Sitting in the quietness of my room, alone, packing and repacking, stressing over the realization of leaving home, my friends, my family, the comfort they bring, it was sinking deeper and deeper into my thoughts, but then, like a ray of light shining through a...
Hello everyone! My name is Dyaami D’Orazio, I am from both the Bronx, New York and Miami, Florida, and I have recently graduated from Oberlin College located in Ohio. My interests and focus are in environmental (and social) justice, working with marginalized communities for our/their...
It is the first time I will be out of my country for more than 2 weeks. Living in a tropical island makes you attach yourself to certain features, faces, flavors and senses you don’t get in the north. Although Puerto Rico is a territory of...
One of the things that the Missions of San Antonio are most notable for are their impressive limestone churches, walls, and sculptures. The people of the Missions quarried and shaped the stone to create a totally new built environment along the San Antonio River. They...
“There are two things that interest me: the relation of people to each other and the relation of people to land.” -Aldo Leopold My assignment for this past week has been to read social science literature on causes of park (non)use by minorities in...
About a week before I left for Philadelphia, I started feeling a little uneasy. I’d spent the last couple months counting down the days till I got to embark on this great adventure, but the question I’d been avoiding caught up with me at the...
Hi, my name is Julián Huertas, and I am the Designing the Parks intern through the Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) at the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation (OCLP) in Boston, Massachusetts. I graduated from Bowdoin College two weeks ago, and I am stoked for this summer...
The past few weeks have been eventful ones. There have been times where I distinctly thought to myself, ' I am going to always remember this moment'. For that, I am appreciative of the Hispanic Access Foundation and the National Park Service for affording me...
Hi y’all! My name is José Madrid, and it’s a pleasure and a privilege for me to write this periodical post that will relate to my experience as a Latino Heritage Intern in a National Park. I’ll be spending this summer in the...
“I change myself, I change the world.” ― Gloria E. Anzaldúa I believe every new adventure brings about a change within us. As we grow, learn and experience this adventures, at the same time we begin to change the world. We...
My first week was exciting, stressful and hectic. Every morning I could feel the sea breeze, while I contemplated a beautiful landscape and diverse “sanjuanera” baroque - neoclassical architectures that approach the conservation workshop, San Juan National Historic Site, known as the "Polvorín", located to...
I'm well into my second week of the internship and good lordy, have I seen a lot. My very first day was an onslaught of new. We visited the Harper's Ferry Center where conservation and preservation is done on NPS objects (artifacts, reproductions, antiques, etc.)...
When I arrived at the Charlestown Navy Yard, I was faced with the task of working with existing and developing new forms of outreach and communication between the parks, our existing visitors, and the locals in an effort to encourage visits to our park. I...
My name is Daniel Lopez. Born in Mexico Nuevo, just under an hour away from the center of Mexico City, my family and I traveled to the US when I was 5, and I can recall only the hills and very few faces of my...
Colorado National Monument is a beautiful place to be. I recently arrived from North Carolina with my father on a three day trip. So far I have run into plenty of new obstacles that I will have to overcome while participating in this internship! The...
We are reaching the end of the school year at UC Riverside, and we recently enjoyed our 44th Annual Chicano/Raza Graduation ceremony. Full of joy, sorrow, anxiety, and excitement, I keep pondering about what this summer will await. From finding caves, to trails, and historical...
I have just finished my first week at Grand Canyon National Park and it has been an eye-opener and a huge culture shock. I have previously only lived in big cities, and the remoteness of the Grand Canyon Village has taken me on a whirlwind. Not...
“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...
¡Hola! On my first full day I was able to explore the parks and its trails. I started off at the Heritage Center, where the museum is located and learned more about homesteading history. Then I took a stroll through one of the trails...
This is going to be an adventure to remember! I feel like I have been waiting for so long for an opportunity like this. For the past few years, I have worked and gone to Laney College in Oakland, California with the dream of transferring...