16 Sep The Delaware Water Gap – Week 1
My 1st week at dewa
Hello! My name is Itzel Verdin and I am the new intern at the Delaware Water Gap. I have been here for a week so far and it has been full of exploration. For my first week I was taken on three tours of the recreation area with three different rangers.
On my first day, I went for a tour with Ranger Neil around the area. He introduced me to the rest of the team here at DEWA, as well as some volunteers at the Bushkill Meeting Center. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming here.
We then visited Childs Park, where we ran into some homeschoolers doing a nature scavenger hunt. It was so nice to see how the children interact with the park and rangers. I saw the Delaware River for the first time today!
Biodiversity
On Thursday, I was taken on a tour with Ranger Martin, who showed me a few lesser-known areas and taught me about the biodiversity of the area. We visited Childs Park once more and saw young trout in the water, which he pointed out to some visitors passing by. Again, it was admirable to see rangers interact with the public. Regarding the biodiversity of the area, I learned that to identify a White Pine, you can count how many needles are in a bundle. White has five letters in it, and White Pines have five needles in each bundle.
History
On Friday before I went on my final tour of the park, I was able to be of help at a traffic stop in the park, translating for the police officer and the people in the vehicle who only spoke Spanish. After this, Ranger John took me on a tour of the Jersey side of the recreation area. Here I was able to see many historical buildings and former homes with such deep history relating to the area. As well as visit gravesites cared for by the Walpack Historical Society, a DEWA partner. This portion of the tour was very impactful and fascinating to me as I have a background in history.
Final Thoughts
Overall, my first week was full of exploration and adjustments. Coming from Texas, the climate is much different than here; I have never been north before, so everything here is new to me. I am so excited to be here and to be experiencing new things and places. I hope to learn more about the park service while I’m here and get lots of hands-on experience.
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