A single tree in the tropical forest in the South of Mexico has more different species than some European countries.  -Carlos Salinas de Gortari Whether this is a true statement is beyond the scope of this post, but this quote appealed to me for...

Hello everyone. My name is Kyle McGrady. This is my first internship with the program, and I am excited for what this summer will hold. I will be heading out to the beautiful Channel Islands National Park here in sunny Southern California. I am...

Hi everybody, I'm Victoria, a 20-year-old Latina from San Diego attending Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. I'm currently pursuing two bachelors degrees in Wildlife and Religious Studies, both of which have heavily contributed to my own personal and professional development throughout my time in school. These two...

Hi there! I’m Nuvia Garcia, food, nature, and adventure enthusiast. This summer I will be stepping out of my comfort zone on the west coast and interning at the Grand Canyon in Arizona! I just finished my second year at CSU Monterey Bay in...

¡Hola! [caption id="attachment_4749" align="alignright" width="207"] A snap I took at the Los Angeles Archives Bazaar.[/caption] My name is Lissete and this is my first time joining LHIP! My parents came to the U.S. from Mexico, and I was born and raised here in...

“The Big Tree is nature’s forest masterpiece, and so far as I know, the greatest of living things. It belongs to an ancient stock, as its remains in old rocks show, and has a strange air of other days about it, a thoroughbred look inherited...

They say life in the city is pretty fast-paced, and seeing as I was thrown right in on the first day, I figure you all should too! My name is Brenda and I will be stationed in the Santa Monica Mountains, but really I...

I graduated. Now what? More than half way across the country, an opportunity to intern with the National Park Service through LHIP was one of the best transitional positions I could have been offered as I now move onto the "real word." I'm thrilled for a...

My name is Eduardo Jesus Chaidez, and I was born and raised in Oakland, California. Although it is a city undergoing complex, and at times problematic, transitions like many others across the country, Oakland's vibrant and diverse culture is as deeply rooted...

Being a Colorado native, I was born for adventure and exploration. Coming from a Cuban-American background, my older brother and I have always had the support and love from an amazing set of parents. Although I grew up around the metropolitan area of Denver, the...

Hey everyone, my name is Gabriel Dobbins.  I am 22 years old and a recent graduate from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I have a B.A in Anthropology and Archaeology.  This summer I will be working in Colorado National Monument.  We will...

Hello again! My name is Katrina Cossio and this will be my second year interning at the Latino Heritage Internship Program, instead of going back to Little Rock, Arkansas, I will be interning at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota for the summer. I am excited because...

We have become, by the power of a glorious evolutionary accident called intelligence, the stewards of life's continuity on earth. We did not ask for this role, but we cannot abjure it. We may not be suited to it, but here we are. ―...

This is a story of how I had an adventure, and found myself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. I trust that this allusion to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit will serve as a firm foothold for what will surely be an adventure worth writing about. My...

This summer has been the best summer I have ever had. Not only did I get to live in a beautiful, wild place but I have also learned a ton about nature and animals. When I first came to Point Reyes National Seashore I...

Hello everyone, This is my last week interning at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Working in the archaeology department is an experience I am very grateful for. I applied my knowledge and experience in GIS over the summer but I learned so...

Sorry for this exceptionally long hiatus, I was out of town for about a week and a half and I didn't take my computer with me, hence this late post. Anyway, let me tell you about my last week working at the Santa Monica Mountains...

I couldn't ask for a better last week for my internship. I finished my summer interpretive kayaking with 3 wonderful families. They enjoyed kayaking for their first time and learning about Lewis and Clark and the importance of the river.  For the first time ever the...

The entire Santa Monica Mountains NPS team was invited to participate in the removal of Russian Thistle a.k.a. Tumbleweed from the King Gillette Ranch Visitor Center in Calabasas. Here are some basic facts about the Salsola australis plant according to the Invasive Weed Field Guide...