29 Aug DC, Lodge Programs, and the Monsoon season

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind of going to new places and doing new things. It’s been easy to get caught up in it all. DC was a blast! Getting to meet all of the other LHIPs, of which I’ve only seen through Zoom meetings and WhatsApp chat messages, was like meeting long lost family members. The connections I made during the workshop week were unforgettable as well as all of the people. Coming back to my park was also a change of pace. Most of the interns were leaving the following week, as well as my LHIP partner Gabi. It was a sad goodbye, but I’m grateful for her and wish her the best. Because many people were leaving for the season, I had to shift some of my focus to doing different education programs. 

One of the new education schedules I do is the Zion Lodge program and the Junior Ranger Table at the Visitor center. These programs have been fun for me because for the lodge program, I get to talk about whatever aspect of Zion that I want and I get to engage with the visitors more. The junior ranger table is fun because there are props about the Bighorn Sheep on the table and everyone is always super curious and eager to learn about them. My favorite part is when visitors tell me they’ve seen the sheep in the park that same day and then show me pictures. 

I love living in Southern Utah during the month of August because that is the monsoon season. Hurricane Hilary also brought even more precipitation to the area. Getting to be outside doing programs during the summer rains was both refreshing and challenging. It was refreshing because the rains brought the temperature down to about the mid 80s, which was welcomed since we’ve had 100+ degree weather since mid July. Challenging because it’s hard to do outdoor programs when there’s rain and a chance of thunderstorms. During one of the lodge programs, there was a light rain but no thunderstorms. A family was still interested in the program, so we moved from under the large tree in the lawn, the usual spot, to under the porch by the lodge. I’ve learned that it’s important to roll with the punches in this line of work where things might change and need to be altered. 

I’m excited for this extension and to work on Hispanic Heritage month here at the park. Our Concrete to Canyons phase is coming up in the next two weeks, which is also very exciting to me. We have a lot of fun and informative activities in the works and I’m hoping to update when I get a chance!