12 Jul A Week at the DSC! – Jade Bravo

The Denver Service Center’s Planning Division is a dynamic and collaborative place to work and no week is ever the same. It’s surprising that so much can happen in one day, let alone a week, so I thought I could take everyone through a brief look at what a week at the DSC looks like! On Monday, everyone’s favorite day of the week, I meet with Tessa Buono, a natural resources project specialist and my mentor, to review the week’s work and check-in. It can be easy to lose sight of the big picture and get lost in the busyness of meetings and projects, so I try to use the time I have with Tessa to realize just how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go. Most Mondays, and many other days, I find myself hopping off one meeting to join another and on Mondays, it’s usually to join the DSC-Planning Natural Resources and Facilities-wide meeting. I get to see all the wonderful faces of the DSC team, virtually of course! Tuning in from Denver, the east coast and even Hawai’i, project updates and general business are shared to getting everyone ready to tackle the week. Tuesday through Thursday, my days are filled with internal team meetings with the DSC on projects, sometimes one-one and sometimes with teams as big as 6-7. Other times I’m joining a meeting with the park staff of Mammoth Cave, helping finishing work on their Resource Stewardship Strategy Plan, or with Chattahoochee River Valley National Rec. Area staff preparing for a workshop. That’s only naming a few! When I’m not meeting with my teams, I’m working diligently on my individual tasks for parks like Channel Islands National Park or finishing training modules to better understand the concepts and processes that all members of the DSC must consider in their work every day. When Friday rolls around, ready to mark the end of the workweek and beginning of a short but necessary break, it always feels like there’s always so much more to do! More reading, more research, more typing, more meeting, but the week is at its end. On this day, virtual meetings are minimal so I use my time to continue my individual work, check off my finished tasks, and make new ones for the next week. Working remotely has some downsides, waking up each week knowing I get to do amazing work with amazing people, albeit virtually, continues to rewarding in ways I never thought possible!