01 Aug Communications Coming to a Close

If you ask me what I like most about my internship in the NPS Office of Communications (OCOM), I cannot pick just one favorite part. The reality is all of the things that I experienced and that I accomplished are special in different ways.

A screenshot of the first Instagram Reel that I helped to make for the opening day of Latino Conservation Week 2022.

Since my main objective was preparing for Latino Conservation Week, I led a communications plan from start to finish. For the project, I drafted internal guidance for employees by suggesting activities to host at national parks for the week, I published an external page on the public-facing NPS.gov website for people across the nation to visit, and I appeared on camera on the main NPS Instagram account to promote the week. It is awesome that I was chosen to bring awareness to the celebration, considering that over 4 million accounts follow the verified @nationalparkservice Instagram, so the potential to reach people is amazing! Check out my Instagram Reels for Latino Conservation Week: Day 1 and for activities at national parks!

Learning about birds, wetlands, and conservation at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in northeast Washington DC. I also saw lots of pollinators there, like bees!

Another great aspect of my time in OCOM continues to be field work. If you read my most recent blog entry, you know that I traveled to California to experience public lands devoted to conservation alongside other Environment for the Americas (EFTA) interns. The week before, I spent a morning at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in northeast Washington DC, approximately a 20-minute drive from my office in the Main Interior Building. Over the past couple of months, I walked the entirety of the National Mall on several occasions, even going to the top of the Washington Monument.

EFTA leadership staff and interns enjoying Big Sur; I am in the top row on the left.

Meeting new people is something I cherish as well. Because a large portion of OCOM staff is remote, I had individual conversations with them over Microsoft Teams to find out more regarding their roles. In my day-to-day duties, I interacted with my supervisor Victoria and my fellow interns Nicole and Paige. Like me, Nicole is a communications intern in OCOM via the Latino Heritage Internship Program (LHIP). Weekly webinars with my LHIP cohort created a good sense of purpose in that we are all united in our quest for the enduring excellence of national park sites.

A screenshot of the second Instagram Reel that I helped to make for Latino Conservation Week 2022 about things to do at national parks.

To LHIP and EFTA leadership—thanks for making the job rewarding and for all of the hard work that goes into running the program!

Lastly, whether you are reading my blog for the first time or you have accompanied me on my journey from the beginning, thank you! It has been a real pleasure.

Signing off,
David