners, that's the work that I was doing. And I was able to get experience doing some epi related work. So, over the summer of 2018, I helped with tick drags in parks. So that was kind of my first time out a national park. I had been in national parks, but as a National Park Service fellow-CDC person, I'm now like looking for ticks in parks and helping to collect them. And I had never seen a tick before. So I'm going through all of the things, like how to identify them. So, I was doing a lot of that work.

Nicole: In addition to that work, Subria was instrumental in helping the Office of Public Health improve their methods of communication by developing an external website and revamping their internal site. She also worked alongside Greening Youth [Foundation] interns to help create and facilitate programs through Your Park! Your Health!, an initiative committed to building community relationships, promoting healthy lifestyles, inspiring connectivity with nature and establishing a sense of belonging in parks.

After completing her assignment with the CDC program, she was hired as the Deputy Liaison and Communication and Education Specialist for the National Park Service in the Office of Public Health.

She told me it was in part thanks to the help and trust she had gained from both the Director of the Office of Public Health, Captain Sara Newman, and the Deputy Director, Sonya Coakley.

Subria: Both of them very focused on people first, very focused on trying to create opportunities if they can, to further knowledge, to help people continue to excel in their career, move forward in their career. And so, Sonya really worked hard to create a position for me to actually stay and be hired on officially within the office.

Nicole: And while this was a unique way for Subria to join the National Park Service full-time, because it depended on her host site and funds, she did tell me something else that helped her with her federal application was having done AmeriCorps VISTA. That’s a year-long volunteer program that allows members to earn federal non-competitive hiring eligibility at the completion of their service, giving members an edge in the federal hiring process.

Subria: Which I don't know how many people know about that. I think even offices may not know. Oh, AmeriCorps is an entity that I should look for when I'm thinking about individuals that could potentially be hired into the National Park Service. When I'm looking for those skill sets, you know, those are individuals, and you don't have a set background going into AmeriCorps. Some people may have been writers or done communications or science backgrounds, math backgrounds. It's really a variety. So, it is really a good place to look and consider for offices that are looking for more pathways.

Nicole: Subria has become a champion of public parks and their positive impact on health. She believes our health, wellbeing, finding happiness, and being connected to nature are all essential to our life.

The Office of Public Health is responsible for protecting, promoting, and advancing health in national parks. It functions like an internal health department, providing agency specific public health capability through disease surveillance and response, on site evaluation and hazard analysis, consultation on parks systems and even policy guidance. OPH professionals also assist park superintendents and land managers in promoting the positive health benefits of nature.

In her role, she leads and coordinates communications and education efforts to advance the goals of all programs within the office and helps to elevate the important partnership with the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

Subria: When we're stressed, you know, when we need a break from life... we take vacations, we go to the beach, we go outside, we go for a hike, we want to stand in the sun, we want to feel the trees, we want to touch water. And so, I think being able to just do that work in my everyday job is just really cool because it's like ‘ok how can I best engage this particular community in a park or in a space and a green space that is close to them or that they have access to?’ You know, what can I do to say, ‘Hey, your culture, everything that you're engaged in is important and you can do that in a park and you can enjoy all of the things that you love in these spaces because they are your spaces.’

Nicole: Subria also told me that a big and important aspect of her job is to promote the health and well-being of diverse populations. She wants to make sure we are redefining the perception of national parks as havens of inclusion and making sure people from historically marginalized communities can find a sense of belonging at national parks.

She has been part of projects that focus on opening dialogues around equity, health, healing, and wellness. She was also a producer of the Twenty & Odd National Park Service short film, which serves as a tool to inform, highlight, and educate the nation on the trauma, resilience, and beauty of the African American experience in this country.

Subria told me there’s still a lot to be done, and conversations to be had, to be able to truly represent everyone within the National Park Service, and make sure everyone can feel welcomed and enjoy their national parks.

Subria: We can only be truly effective when our agency really resembles the makeup of America. We understand that there is not one type of person, one type of community, one type of thought, one type of food, one type of culture... You know, really America is a mix of so many different beautiful things. And so unless that is represented in the agency, we're not going to be effective in trying to engage new people, quote unquote in the park, to reach new audiences. We can't do that if we don't have individuals that are connected to those communities and that represent those audiences. We just can't. You know, that's just bottom line. We just can’t. We're never going to be effective unless we're able to do that.

And I think when we look at issues of climate change, when we look at issues of mental health, when we look at health in general, overall wellbeing, the individuals that are being impacted the most are the same communities that have been historically marginalized from these green spaces, from recreational activities, from the ability to engage with themselves and to learn about themselves through nature. And so it's just critical that we are hiring and also working to ensure that what we're doing here is really reflective of what society, what America, what our communities need.

Nicole: Progress is made when there is a flow of new ideas and new ways of engaging on these issues. Subria also told me it is essential to continue engaging with the youth to be able to achieve change and progress.

Subria: I think there really is more work to be done, especially when it comes to promoting existing programs and also more work to be done when it comes to thinking about innovative ways to reach new people. And also understanding that even if you don't come from this rich conservation background, you don't know all there is to know about the science and water testing and whatever it is we say that you need to have for park service, that there's so many other skills and so much other knowledge that exists out there that we need.

We need new thoughts. We need new minds. We need people that are going to think about the issues in a different way, that are going to come to the conservation table and think about a new way to maintain a certain species in parks or to focus on how we're addressing invasive plants. You know, we need those new thoughts at the table.

Nicole: You can learn more about the Office of Public Health and what they do online at nps.gov/orgs/1735. And you can also find out more about how you can connect your health to the health of our natural world on our nps.gov site about ‘health and safety.’

In these new episodes of Conservation Diaries, we are highlighting young National Park Service staff, like Subria, whose NPS journeys started as volunteers, fellows, interns, or as part of a special program.

To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to www.nps.gov/youthprograms.

Thank you for listening!

[Music fades]

Meet Subria Spencer, a public health professional serving as Deputy Liaison and Communication Specialist for the National Park Service Office of Public Health in Washington, DC. Find out more about her interesting and unique journey to the National Park Service and why she is passionate about diversity and promoting national parks as public health resources.

August 18, 2022

Conservation Diaries: Olf Mouyaka, Advocating for Youth Programs, Volunteering, and Urban Parks

Transcript

[Music]

We caught up with some employees who have made this jump to hear about their experiences and their advice for young people.

Today we are hearing from Olf Mouyaka, who is originally from the Republic of Congo and came here when he was 16 years old, settling with his siblings in Lowell, Massachusetts. Like many immigrants he faced challenges, such as learning a new language, cultural practices, and dealing with a much different climate.

Olf: We got here in September. And September is fall, people are still wearing shorts here. They are still hanging out like it’s summer. And I remember just being so cold, just like freezing and thinking ‘this is the worst of it’ like it's never like.. I don’t like this, it's so cold... and then everyone was telling me like ‘Well winter is not here yet but it's coming, you know’ then I was like ‘it gets worse than this?’ Then every year since I've been like I got to move, I gotta move... 12 years I'm still here [laughs].

Nicole: Olf’s journey to the National Park Service began back when he was a sophomore at Lowell High School.

That’s when he met a park ranger from Lowell National Historical Park who had gone to his school for a career fair. At the time, Olf wanted to start working but didn’t want a stressful job and he thought the park could be a good option, so he applied for a volunteer position and began working at the park’s visitor center’s front desk.

After volunteering for a little while, he became part of Lowell Spindle City Corps, a program that offers opportunities for local high school youth to participate in the Trades Skills, Summer Maintenance and Community Action Team programs at the park. He spent two summers helping paint fences, cut weeds, and more maintenance projects throughout the park. He also helped set up and break down the famous Lowell Folk Festival, an experience he says was unforgettable.

While volunteering for Lowell National Historical Park, Olf was surprised to learn that there were so many different types of national parks and that they included urban parks. But as he continued volunteering at the park, he started learning more about the National Park Service and about his new home.

Olf: Like the textile industry was big here. You get to learn about you know, slavery, African American history, and all those things and how even in the park that doesn't have any of the pieces on the arrowhead, a park can still be a park. Then I just started to fall in love with learning about where I was from, ‘cause then I was now from Lowell. I lived in Lowell, I wanted to know everything about it. And this was the place that knew everything about the city.

Nicole: Before college he had the opportunity to join the Mass Parks Student Career Intake Program or SCIP, which has since been discontinued, and provided career training for local youth from urban and underserved communities in Massachusetts. He was able to visit many national parks in the area and was exposed to different careers at the National Park Service. Olf says the program helped him realize that he wanted to stick around.

So, after he joined Merrimack College to study international business and French, Olf came back every summer to work as a seasonal park guide at Lowell.

Olf: After I became a seasonal, I saw a real opportunity to become a park ranger, to put on a uniform and hopefully make a career out of it. I think after I became a seasonal, I was like alright, like this is an actual option right. This is an option. It's something that I can do. Not that I'm great at it but it was like I could see that there are things that I'm good at, that are being asked for and that that are needed of me and I can bring them in so then I decided to pursue it.

Nicole: While he was a seasonal, he became a community volunteer ambassador where he helped connect the community to their volunteers.

Through this public-private partnership between the National Park Service and Stewards Individual Placement Program, interns spend a year at a national park while strengthening the bonds between communities and parks and expanding service-learning and volunteer opportunities. He also trained some of the volunteers and helped them develop skills for public speaking, problem solving, networking, and more.

After he completed the program, he was eligible for the Public Lands Corps noncompetitive hiring authority, a special hiring status which makes it easier for you to apply for a full-time federal job.

Olf: And so I was told ‘yep once you do this, there’s a much higher chance for you to become a seasona, or to become a permanent employee’ and so I did that.

Nicole: This is how Olf became a park guide at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in Massachusetts, where he helps maintain the website and make social media posts at times; he also works at the visitor center and helps with the volunteer programs. However, his biggest project is a summer camp called “Something Fishy Camp.” The two-week program is for kids in the 4th grade going into 5th and it teaches them about marine science and New Bedford’s history.

He told me his favorite things about working at historical and urban parks are the communities which they are a part of, the stories he is able to tell, and the connections he continues to make.

Olf: Here like the summer camp is great. The fact that, you know, I can see these kids in the summer and maybe walk the streets, you know, downtown in here, hey, often I like what's up, and you look around, it's a kid that you had at the camp like that connection there. I enjoyed that part of it that like, I don't want to be foreign. Like I don't want it to be that I see them once and I'll probably never see them again. And that happens when you get visitors from overseas and whatnot... But the community aspect of it is what I enjoy. Maybe selfishly, it's because I've only worked at parts that are urban parks right, they are in the city. They're small, and you work with people. But that that I think is probably my favorite.

And the New Bedford history is incredible on its own. Whaling history I didn't know much about before I came here. I knew about the Underground Railroad by I didn't know that Frederick Douglass lived in New Bedford for two years and three years before he went on with his life. But, you know, we all know about Frederick Douglass, but to then be part of that story and be able to say, ‘I live where the man lived, like I walked the streets that he walked.’ I go you know, I can go into a church where you give a speech. So, some of those things, I think, make a place special and to be able to tell that story and I know not everybody gets to do that. But in my uniform I get to see that and do that so that's incredible to me, but um the community aspect of it is what makes it exciting for me I'd say.

Nicole: Olf wants to inspire people, especially young black and immigrant kids, to follow their passion. He wants to be there for them, tell them about his experiences and empower them to contribute to their communities.

He also wants to make sure our communities, regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion, know that national parks belong to them and that they too can enjoy and have an important role in helping to protect these beautiful places.

Olf: For young people who don't see themselves represented, I'd say, they shouldn't think that they can't be the representation, that they can't start it, right. Like, I didn't see many Black people at Lowell, I didn't think to myself that I couldn't be the Black person at Lowell that then people look out for. I think it is easier when you see someone that looks like you, speaks and sounds like you to be able to connect and even be more comfortable to ask the questions. I think that helps. But I think the drive and desire in me and the background in me and the culture in me, and where I come from and how I was raised reminds me that in places where there's no one who looks like me, I can still be that person who then looks like me and creates an opportunity for maybe someone else. So out of my story, and you know, whatever this highlight is, I hope that people can see that. And I think my advice to those young people who don't see people who look like them or sound like them, who aren't of their background, that they can become that person that they can start... That if they don’t think it’s possible that honestly, they can be the person to do it.

Nicole: Olf’s National Park Service’s journey started as a volunteer, and that is something he is still very passionate about. His advice for young people who want to start volunteering at national parks, or just volunteering overall, is to just go for it!

Olf: I think often times people say I don't have time, like that’s the biggest thing ‘I don’t have time, I can’t make the time’ but like when is it ever time? So, I think it comes down to desire. And I hope that in conversations I can show someone that hey, it's we want you to be a part of it and I think wanting to create a collective where if somebody is thinking about volunteering, reminding them that we need them... like I need you to be able to do this like I can't do it with that without you. The project however big it, you know, it is, or small, one person can do it, two people will probably do it better, three people could do it even better. So, creating that connection and reminding people that it only happens if we all do it. And hopefully spark something in them that says ‘I think I wanna do it’. And that’s my two-minute speech on ‘hey, you should volunteer.’”

Nicole: From a volunteer to a youth program intern, to a seasonal, to a community volunteer ambassador intern, and finally a permanent employee... Olf has done it all at the National Park Service, yet his journey is just beginning.

Right now, Olf is on a temporary assignment at First State National Historical Park in Delaware, working as an Education Technician. He is helping to prepare a program called " Saving the Past, Shaping the Future",” which brings nearly 500 4th graders to the park where they get to enjoy a full day of educational hands-on interactive activities from various local Delaware organizations.

He is happy that he is helping at a park that also cares about community, youth development and stewardship. And where he can continue to help people understand why these historical sites are so important.

Olf: right like, a courthouse can just be taken down and a new one can be built but the challenge of convincing them [people] that this one should stay, that this one has more meaning, that challenge is what excites me about working at urban parks and those places because the average person walks in and says ‘well this is just another building’ but why should I care about it? That often is the question, right? Like ‘why am I interested?’ [laughs]

Nicole: You can learn more about the parks Olf has been working at on nps.gov/NEBE for New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, nps.gov/FRST, for First State National Historical Park.. And finally, nps.gov/LOWE, for Lowell National Historical Park.

And remember, in these new episodes of Conservation Diaries, we are highlighting young National Park Service staff members, like Olf, whose National Park Service journeys started as volunteers, fellows, interns, or as part of a specialized program.

To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov/youthprograms.

Thank you for listening!

[Music fades]

Meet Olf Mouyaka, a park guide at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, who has also worked at Lowell National Historical Park and First State National Historical Park. From a volunteer to a youth program participant to a seasonal and finally a full-time employee, learn more about Olf’s incredible journey to the National Park Service.

August 18, 2022

Conservation Diaries: Leiann De Vera, Educator and Promoter of Community Engagement

Transcript

[Music]

We caught up with some employees who have made this jump to hear about their experiences and the advice they have for young people.

Today we are hearing from Lei De Vera, who is Filipino American born and raised in San Diego, California. She got her bachelor's in environmental science and resource management at California State University Channel Islands. At first Lei didn’t really know if she wanted to go to college or just continue working, since she was going to be the first one in her family to attend college and she also didn’t know exactly what she wanted to study.

Lei: I kind of found out when it was college app time, ‘oh, I'm a low-income person and I get free college applications.’ So, I did the farthest, cheapest... I applied to a bunch for free. I knew if I stayed in San Diego, I would have done engineering, but I was like, you know, ‘what is my favorite AP class?’ And it happened to be environmental science. So, I was like, ‘alright, maybe this is something I want to do for the rest of my life.’

Nicole: When Lei started going to college, she thought at first, she only wanted to focus on studying. But she told me that after her first semester, she got bored. She wanted to find either a job or an internship to keep her entertained.

She wasn’t originally going to do work with the National Park Service. In fact, she didn’t really know much about the agency nor national parks overall. But during one of her classes one of her professors told them about a National Park Service gig. And Lei thought it wouldn’t hurt to check it out, since it was a paid position, and she was going to get college credits for it.

Lei: I shot my shot. I was like, I don’t have any... The only job experience I had was that SeaWorld San Diego stuff and that was nothing towards my educational stuff at all... And now it seemed like it was justifiable for me to apply to that internship just because I was like, alright, this is like environmental stewardship, inspiring like future generations... Seeing if me working with kids is something I might enjoy or like, and I was like, this is pretty cool. This is pretty alright, they are small, its fun! [laughs]

Nicole: The internship was at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California. It was a multi-diverse youth teaching assistant internship program under the Student Conservation Association, or SCA, and it was partnership between the university and the park.

The Student Conservation Association, or SCA, is a national resource conservation organization. SCA provides volunteers of all backgrounds and educational levels with conservation service internships and volunteer opportunities in national parks, national forests, and other public lands.

This was her first internship at the park, and she worked at the Education Division, aiding in community outreach and EKiP (Every Kid in the Parks) programs. The last one is now called Every Kid Outdoors and it aims to create opportunities for 4th graders to experience their federal public lands and waters.

Lei: So, like, when I would do education programs, my biggest thing was that I could physically see the change in a shift or in a child's attitude towards public lands and environmental stewardship or whatever the program curriculum was for. And that's something that I really like, seeing the inspiration and spark in their eyes, being that astonishing wow factor, especially in a national park.

Nicole: Lei did this for about a year and a half and right after that she was offered yet another internship. This time, doing interpretation instead.

Through both internships Lei was able to gain the skills and experiences to become a Community Volunteer Ambassador, or CVA.

Through this public-private partnership between the National Park Service and Stewards Individual Placement Program, CVA interns help strengthen the bonds between communities and parks and expand service-learning and volunteer opportunities.

Lei spearheaded interesting and engaging volunteer programming during her time as a CVA intern, which she did for almost three years. She did so much... from helping the volunteer coordinator in either assisting with volunteer logistics, entering hours into the database, figuring out volunteer appreciation picnics to doing volunteering, parks programming, inventory, and taking the lead on some of the programs and projects.

Lei: Every day was very different with the community volunteer position. Like one day it'll be like, oh, doing restoration with Disney, doing trail maintenance with Starbucks, doing just a regular monthly scheduled volunteer opportunity at the native plant nursery... I remember when I first came on in 2019 that after our biggest fire in 2018, the Woosley fire. So, a lot of the volunteerism stuff that was going on during that time was post fire trail maintenance, trail work, you know, fire management, fire ecology. And it honestly a shift with COVID too. So, there was virtual engagement.

One of the things I got to start was it was called Santa Monica Mountains Zoom Speaker Series. We did it for, I think a whole year. We would have speakers, either park staff, volunteers, interns, and then other parks and other agencies, other partners coming together and doing pretty much a one hour, a one-to-one-and-a-half-hour speaker series and presentation. And we would use that for volunteer virtual engagement and enrichment and training hours.

Nicole: Lei and other staff and volunteers from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, as well as Cabrillo National Monument, and Channel Islands National Park - who were part of this Volunteer Virtual Education Initiative—won a Volunteer Program award during the 2020 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service. The Hartzog awards are given annually to recognize the exemplary contributions NPS volunteers make to their park and to their community.

In 2021 she was able to apply for a full-time park ranger position at the park where she does a variety of things. One day she’s at the visitor center, another day she’s doing an education program or a restoration volunteer event.

Lei: And it's kind of interesting, it's been a mix of education, interpretation, volunteering, parks, and programming. So, it's been a lot of what I've done since I started, combined throughout the years till now. So, it's great that I get to do all of everything that I've done since the beginning.

Nicole: So far Lei has been at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area since 2016. And she loves it. The park is big and offers easy access to wild places. You can experience the famous beaches of Malibu or explore more than 500 miles of trails. And the park also abounds with historical and cultural sites, from old movie ranches to Native American centers. So, there’s so much to learn about and explore.

Lei has always been an outdoors kind of person, but she didn’t really visit many national parks growing up, and it never crossed her mind to work at one.

Lei: That seemed more of a luxury, like a privilege to do. So before the whole college thing, none of that came to my mind and where I am today. [Laughs]

One of the big things she loves about working at the park is the diversity within the workforce. While she is the only Filipino American park ranger, she told me several of her coworkers are people of color and from underrepresented communities. And while she believes there is still a lot to do, she says having a diverse workforce is vital because it helps young people see themselves represented and it might inspire them to pursue careers in the conservation fields or at the National Park Service.

Lei: When I first did education programs, a lot of these education programs are Title One schools, underrepresented youth. They have to come through a grant because they can't afford a school bus. We pay for that. And a lot of these kids, it's their first time being outdoors. It's the first time seeing the ocean. First time seeing the mountains, stuff like that. And it's quite inspiring because especially younger kids, they look up to you and they're like, ‘Okay. She looks kind of just like me. That's pretty cool. Like, okay I shouldn't feel scared.’ Because there is a stigma, especially with green and gray and the uniform. Like ‘I'm not here to give you a ticket. I'm here to give you maps. I'm here to give you directions. I'm here to give you information and knowledge.’

I think it's important because it gives people a chance to see that pretty much their heritage, background, or upbringing shouldn't limit their interest. And that's something I feel like we should touch because we're trying to do the whole community engagement, community outreach, trying to hit a sense of belonging, especially for free public lands and for future generations, that's such a big thing, like not to tokenize anything in terms of being like a model minority or being underrepresented youth, but just having the acknowledgement that there are so many people that are out here that are doing great things who happen to be diverse. And that is something to recognize.

Nicole: Representation also creates more welcoming green spaces overall. Lei says sometimes people from diverse backgrounds feel more comfortable and more at peace with someone who looks, and sounds like them. That’s why she believes the National Park Service should continue striving for more equity and representation within its workforce. Youth programs like the ones Lei was part of are a great way to help bring in more diverse youth to the National Park Service. And she believes it’s important to continue funding and promoting them.

Lei is thankful that she was able to find that first internship when she started college and it is safe to say that she has grown to love education as she continues to make sure kids are learning about the outdoors in every way, from recreating responsibly to learning ways to protect these beautiful places.

Her advice for young people, especially from diverse backgrounds, is to make sure you are trying everything out while you can and to surround yourself with good people that will advocate for you and guide you.

Lei: Me having mentors and mentees and all of that intertwined, very much helped me in how I got here. If it wasn't for people, the community helping me out or people of this workspace to help me out. I don't think I would be in this current position if it wasn't for them.

So, find people to advocate for you. If you have the time and resources, take every opportunity you can to experience things. And you know, honestly, just have fun. For the most part, a lot of this yeah, you get paid for it and it's a job... but I mean, at what cost if it's not going to be fun? Why waste your life in that moment for something you're not going to enjoy? So, don't take it for granted. Have the best time you can, use your resources, take your time. If you have the time, do it and find good people around you that will support you.

Nicole: During the days Lei is not working at the park, she works as an environmental educator for K-12 at the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains.

You can learn more about Lei’s park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, on their website at nps.gov/SAMO.

And remember, in these episodes of Conservation Diaries, we are highlighting young National Park Service staff members, like Lei, whose National Park Service journeys started as volunteers, fellows, interns, or as part of a specialized program.

To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to nps.gov/youthprograms.

Thank you for listening!

[music]

Meet Leiann (Lei) De Vera, a park ranger at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California. She started as an intern and then a Community Volunteer Ambassador before becoming a full-time employee at the park. Find out more about her journey and her love for working with young kids.

August 18, 2022

Conservation Diaries: Evelyn Moreno, Communicating the Importance of Conservation and Outdoor Recreation

Transcript

[Music]

Nicole: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Conservation Diaries, a National Park Service podcast. I am your host, Nicole Segnini. In these new episodes we will be highlighting current young National Park Service employees who were once interns, fellows, volunteers, or part of a specialized program.

We caught up with some employees who have made this jump to hear about their experiences and advice they have for young people.

Today we are hearing from Evelyn Moreno, who was born in Chicago but calls Texas her home. Her parents are both immigrants from Mexico. She went to the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in journalism and minored in geography. Two things she was very passionate about growing up.

Evelyn: I kind of knew that I really wanted to be able to write about the environment, write about environmental issues affecting communities of color, and write about wildlife, all the things that just make me so happy.

Nicole: During college and after graduating, Evelyn did a few internships before landing an opportunity at the National Park Service. She was focusing on writing about things and issues that she is passionate about, such as environmental and social justice and immigration issues.

And then she found an opportunity to do a communications fellowship with the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program, or RTCA. The fellowship was through Hispanic Access Foundation, a partner of the National Park Service that connects people in the Latinx community to opportunities by exposing them to reliable and relevant resources and promoting civic engagement.

Evelyn: So, the fellowship that I did was 11 months. And at the end of it I did get Public Land Corps hiring authority, so I'm really grateful about that. And a few months into my fellowship my boss was like oh, would you want to work here after? And I was like yes, please. Like hello, this is a dream job, honestly. So, I'm grateful that it worked out.

Nicole: During those eleven months, Evelyn wrote articles and produced newsletters highlighting conservation and outdoor recreation projects to help increase the awareness of the RTCA program.

Now, RTCA, the acronym for the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, provides free assistance and helps local communities to move forward in their conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the United States. The program assists communities and public land managers in developing or restoring parks, conservation areas, rivers... And it also helps them create outdoor recreation opportunities and programs to engage future generations in the outdoors.

It is important to note though that the program does not provide financial assistance or monetary grants. RTCA works as a collaborative partner, offering technical assistance through an annual application process that community groups, nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, national parks, and local, state, and federal agencies can apply for.

Evelyn told me an important aspect of her job, and the program itself, is making sure they are increasing outreach efforts to underrepresented communities and communities of color.

Evelyn: One example was, close to New Orleans, there was this community that had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina way back when. Louisiana and is always being affected by devastating natural disasters like hurricanes. So we were able to work with this community that had lost a lot of their homes and structures, and creating climate resiliency so that future hurricanes wouldn't completely devastate their community. And this was an underrepresented community, a mostly Black community, and it's just so valuable because these communities need support, and they deserve support, and we're here to give it. So for that and more I think it's really important that we do create a bridge to make it for communities, like make it easier for communities to reach out to us and feel safe, and feel heard, and be able to create the same access to outdoor recreation opportunities that a lot of affluent communities have. Because again, it's a human need and it's what's fair.

Nicole:  After she was hired to work full-time at the National Park Service, she simply continued to do the work she had been doing as a fellow: communicating about the important work they do.  

Her current position is as a writer and editor, and she does everything from writing articles and social media highlights... to writing and releasing a publication that highlights their work a little bit more in depth regarding building healthy communities, conserving lands and waters, supporting public land management collaboration, and more.  

She makes sure to highlight what the program is doing to ensure everyone has safe and equitable access to close-to-home outdoor experiences and places. She combines her passion for writing with her enthusiasm for hearing people’s stories and amplifying the voices of the communities they represent.  

One of the things Evelyn finds the most valuable about being part of RTCA, is the people she works with. 

Evelyn: Literally everyone is a gem, everyone cares so much about working with communities that are underrepresented as well and just helping them you know to create access to outdoor recreation opportunities because it's a human need. It's a basic human need that we want to be able to meet. So, the passion that I see, you know, when I talk with staff about projects is unlike anything I've ever seen, they're always so excited to get new projects and see the successes that their partners are having. Because we work on projects for one to two years and then we're like okay, here you go, here's a plan. You know, hopefully you can implement it, what's your timeline? And then partners follow back up after like three to four years and they're like, ‘we finished building this park, and it's so cool, and the community loves it.’ So honestly, just so valuable, the work that we do obviously is so valuable but the people who make it happen are so great and lovely.

Nicole: While Evelyn didn’t know that this program existed, she also never saw herself working for the federal government. As someone who was studying journalism in college, it just never crossed her mind. Like many, she didn’t know that there were so many different careers to explore at the National Park Service.

Evelyn: Aside from being a park ranger I didn't know what opportunities existed. Like of course, people have to do communications, of course, but I didn't consider it. I was going to journalism school, I was thinking like CNN, and Democracy Now, like magazines. So, when I saw this position, I was like, ‘No way, I literally went to school for this. Let me do it, I love it.’

Nicole: But it was possible, thanks to her fellowship, one of several youth programs opportunities that exist for young diverse people to get involved with the National Park Service.

Evelyn says it is vital that the National Park Service continues to outreach to communities of color and to have more people, especially young people, from these communities join the workforce.

Evelyn: I think it's invaluable to have people of color working in these spaces because, you know, we have unique connections to the natural environment, or we have unique ways of recreating, like carne asadas, or having just different ways of being outdoors. So, we also know for the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, we do a lot of outreach. So having more people of color like me and some colleagues, we were able to recommend to our other colleagues like ‘hey, if you want to work with Latinx communities you have to give them a little bit more time to get comfortable with you, you have to maybe have a little cafecito, talk about the project, make them feel safe, heard.’

So we can offer perspectives that otherwise, who's going to offer them? We offer all these perspectives that can encourage leadership to think about outreach strategies in a new way, to think about conservation efforts in a new way, to think about creating Spanish language materials so that we can get more people coming out and enjoying national parks, local parks, applying for assistance. So yeah, we just provide all these new perspectives that others would probably not think about. And that's because of our background, that's because of our cultura, that's because of us, what makes us.

Nicole: Applying for federal jobs can be tricky, complicated, and tiring. That’s why Evelyn wants young people to know about fellowships like the one she did, because of the help you could get after completing the program.

She has some advice for young people who want to try out a youth program at the National Park Service, or who are already doing one.

The first one, is to look everywhere for opportunities in things you are passionate about, without giving up. And the second one, is to not be afraid to ask for help.

Evelyn: You know, express yourself, and share your passions, and just really be confident in yourself that you can navigate this. It's definitely tricky and scary but again, asking for help is like one of my biggest recommendations because I definitely had to ask, how do I build a federal resume? My resume was one page and then I had to make it be freaking, I had to make it be like 10 pages. I was just like, what the heck, this is insane. So I definitely asked for help there. I asked for help with navigating USA Jobs, everything seems so tricky. But these people definitely are there to help and support you.

Nicole: You can learn more about the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program and how to apply for assistance, at nps.gov/RTCA. You’ll find out more about the incredible work they do with partners across the country. 

And remember, in these new episodes of Conservation Diaries, we are highlighting young National Park Service employees, like Evelyn, whose National Park Service journeys started as volunteers, fellows, interns, or as part of special programs.

To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to www.nps.gov/youthprograms.

Thank you for listening!

[Music fades]

Meet Evelyn Moreno, a Communications Specialist at the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) in Washington, DC. She started as a fellow in the office before becoming a full-time employee. Learn more about her journey to the National Park Service and her passion for making the outdoors accessible for all.

December 30, 2021

Conservation Diaries: Hillary Morales Robles, Architecture Intern

Transcript

[Music]

Nicole: Hello and welcome to a new National Park Service podcast series, Conservation Diaries. I’m your host, Nicole Segnini.

In these episodes we will be showcasing some of the Latinx interns who are working on amazing projects at the National Park Service.

There are several youth programs designed to connect kids, teens, and young adults with opportunities at national park sites to contribute to our nation’s natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources in their own way. Like the Latino Heritage Internship Program, or LHIP.

This summer there were 32 interns working on projects in parks across the nation. I sat down with some of them to talk about the importance of their work and projects and about why representation at the parks matters.

Our first guest is Hillary Morales Robles. She is from Puerto Rico and is currently a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, pursuing not one but two masters...one in architecture and another one historical preservation.

Hillary: Why two? Cause one is not enough. [laughs] Now to be honest is to become a licensed architect. Also, there is not enough preservation architects, especially women, in Latino communities. So, I feel like I can fill that void in the field I guess and can hopefully do great work in the future.

Nicole: For two months over the summer, Hillary worked as a Historic American Buildings Survey Architectural intern with the Heritage Documentation Programs at the National Park Service. In this role, she documented the historical and architectural features of General Simón Bolívar Park and statue outside the Department of Interior in Washington, D.C.

She told me about some of the different techniques for documenting, including the use of photogrammetry, which is the science and art of using photographs to extract three-dimensional information from a series of well-placed images.

The National Park Service uses photogrammetry to improve access to scientifically important or interesting objects and in turn enhance the visitor's experience. This includes photogrammetry of more than 40 different species of shark fossils at Mammoth Cave, paleontological treasures at the Grand Canyon, and even 3-D post-Civil War inscriptions at Gettysburg.

Hillary: We’ve been doing a lot of stuff, but mostly the goal is to produce a set of drawings that are going to be documented and included in the collection, HABS, HAER, and HALS collection in the Library of Congress. I am very excited for that. [laughs] I am also learning other things about especially technology and different techniques for documentation processes. Like we started first with photogrammetry and laser scanning of the park overall. Mostly laser scanning for the park and photogrammetry for the statue itself because we want to reach a high level of accuracy and these technologies are providing us the right tools to do that in a short period of time. [laughs] And also like, after that we generated a point cloud and colored data that we are using to produce the 2-D drawings, the plan, elevation, and details of the monument and park.

Nicole: The 27-foot bronze equestrian statue was donated by the Venezuelan government, which also paid for its installation in 1959. Simón Bolívar was known as El Gran Libertador, or “The Great Liberator,” and as a revolutionary genius. Bolivar fought in more than 200 battles against the Spanish in the fight for South American independence. He helped free six nations: Bolivia, Colombia (which then included Panama), Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Historic preservation is an important way for us to transmit our understanding of the past to future generations. Our nation's history has many facets, and historic preservation helps tell these stories. Many believe having a Latina helping in the preservation of a Latino monument and its history is vital.

Hillary: I think the goal, especially for this internship, is to create more awareness of Latino culture in the U.S. But also train Latino students and professionals to be part of the goal and outreach, no?. I think we need more people like us doing our own thing. [laughs]

Nicole: Within the National Park Service, many people work in historic preservation: archeologists, architects—like Hillary—curators, historians, and other cultural resource professionals. The National Park Service carries out historic preservation both within and outside of the National Park System.

Hillary: I am an art historian too, I studied art history and environmental design in the University of Puerto Rico. So, I first knew about the HABS collection when I was 18. I did a lot of architecture history research reports and I used HABS as one of my main resources. Especially photography, I was so obsessed with that and I really wanted to learn about all the different skills the right way. They basically established the standards of documentation. Historically HABS are a very important piece in the field of preservation, and I really want to know and learn. I never expected to be here. [laughs] But let's say life put me here, I guess.

Nicole: Hillary spoke about just how important it is to have more Latinos working at national parks and involved in conservation and preservation efforts, especially when working at or with Latino heritage sites.

Hillary: Unfortunately, our communities don’t have a lot of professionals that are involved in these types of projects and we need more people like us here because it’s our heritage, it’s our culture. And I personally believe that we have the ability to represent our voices better and establish the right relationships with our communities. It doesn’t make you qualified, it’s not about that. You need to still have the capacity and knowledge and the skills to do the work. But I feel that we need more professionals, Latino professionals, in these types of projects so we can achieve a level of authenticity and represent the best we can our voices for the future.

Nicole: While discussing her internship this summer Hillary talked about inclusion and about how welcoming her supervisors were, and how important that was throughout her whole experience.

Hillary: I mean my two supervisors, Paul Davidson and Robert Arzola, I think working with both of them this summer has been really fun. I was not expecting them to be so welcoming. So, it’s been refreshing working in a healthy work environment, I think. Working with them is very interesting; they are so open-minded, they share their wisdom with me, and they treat me as an equal. That was something, I was like yes please. [laughs] I have been learning so much because of that approachness and welcoming. That can be fun, so I can be myself, and work doesn’t seem too overwhelming and intimidating, so it’s nice.

Nicole: Sometimes many in the Latinx community never really thought that they would be able to work or intern at this incredible organization. Because, although Hispanics/Latinos make up over 18% of the U.S. population, they only make up a little over 5% of the NPS workforce. And when you have leadership that makes you feel welcomed and as if your work matters, there are many benefits including a greater readiness to innovate, increased ability to recruit from a diverse talent pool, and a much higher employee retention rate.

That is why youth programs such as Latino Heritage Internship Program are so important. And Hillary wants the Latinx youth to not be discouraged and apply.

Hillary: They should definitely do it. I think I know by default because of myself, I think we get so intimidated. I think we talk about this a lot, impostor syndrome, ‘cause again we don’t have representation and role models that we can look at and say, “oh we can apply to these places,” and I feel that they should do it. It’s a great opportunity, why not? It's the federal government, it’s the National Park Service. You learn so much about the history of our landscapes, but also our heritage sites. That I think it’s a great opportunity...I don’t know, I am being very general right now but, the people you meet, the places you see... I think that is something that you will not regret. And also you are doing what’s your passion, and you expose yourself to new things and you realize that ‘oh if I can do this, I can do anything else,” right?’. I feel like we see these types of jobs very far away from our realities, but it’s something that is possible. I would love anyone to apply. [laughs] Just apply.

Nicole: Hillary’s incredible work will be documented on the HABS/HAER/HALS Collection at the Library of Congress for future generations to see. If you want to learn more about the Heritage Documentation Programs, you can visit our website nps.gov.

There are many opportunities for youth and young adults 15-30 years old and veterans 35 years old and younger to work with the National Park Service.

To learn more about these jobs, internships, and volunteering opportunities, you can go to www.nps.gov/youthprograms.

Thank you for listening!

[Music fades]

Meet Hillary Morales Robles. During the summer of 2021, Hillary was part of the Latino Heritage Internship Program, working as an architecture intern at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) of the Heritage Documentation Programs in Washington DC. She spent the summer documenting the historic architectural and landscape features of the General Simón Bolívar Memorial in front of the Department of the Interior building.

of 2

Contact Us

Episodes

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript

Tags