30 May Start of Something New

Hello everyone!

My name is Marisol Morales and I am going to be an Interpretive Intern at Kings Canyon National Park this summer!

I was born and raised in Southern California. Growing up, despite living in a beautiful environment, I didn’t really know much about the “outdoors” except that I liked going to the beach occasionally! It wasn’t until college that I was able to travel, learn, and explore nature in depth. It was then that I realized nature’s beauty and importance.

I recently graduated from University of California, Irvine where I studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. While attending classes, I interned with UCI’s Center for Environmental Biology where I was able to work on ecological restoration research and educational outreach programs. In those two short years, I gained extensive knowledge about ecology, research, and education. It made me fall in love with working with nature!

In addition, I took an immersive field course with the UCNRS called California Ecology and Conservation Summer. During this 7 week course, I camped and researched a range of different California ecosystems. Although it was intense, it was incredibly rewarding! I did research on species like plants, deer, sea lions, insects, and intertidal species! This course truly taught me how to be a scientist and to approach the natural world with curiosity.

Back on campus, I joined a club called Hermanas Unidas, a non-profit organization devoted to supporting Latina women in college. By participating in this group, I felt a deeper awareness, appreciation, and connection to my culture. It reinforced my pride in my Latinx cultural identity.

With these experiences in mind, I was drawn to this internship because of the beauty of the forest and the opportunity to connect with the Latinx community at Kings Canyon National Park! I hope to apply my passion for nature while researching and developing interpretative programs and interacting with the public. I will be driving up to the park in a few days and I’m very excited for my work to begin!

¡Hasta la próxima!