24 May Intro to Internship at Sequoia and Kings National Parks!

Hi Everyone!

My name is Citlali Villarreal, and I am an intern for the 2019 cohort of the Latino Heritage Internship Program. I am from Galveston, Texas, studying as an undergrad at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

I will be working for the National Park Service in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for 11 weeks. As a Sequoia tree monitoring and demography intern, my work consists of conducting an independent research project on Sequoia tree demography under Dr. Christy Brigham. For the public service component of my position, I’ll be working on a public education program for the visitors at the park and telling them about my research.

My home for the rest of the summer will be at Lodgepole, where other park staff are also staying for the season. Even though it’s May, there is still snow up here, which will probably be melting in the following week or so. Once that happens, I’ll be exploring more of the park and familiarizing myself with the area.

This photo stares down a small gully next to my living area. It’s been really wonderful listening to this rushing stream everyday and having this view right outside my window.

I am so excited for this opportunity! Tune in to my blogs here at the LHIP website, which will be updated with new blogs every week!

Thank you!