Before my internship at the Grand Canyon, I never thought I would get the opportunity to river raft, especially not through the famous Colorado River. The purpose of the river trip was to monitor the effect that Glen Canyon Dam has on the riparian zone...
Although this is the last day of my internship, and the summer is coming to a close, I am not sad. Instead, I am excited about the future. I have learned so much about being a scientist and a steward of our lands. I have...
Monarch butterflies (Danaus Plexippus) have suffered a grave decline as population size has plummeted from 4.5 million in the 1980s to fewer than 30,000 individuals in 2019. In 2020 the USFWS placed monarch butterflies as a candidate species under the Endangered Species Act. When I think...
As “Sound Technician”, my primary directive for my summer project is to document, analyze, and edit the sounds of the Sonoran summer. My supervisors have provided to me a few ideas, in addition to plenty of other resources to contact, as they themselves have no...
I can't believe the conference is here already! The summer has truly flown by so fast, it's almost sad to think about the fact that my time at my park is coming to an end. Thankfully, I live within driving distance of Fire Island and...
The last week of the internship is here and all of us interns are presenting our results to our fellow peers, hiring authorities, and the public online. Watching a coalition of people working towards diversity in a remarkably homogenous workforce is comforting. Some seek to...
When I first arrived at Point Reyes National Seashore, I knew there were a lot of unknowns and exciting adventures ahead. Coming from San Diego, I was very unfamiliar with the area up in Northern California. As I am nearing the end of my internship,...
When I arrived at Rock Creek Park for my first day, I felt like a little bird trying to take everything in. Realizing I knew very little about the native and invasive species, the intricate trails available, and the wide array of resources, partners, and...
As I look at all of the exciting experiences, I was able to fit into the last two and a half months, it is exceedingly difficult to identify a distinct favorite. Though after much consideration, I feel that as much as I value the time,...
So, I have been nothing but entrenched in the archives of The Outer Bank's group Museum Resource Center in the past couple of weeks. Sifting through the archives, I go through folders and folders, looking for any mention of the Ocracoke ponies in notes...
The history of Bent’s Old Fort includes a host of colorful characters that lead extraordinary lives that were historically meaningful. Unfortunately, in the 19th century Hispanic persons were not recognized as historically significant, and many of their individual stories were lost - but this...
Hi! I hope everyone is having an amazing summer thus far. I'd like to preface again by saying I hope everyone is taking care of themselves both physically and mentally, and if anyone needs a support system of sorts, all your fellow interns are here!...
This week, I am working on writing a Landscape Profile for Hampton National Historic Site. Located in Maryland, this park was once the 25000-acre property of the wealthy Ridgely family and through its walls, fields, and gardens tells a story of glamour, luxury, and the...
Greetings to all! I hope your summers are going well from whatever corner of the world you're in right now, and I hope you're all taking care of yourselves, both physically and mentally. A brief preface- what exactly is a Strawberry Moon? (I asked myself...
Hola Todos! Hello everyone! My name is Lisset Olvera Chan and I have been working as a Resource Management intern at Cape Hatteras National Seashore this summer! I recently graduated from Bemidji State University with a degree in Wildlife Biology and this is my first...
Last week, I tackled a 6 mile hike at Rocky Mountain National Park via the Wild Basin Trailhead. That was my first time hiking at a National Park! We met with Will, a Mosaics in Science intern, and his supervisor Paige, a Biological Science Technician...
Life as a Gila Monster is fairly simple: sleep all day with periodic water and snack breaks. On a seemingly ordinary day, a Gila Monster woke up on a hot summer day feeling rather thirsty. Slowly, he lumbered from his fairly inconspicuous hole where he...
This week I went into Environment for the America's office and helped Griselda (see featured image) demonstrate how to dissect an owl pellet to a class of youth over zoom. Pellets are regurgitated undigested parts of a bird's food and a good way to investigate...
Have you ever wondered what it is like to live at a national park? I will cover my experience thus far at Point Reyes National Seashore. Point Reyes National Seashore View from Chimney Rock Hike. Description: Small green and brown shrubs in foreground. Dark green...
Hello everyone, I am Chris Para Mccomas, a senior at UC Berkeley and my major is American Studies with an Emphasis in Urban Community structures, population, and influence, with a minor in Journalism. I am the public history and interpretation intern for the Juan Bautista...