The learning never stops, the stories never end, and the lives in these mountains will live on forever. About a week and a half ago I was finishing up the latter portion of my evening shift. With about half an hour left of...
The view of The Grand from Garnet Canyon. While this summer has been an exciting source for professional growth, it also has been a wealth of new personal experiences. I have seen my first black bear, grizzly bear, elk, moose, bison, marmot, pika, fox, and...
As the actual birthday for the National Park Service approaches, talk of centennial festivities and duties crowds the visitor centers here at Grand Teton National Park. Rangers in my district, Jenny Lake, have to develop our own centennial talks and present them at Signal Mountain,...
“What features would you give this animal so they could adapt to their environment better?”-- a question in our Grand Teton National Park junior ranger workbook. It’s a question that always stuck out to me and I later included in a talk I do on...
"Snake River Overlook" Today marked my first four hour shift of "informal interpretation" at the Snake River Overlook. The Snake River Overlook is a popular turnout that provides a breathtaking view of the Teton range, glacial lakes, and ongoing Snake River. It brings to the...
First programs down, many more to go. The interpretive interns have officially started developing and presenting their educational programs to visitors. I’ll be done with my first try at all my topics by Sunday when I complete the guided hike to a place called Inspiration...
I have been a Grand Teton Naturalist Ranger for officially a week now. I have met people from all over the world, seen a Grizzly and her cub roam freely, initiated a 70 year old in as a “junior park ranger”, and helped an injured...
“No matter what uniform you wear, we are all equal, we are all family”. The superintendent of Grand Teton, David Vela, may hold an important position in the park, but it is clear that he does so because he commands so much more than his...
A tiny moment in time, a window of opportunity, a place to grow, and mountains to overcome. This is what crowds my hopes these days as I shuffle to the end of my college road. I’m told from nearly everyone around me that these are...