31 Jul My Second Week on Fire Island!
Fire Island has been everything I dreamed of and more! It’s only been my second week here and I love it so much already. On my first week I was able to meet most of my coworkers and roommate for the season and travel around the island to see the multiple visitor centers. Everyone was so welcoming, so it made the adjustment much easier. My days were filled with orientation reading, getting to know my supervisor, sitting by the beach, shadowing rangers at the Watch Hill Visitor Center, and having food at the local snack bar; It was nothing but fun! By the second week the speed of things started to get faster. It was Latino Conservation Week, so we had a few social media stuff planned to spread awareness but things changed overnight. I was told that David Vela, Deputy Director of The National Park Service was going to be visiting Fire Island and they wanted me to meet him. Well that meeting turned to me having the opportunity to interview both him and Alexcy Romero, The Superintendent of Fire Island National Sea Shore for an article and evergreen video. I have never interviewed anyone let alone someone as big as the Director of National Park Service so you can already know how much anxiety and excitement I was feeling!
Although I had my doubts and prayed I didn’t embarrass myself in front of the Director and Superintendent. The meeting went even better than I thought, I felt honored to be sitting in a room with two important Latinos and to hear their thoughts on conservation and the Latino Community in the NPS. I was able to get all the information I needed to write my article and create my video.
At the end of the week I also had the pleasure to meet Dr. Sheylda Diaz-Mendez from the Environment for the Americas. Sheylda was visiting Justin, my roommate who is part of Mosaics in Science Internship program. It was an eventful way to end my week.
It has been such a fun and crazy adventure so far and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season will look like here at Fire Island.
Keep an eye out on the Fire Island Facebook for my interview video!
Till next time!
Jhulian
Check out my article!
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/jhulian-gutierrez-beginnings.htm
Check out the article by the Long Island Advance that highlighted the Directors Visit to Fire island!
Jhulian Gutierrez ( left ) Dr.Diaz-Mendez ( Middle ) Justin Wilson ( Right ) In front of Watch Hill Marina
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