At Site of Reported Meth Lab

At Old Dam on Green River

Ginseng'n: Lookin' for a Big'un!

Looking for Ginseng

     I spent a day with a Ranger in the Resource Division learning how to identify ginseng and why the plant is so coveted. He explained that ginseng is Kentucky's number one cash crop and its sale progression. Apparently, the ginseng harvester can sell the root to a local buyer. Local buyers are typically located within any firearms shop. After selling it locally, the buyers will then resell it to a port or large city at a multiple of the initial buying price. Following that transaction, the buyer will sell it to Chinese or Korean ports at a multiple of the last buying price. Once in the country it is bound for, the distributor can sell the root for very high amounts.

     Wild ginseng has a reputation for a variety of medical uses. The market and price tag really comes from the folklore around the plant. In China and Korea it is believed that wild ginseng absorbs the spirits of the forest as it grows. After absorbing the magic of the wild, its medicinal power can treat anything. The Ranger in the resource division explained how the folklore is so ingrained, people in these countries are willing to pay anything for the root when elders fall ill.

     Many Appalachian people have harvested ginseng roots for supplemental income. They typically wear gloves or knee pads and have a screw driver or walking stick with a metal rod attached to the bottom of it. Another inclination of someone digging is that their knees and underneath their fingernails will be very dirty. I was informed that so many have harvested wild ginseng, it has reached a point near extinction. Within the countries that import the root, the wild plant has already reached extinction. That is why protecting the plant on federal land is so important. At Mammoth Cave, the surveyed plants have been dug up and marked with a colored metallic powder (see picture below). If that powder is seen by any buyer either by eyesight or under black light, they are to report it. Each park or federal land has a unique chemical composition of powder to rub on the root of a ginseng plant. In theory, the powder aids in ginseng determent and monitoring where the plant is poached. However, it is a tall order to monitor and protect ginseng along with all other duties. It definitely has a better chance of being accomplished when it is made a goal across divisions.

Korean Ginseng Root

MACA Ginseng Powder

All Things River

River Surveillance

River Surveillance

     During the past week, the rangers have been working the river particularly hard. Since the ban of alcohol and mandate of personal flotation devices, there has been plenty of reason to contact and write many people.

     Mammoth Cave operates with two officers on river patrol to increase officer safety. A reason for that is because most parties we have contacted are clustered between two and five canoes or kayaks. The average number of people in those contacts were between three and eight people. When you have that many people involved in a contact and no clean route to or away from them, it could make for some complications. The Green River bank is pretty steep, especially with the dropping water levels seen this season. I was responsible for carrying our pack up and down the slope. If there was further reason to investigate, my duty sometimes rolled over into securing an evidence bag, producing a ticket book, and delivering a breathalyzer to the ranger conducting SFSTs. I also conducted some surveillance by standing in cover and looking through binoculars for violations or reason to contact visitors.

     A separate instance on the river happened when a park employee reported that he had heard gunfire while on the river. We waited a day to follow up on the report. In order to have an idea who we were contacting, we researched back country permits and then checked up on the vehicles still parked near the reported location. The bottom centered picture shows four rangers fitted with PFD's, some long guns, and other gear to contact the reported visitors. After doing a quick GAR assessment, they went upstream to make the contact. It turns out the visitors were only lighting off fireworks the night before. However, it is always good to come prepared. 

Canoe Search

Riverbank Contact

Response to Report of Gunfire

The Man on the River

Sand Cave

Ranger in Sand Cave

     Working as a Protection Park Ranger consists of many fun times. Spending time out of the office and patrolling makes for a variety of visitor contacts. The people that you will find yourself working with share similar interests and motivations as yourself. You have a sense of fulfilment knowing that you are fostering education, safety, and resource protection for the enjoyment of future visitors. All this is even more prevalent when the place you work has visitation from all over the world.

     A career in emergency services requires you to be prepared for anything at any time. Each day can hold something different or it could fall into a usual routine. One real challenge is to be prepared. Some agency refreshers and trainings mandate you to perform certain job essentials at least twice a year, but this is the minimum. The requirement is intended to keep Rangers' skills sharp. However, much more practice is required to achieve that.

     There have been a number of examples that have exemplified the importance of being prepared for law enforcement and emergency service situations alike. Potential for a bad situation unfolded last week. There was a man and 90 pound dog floating the river in a canoe. One of our Rangers contacted them a day before the incident and came back explaining, the dog would eat him if it could. The following day two Rangers contacted the same man. He stated, he’d been camping on the river with his dog in the area of the Green River Ferry. One Ranger informed him that it was a violation to camp within the area adjacent to the ferry and that he would need to see his identification. The man then explained he didn’t have any identification on him and no backcountry camping permit. He followed up by giving the contacting officers a name and birthdate that did not register with dispatch. A third ranger responded to the contact, who had been the one who contacted this man and the dog the day before. He quickly accepted the duty of going to a position with better cellular and radio reception in order to nail down the facts. Afterward, dispatch contacted the rangers with sensitive information for the individual’s physical description. The team of officers and dispatchers were still not able to confirm an identity of the suspect at the time. At which point the two Rangers contacting the suspect Terry Frisked him and found a knife he stated he had in his pocket and another knife that was not disclosed until he knew it would be discovered. The latter was mounted in a duct tape sheath in the center of his back (see pictures). The two Rangers responding handcuffed the man and placing him in the back of their vehicle in order to go to an area with better reception, in order to figure out a way to identify the man. The third Ranger came to the scene to kennel the dog. He spent some time with the animal and had to call on two maintenance employees to help kennel it without being bitten. The two Rangers taking care of the unidentified man could not attain an identity, so they decided to bring him into the jail to be fingerprinted. On the way to the jail, he asked the rangers where he was being transported. When they answered, he told them that they might as well bring him to another county's jail and gave his identity. The man turned out to be wanted for wanton endangerment of a police officer and attempted murder by lighting someone on fire after dousing them with gasoline. During transport he also stated that he'd gotten the dog from a drug dealer after telling him, "I’m taking your dog or I'll take your life." This man had been camping in park boundary for five days.

Gun Qualifications

Marijuana Processing

      Considering the person’s history, things could have gone very differently during the contact. The situation also very easily puts aside the belief that some visitors may have pertaining to nothing bad can happen in parks. This person was camping the river for five days with a dog that would try to eat another person, if given the chance. If the dog was removed from the equation, the man certainly had a criminal resume that probably should not allow him anywhere in public.

Concealed Weapon Found on Man with Warrant

Weapon was Worn Under a Shirt

Some Things To Look Out For

Green River Ferry 

Site near Old Dam on Green River

Eighteen Wheeler headed toward Ferry

Boat SAR

     The Green River Ferry at Mammoth Cave connects the northern and southern portions of the park. The Green River roughly cuts the park in half. It runs from the Northeast corner to the Western portion of park boundary. The park's visitors use the river to canoe, kayak, and camp. Mammoth Cave allowed its river users to bring alcohol and personal floatation devices were optional, until this year. I've learned that almost all search and rescue incidents had a direct correlation with the consumption of alcohol (imagine that!). I've obviously only known the river as it is now, but apparently it has gone through an evolution within the last year. There was a Lock and Dam system taken out and has yielded a completely different river to locals and regular visitors. The Law Enforcement Rangers are tasked with making sure that no alcohol on the river sticks in the minds of visitors. I've seen a handful of tickets for alcohol violations issued to people after an overturned boat SAR incident.

     Ferry Operators have their hands full carrying traffic back and forth as well as being on the lookout for kayaks and canoes down river. The ferry boat can hold a maximum of three vehicles. Traffic problems arise when GPS units navigate visitors and even eighteen wheelers on a route right over the ferry. The ramp toward the Ferry is the major take-out and pick-up spot for canoe delivery companies. This area and its adjacent parking lot and trail heads are a close ride from the ranger station and have potential for building a variety of cases.

   

Roadway Copperhead

Trail SAR

     If you are hiking on trails, setting up camp, or even walking the pavement it's wise to be on the lookout for snakes. Mammoth Cave is a Biosphere Reserve because of its 53,000 surface area of land and many different species of wildlife. Park bounds house the Copperhead and Timber Rattlesnake, both of which are venomous.

Fun for the Fourth

Canoe Loading Area on a Holiday Weekend

     The week of the Fourth of July arrived quickly and went by even quicker. The river was bustling with canoers and kayakers, cave tours were sold out, and the roads were packed. I got out and helped direct traffic into overflow lots for a portion of my day shifts. On Sunday, we were called out to the Dennison Ferry area to guide visitors putting into the river for the day. Ranger Russel and myself police taped a makeshift road for outbound traffic. Taping off a road was necessary because vehicles were getting boxed in through the constant inflow of the put in loop. After we made sure traffic was running through smoothly we headed back to the station and prepared to run a sobriety checkpoint. The idea was to catch people coming off the river that had been drinking and were not in shape to operate a vehicle.

     We ran four checkpoints over the holiday weekend. I was responsible for recording license plate numbers, citations, and verbal warnings. We needed to record those statistics and the number of cars stopped for further use. We pulled people off the road for driving under the influence, we cited others for possession of drugs and/or paraphernelia, and we cited people for open containers. I witnessed a good amount of standard field sobriety tests and vehicle searches from working these checkpoints. I also rode with Ranger Sanders when we took a man charged with DUI to jail. Watching the Rangers talk to people during the brief stop of a sobriety checkpoint sets a good example for the way I need to contact people within the profession. You must be well aware of your surroundings: the oncoming traffic, the traffic in line that you will be contacting, the driver you are in contact with, the passengers within the vehicle, the smells coming from the vehicle you are in contact with, and the conversation at hand. I may even be missing some other instances, but I'm still an intern right?

 

Vehicle Search

Ranger Sacia Sealing Evidence

Evidence Bag

Recording a Ticket Within IMARS

     Don't forget what comes along with all that field work! Yup, the paperwork that follows. It roughly correlates to the time spent out in the field. The rangers here have reminded me to not fall behind on input, because it can be quite difficult to catch back up. Unfortunately, even knowing the shortcuts of IMARS doesn't make the system a whole lot faster to navigate.

The Mammoth Cave

Historic Entrance Looking In

Historic Entrance Looking Out

    At this point in the summer, I'm starting to settle in among the division and feel a little more comfortable navigating the local area within Kentucky.

Portion of Domes & Dripstones Tour

    When I first arrived at Mammoth Cave National Park, I was somewhat suprised to know the main cave entrances were gated off. Not all cave entrances within the park are gated though. Once I thought from a resource protection and emergency services standpoint, I understood how important having the cave entrances gated off was. If someone were lost in the over 365 miles of surveyed passageway, it'd be a very consuming operation to find them. However, there are still another 400 cave and lesser cave entrances within park boundary that do not connect with the Mammoth Cave System. As you can imagine, that is as a tall task for the management of these formations. 

Portion of Historic Tour

    The Mammoth Cave is predominately a dry cave system, but there is a "dying cave" portion visible on the Domes & Dripstones Tour and other varying portions not available to the public. Cave Guides do an excellent job explaining the social history of the cave and the vast geologic history as well. I have been on three tours through the Mammoth Cave system thus far and hope to be on more soon. My first experience in a cave was on these tours. I was alongside my family who were on the same introduction as myself. Few miles of the Mammoth Cave System are available to the public by tour. The cave does open to cavers during the year, who attempt to explore more of the systems passageway. Probably the most noticeable thing about going into the underground is the difference in air temperature and quality. There is an initial chill creeping up from the ground as you descend down a hill to the historic entrance. As you approach the drip line of the cave entrance you will find yourself enveloped by that creep. Soon your body acclimates to the sensation. Then you will notice how crisp and clean the air that you're breathing feels. Another special experience on these tours, is the complete darkness allowed by the Cave Guides cutting there lights once far enough into the tour. By experiencing that, it allowed me to have a slight understanding and further appreciation for the various species of wildlife that live in caves.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

My introduction to Mammoth Cave has been high speed since the first day on. The Law Enforcement and Emergency Services Division currently has ten employees with various responsibilities. It’s been my pleasure to meet and get to know each of them.

On day three I participated in a sobriety checkpoint. Before setting up the checkpoint, I reviewed paperwork explaining the operation and staff involved as well as the operation GAR rating. The Rangers were sure to educate me on case law pertaining to sobriety checkpoints. The case we spoke about was Michigan Dep’t of State Police v. Sitz. In that case the supreme court found, “That a state’s interest in preventing accidents caused by drunk drivers outweighed the minimal intrusion upon drivers who are temporarily stopped” (FLETC 2015 Legal Division Student Handbook). During the checkpoint the officers approached the stop as an inspection and checked for valid driver’s license and registration. If the contact lead to reasonable suspicion, the officers would pull the vehicle over and run it. If that suspicion was alcohol related then the officers conducted standard field sobriety tests. There were no DUI charges throughout the night, but we cited drivers for open containers and an unrestricted child charge. The checkpoint took place on a Wednesday night and the day was resultant of less traffic in the area.

There will be more sobriety checkpoints throughout the summer. I have plenty to look forward to with my law enforcement experience and legal education with the staff here.

2017 Park Assignments!

The ProRanger Program is pleased to announce student assignments for Summer 2017!

Boston National Historical Park - Josh Leahy

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park - John Hardie

Christiansted National Historic Site - Brennan McAuley
Colonial National Historical Park - Sam Vecchione
Gettysburg National Military Park - Kyle Maurer
Hot Springs National Park - Nick Gosik
Mammoth Cave National Park - Angelo Algeri
San Juan National Historic Site - Brennan McAuley
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - Stephanie Hudson
Yosemite National Park - Justen Willliams

ProRangers Lauren Butler and Kayla McComsey will be postponing their first summer internship until Summer 2018.

A Future Bounded by Experience

Boundary Cap

               My closing week at Antietam Battlefield was structured so that I would be able to tie up loose ends with the friends I made and responsibilities still left on the table. I saw to that by saying goodbye and checking off the last few boxes of my task book. I didn’t have many remaining tasks to worry about at that point in the summer, so I was fortunate enough to delve a little deeper into the areas of my interest.

Rory Behind a Carsonite Post Boundary Marker

Throughout the summer, I had a developing area of interest within the acquisition of property. Partially contributing to that was a knowledgeable resource in my supervisor, as he is Antietam’s Boundaryman. The title coincides with his responsibilities of compiling, updating, and maintaining the jurisdictional inventory. The jurisdictional inventory is a tool for the interpretation of a Protection Ranger’s authority within a National Park Service Unit’s property. With that being said, it was pretty natural that we did at least one boundary patrol. I learned pretty quickly why the season for walking boundary is in late fall. Thankfully Rory knew where the property corners were because it was near impossible to pace out a bound in the overgrowth. I feel the experience in that collateral duty is important because it is something valuable I can bring with me to my next internship and career.

                Another eventful responsibility was inspecting the battlefield’s fire extinguishers. This was one of the few duties were I got to get out on my own and take care of business. It was also relatively rewarding to know that I freed up time for the Rangers to concentrate on other responsibilities. The best part about the duty was accessing parts of the battlefield that a typical visitor could not. For instance, going inside the Sherrick Farmhouse or the Roulette Barn made me feel a stronger connection with the park and a greater interest in the social history of those families. Going in those places also led to some picturesque views.

Dappled Sunlight Inside the Roulette Bar

Awarded Visitor and Resource Protection Challenge Coin

               I had a fantastic summer at Antietam Battlefield. I believe my time there took a career that I could see myself doing and directed it into a career that I want to be a part of. The way I feel is a direct result from the experiences I had with my coworkers and supervisors. I can attest that the next ProRanger to complete their internship at Antietam is one lucky individual. My chapter certainly hasn’t closed on Antietam, and I don’t want to sound like it has. I’m planning to make it back for the Battlefield’s Illumination event this winter.

Until then, ANTI!

My summer view: Antietam National Battlefield

My summer view: Antietam National Battlefield

Most beautiful spot in: Antietam National Battlefield

Most beautiful spot in: Antietam National Battlefield

Reflections in Living History

Myself in Infantry Garb

             One of my main goals upon hearing that I would be at a Civil War battlefield for the summer was to find a way to participate in living history. At the time I called it reenactment, but I quickly picked up that calling it living history was more accurate. The difference between the two is that living history seeks to place viewers in a historical setting by using tools of the time and interactive presentation instead of solely attempting to recreate aspects of a historical event. Either form can be found in a setting, but at Antietam there were only living history programs.

            The programs were volunteer led, but for safety they were overseen by a black powder certified ranger. Often times the living history members cannot invest in a cannon for demonstration because of the expense. However, Antietam had its own Napoleon Cannon for the purpose of artillery demonstrations. So the lucky people who love to take part in demonstrations are able to be more than an infantry group and organize into an artillery battery. I was fortunate enough to work with the Battery B living history group, which is incredibly respected amongst staff at Antietam Battlefield. I knew most members of the group from working the visitor center desk with them. The group goes beyond investing their time in demonstrative practices, by also aiding in interpretation of the unit through fielding questions at the front desk and/or giving battlefield tours. Their knowledge of artillery procedure and of the battle was striking. During the time spent drilling I couldn’t help chuckling at their quirky Civil War general jokes and awing at their accounts of soldier's heroism.

My roommate and I 

Quarter Scale Napoleon in Display Case

            I aided in two demonstrations. The demonstration consisted of an opening fire, a lecture of the character of artillery men during battle and their responsibilities, another firing, a lecture of the specific group we were representing by being there, and a final firing. After the final fire, we dropped the ropes and fielded questions from visitors who came to watch. I participated as the number five, meaning I was the ammunition runner. The ammunition runner places the round in the worn haversack from the ammunition chest and advances it to the cannon. Before getting to the cannon, I stopped and had my round inspected by the gunner who stood between the cannon and the ammunition chest. The gunner was sort of the captain to the team and was responsible in calling out coordinates and type of ammunition to be used.

            Battery B was a Union artillery regiment. Antietam Battlefield also has a Confederate artillery group that travels to use the battlefield’s cannon for demonstrations. I worked safety line for their demonstrations a number of times throughout the summer. I think it is important to have both sides of the battle represented and I certainly enjoyed seeing the variance in uniform and presentation. Speaking of uniforms, that wool really sucks the life out of you. But the heat was a small sacrifice to make for being able to have firsthand experience in something as unique as living history.

Thank you Battery B for allowing me the experience!

Thank you Christie and Rory for coordinating it!

Battery B Living History Group

Manning the Desk

            I spent another week within Visitor Services and Resource Education. Most of which, was spent at the front desk fielding questions and explaining the battlefield’s trail network. Something different from my experience at the desk a few weeks back was all the different visitors coming in with Pokémon GO open on their phones. It’s sort of a touchy subject among staff, but some are embracing it. I believe it is a good opportunity to rope in a new generation for engagement in Civil War History. Our education ranger has her work cut out for her in devising a possible program that incorporates the new game.

            I also went on a trip to the National Archives at College Park. I accompanied the Chief of Museum and Library Services, her intern, and an intern from the Historic Preservation Training Center to do research on Antietam. The HPTC intern was attempting to find information on the Burnside Bridge before the Battle of Antietam. The Chief of Museum and Library Services was searching for more information on the time Antietam Battlefield was under the administration of the War Department. The nature of the research process was impressive. The first thing we did was dig through binder catalogs for any keywords surrounding the Battle of Antietam. We got a little creative in some instances by defining key words. Once we found a promising box, we had to fill out a pull slip and turn it in before the predefined pull times. The rest of the day was spent looking through various records that were close to the subject matter. The highlight of the day was finding the Antietam National Battlefield Master Plan. This document was the planned transfer of leadership of the site from The War Department to the National Park Service. The maps included the property line that was color coded in order to label the historic farm plots and area for further acquisition.

The Master Plan

Photograph of Middle Bridge

Monumentation

Whichever direction you gaze upon at Antietam Battlefield, there is probably a monument within your sight. Or there is likely one just around the corner.

A portion of my week was speMont within the cultural resource division. I shadowed the Exhibits Specialist, and he started off by informing me about the latest work being done within the Mumma Cemetery. The Mumma’s were a farming family that had their home burnt down by the Confederates before battle. They also were members of the Dunkard Church. Their family’s cemetery lies right outside of the existing farmhouse, which was rebuilt after the battle. The work going on within the cemetery is documentation of each headstone and tree within the space. There are also repairs being made to headstones that need the preservative effort. Repairing massive headstones is careful work, often involving building of custom braces and mixing the correct chemical composition of epoxy for application. Along with the field work going on in the cemetery, he talked about the research process in surfacing more facts about each person and the symbolic ornamentation on their headstones.

Treated Pennsylvania State Seal

Wax Application

               After a good introduction to the kind of work that went on in the division, we geared up and began our project for the week. The project was to treat bronze plating on monuments, in order to withstand oxidation. The process of treatment consisted of heating the bronze plating and once hot enough we applied a coat of wax to the protrusions of symbols, numbers, letters, and animals. A finished treatment included two coats of heat wax, an applied cold wax, and brush buffing. It was a powerful feeling to see the oxidized portion of brass plating being wiped away with a simple brushstroke. One crucial element to the bronze treatment, was being mindful of the expansive properties of the materials while heating them. Needless to say, I’m happy that no stonework was cracked due to poor handling of the propane torch used in treatment...the team had me a little nervous.

               I also rode along with our monument team on a trip to South Mountain State Park. We took the ride to introduce me to and asses Park Service owned monuments that were within the boundary of the state park. I believe I found my favorite Antietam related monument in the War Correspondents Memorial Arch. The texture and angles incorporated in the artist’s work were quite the sight.

               The work this week was quite rewarding. This was partially due to visitors making no effort to hide their appreciation in the preservation of the battlefield monuments. I also just found myself thinking that it was just a great thing to be a part of.

War Correspondents Memorial Arch