30 Jun My First Few Weeks – On the Move at Point Reyes
My first few weeks here at Point Reyes National Seashore have been very exciting! There’s a lot of hustle and bustle here and I’ve learned to always be on my feet and on the move!
My first few days were spent being introduced to the core staff that make up the interpretation team here at Point Reyes, and it’s extraordinary to learn about all their different backgrounds and what has brought them to work here! Guiding me through this all is my supervisor and mentor Carlo, a park ranger that has worked here at the site for the past 6 years. Just as all the staff here has done, he’s taken me under his wing and has been guiding me through park operations and will begin guiding me through the process of building interpretive programs for the site. Their extensive knowledge of not only Point Reyes, but the National Park Service is incredible and I’m excited to learn as much as I can from him in the coming weeks.
As for operations in the first few weeks, I’ve visited various locations to gain knowledge on the sites and share that knowledge with park visitors. Whether it be spending my day at the historic Point Reyes Lighthouse or roving with other rangers through the different trails in the park, there’s always something to see and learn about at every turn, and I’m excited to dive deep into the park’s history and share it all with you!
Some of the most notable moments these past few weeks were going on an early morning tide pool rove with some rangers! I’ve never gone tide pooling before, and with the help of our rangers here, I was able to have a successful first time roving the beaches and identifying different species that could be found along the coast at Point Reyes!
In addition to this, I also went on my first solo rove! I was able to head out to Chimney Rock and set up a telescope for visitors to view seals that were relaxing in a little hidden cove here at the park. I’ve never roved by myself, and with almost 100 contacts, I think my first time out was a success! Being able to show visitors an up-close view of the wildlife here at Point Reyes was extremely fulfilling as they get to learn more about our animals and what Point Reyes means to them!
These next few weeks I will spend planning for Latino Conservation Week and I’m excited to share what my plan will be once everything is ready to go!
-Francisco Vazquez
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