Heart of the Mountains- ProRanger Tour

Heart of the Mountains

This week at SAMO has been one amazing adventure! I finally met face to face with my program coordinators. They visited my park site learn about distinct features of the park in addition to various areas where I have worked. Most importantly their visit was based on me displaying what I learned about the unique features of my park site, history, daily operations and challenges faced by VRP division. I was also able to get some basic Taser training use done with my supervisor.

This week southern California experience another heat wave. Despite the heat the tour went as planned. I met with program coordinators and toured them around the magnificent Santa Monica Mountains. I showed them highlight areas of the park and explained the significance of each location. We hiked some trails and drove through the heart of the mountains. The views were breathtaking!

Solstice Canyon Waterfalls

Close up of waterfall

 Along the tour we met with many visitors and made some interesting contacts. Each contact made the tour more and more interesting. Some of them have been visiting the SAMO recreation area for more than 20 years. 

Visitors that make the SAMO great!!

This park has actually impacted the local community in ways I could not have imagined. The positive impact keeps them coming back to enjoy the Mediterranean ecosystems. I’m proud to say that the NPS truly lives up to the mission statement derived from the Organic Act by preserving the natural environment for posterity.

High five with my new friend

Preserving historical areas

Mr. Fernandez pushing me to my limits

There's a new sheriff in town

            

Hike at Rocky Oaks to see the pond. What would I do without my map 😄

            

I introduced my Program coordinators to SAMO employees such as the park Superintendent, LE division chief along with the LES and my supervisor. It was a fun experience being tasked with setting up the program tour. My supervisor and other members of VRP were very helpful in giving me assistance to ensure my tour was worthwhile. 

Awarding appreciation plaque

The best way to show recognition is to let people know that they are appreciated. At the end of the tour we had an appreciation ceremony awarding the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area. The ProRanger program presented the SAMO a plaque thanking them on behalf of Temple University for participating in this year’s program.

Taser training was awesome!!

Just deployed my first cartridge. Electrifying!!

 After going through a PowerPoint presentation I learned about control electronic devices (ECD). The slides consisted of safety fundamentals, parts of the Taser, areas to avoid when using Tasers on people, use of force and the incapacitating effects of the device. After the PowerPoint we got to use ECD on targets while undergoing active threat situations. It was a great learning experience to have under my belt.

Removing Probes from target

Week Four - Court & More

Welcome back to another exciting week of my internship experience! This week was quite eventful. I participated in an Off-Highway Vehicle Training, attended Federal Court, worked with the SAMO downtown LA office doing outreach with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and assisted SAMO Youth with maintenance work.

Guess who got certified in operating Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles…..ME!!

I completed the online e-course and basic driving course with the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROV). This was an awesome experience, I never expected that my week would start off this way but I’m glad it did. When operating an ROV its best to begin with the basics such as safety practices and learning about the various parts of the vehicle. It took me an hour to complete the online training modules and quizzes. After completing the online course I received a certification of completion. This is when the fun part began!

The basic driving course was a stimulating experience. I learned about pre-operation safety checks which included: tires and wheels, controls, oil and other fluids, lights, and occupant retention systems. Once routine maintenance was done we covered the importance of ramp angles and observing the terrain before attempting to drive it. Once the tutorials were over we got to the cool part. I then began maneuvering through various trails at Paramount Ranch.

When a person violates 36 CFR they are issued a violation notice which is processed by the Central Violations Bureau (CVB). The CVB receives these citations from NPS rangers from across the country and sets forth initial appearance court dates. After processing the citations court dates are set for the suspect is given the opportunity to contest the violation(s). 

Going to the federal court was a great learning experience. SAMO’s Law Enforcement Specialist (LES) also serves as the court liaison officer between the park and the Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA). They work in collaboration to best resolve violations and set court appearances post initial appearances. At the court house the LES introduced me to a U.S attorney who represents the NPS, and taught me about the process that occurs after a person is issued a violation and the consequences of misdemeanor violations on federal property. At court two cases were on the docket; the first a dog off leash violation and the second was for a parking violation.

After court I visited the Los Angeles SAMO office. I met with the outreach program rangers who work for the Interpretation division. I learned about their mission in regards to community outreach. The rangers and I conducted a program at the YMCA center in downtown LA discussing the importance of pollinators. Pollinators such as bees benefit our daily lives in many ways such as giving us clean air to breathe, promoting fruit development, conventional plant breeding, and deliver us a variety of honey. The day was filled with boundless excitement and physical enrichment activities for the kids. It really felt gratifying to work with these young people.

The following day I worked with the SAMO youth on a fencing project near Paramount ranch.  Despite the intense heat of southern California all of us worked hard to complete the task at hand. We worked together to maintain a safe working environment.  Everyone is a SAFETY OFFICER.

 These kids work very hard and have vibrant personalities.  The SAMO youth is one unique program conducted here at SAMO. The program permits city youth to participate in a variety of events including hikes, trail and infrastructure maintenance, and other projects like plant nursery; which help shape them into outstanding young men and women when they move onto college.

Moments of a Lifetime: SAMO Edition

Hey guys! Time is flying by so fast!!! I am already three weeks into my internship, It feels so unreal. Every day at SAMO is truly a moment to appreciate! This week was the best thus far, issuing arrest warrants, creating defensible space by reducing heavy fire fuel vegetation, hiking the canyons, and connecting with visitors on foot patrols have made this SAMO experience a moment of a lifetime.

On the Backbone trail

The Santa Monica Mountains is a popular destination where millions of visitors from all over the world visit for recreational adventure. But for thousands of transients National Parks have become a place of retreat. Law enforcement rangers have seen an increase in the homeless population within

 the park over the past few years, many often driven by job loss, drugs, alcohol addiction and mental health problems. Transient(s) use the park as places to get out of the elements, for its infrastructure, and create places inside the park to reside for periods of time. By creating unauthorized camping areas, using fire and camping supplies outside designated areas, and littering the area it poses a threat to the parks resources.

Defensible Space unit working with inmate crew

During the week I assisted rangers with a field operation that consisted of cleaning up a polluted park site and issuing a warrant for residing on park lands, a violation of the NPS’s Title 36 rule. I was tasked with being the person of contact, whereas I managed communications for the operation between LE rangers and dispatch center. This was an exciting learning experience. I learned about a safety tool known simply as GAR. It stands for green, amber, and red which is a go/no go operational tool. Every ranger references this index card prior to approaching any mission. It’s a tool that helps with operational risk management. It originally stemmed from the coast guard, and the National Park Service, and Search and Rescue have adopted this tool to ensure personal and team safety.

This week I continued working with the defensible space unit under fire management. The goal was to remove excess vegetation that pose a threat to NPS constituents who live nearby. The removal consists of litter and debris that has stemmed from homeless people living on park property over the years. The NPS works in collaboration with L.A County’s fire department who share similar goals of ensuring wildfire safety for the environment and for the public.

L.A County Fire Department

 Defensible space unit has incorporated inmate crews for the past 25 years.  The nature of the collaboration is to protect the values natural resource protection. By using the inmate crew it helps the NPS manage their numerous properties throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. At the same time the program also helps to rehabilitate the inmates and assist them in making a conversion back in the community once their sentence is completed. They also get an opportunity to build a skill set while incarcerated. This is a beneficial program, working with the inmates you can really see firsthand that many of them are willing to make changes to better their life.

Clean up done by inmate crew

On that day we reduced fuels that spark potential fires that invade social values such as human communities. The management of LA County realizes that there is a need to protect people within the community. Fire protection is the main goal. This is done by managing the habitat to prevent the spread of wildfire. As an example, the Migratory Bird Act protects many birds that dwell on NPS land, however that mitigates fire prevention when it comes to defensible space. For this reason Planning Science and Resource Management (PSRM) has to oversee the operation.

Observing for bird nesting activity

At the end of the week, I hiked Solstice Canyon on a foot patrol, I observed a few infractions such as dogs off leash and area closure violations near the waterfall on Solstice canyon trail. I issued verbal warnings to the individuals and they left the area immediately.

Solstice Canyon Waterfall

 

Robert's Ranch (ruins)

Apart from the many infractions observed it’s an amazing place to go for a hike and get lost within mountains while being so close to LA. I also had the opportunity to connect with the public and share my experience with them. Many of them was interested in the mission of the ProRanger Program and wished me well in my endeavors.

 

Selfie with visitors

……………………..this place is really growing on me!

Santa Monica Views

SAMO Adventures!!

Hey everyone, It’s me again bringing you another exciting SAMO adventure. What a week!! Car patrols, bike rides, radio calls, monitoring park resources and issuing permits warnings filled my week, plus the Santa Ana winds drove the temperature into triple digits which really made me miss the tropical temperatures back home in the U.S Virgin Islands.

The week started off with vehicular patrols and foot patrols in some of the most frequented areas of the park, in which we monitored violations of the law. Due to the massiveness of the park, there is so much land for LE rangers to cover simultaneously. In order to keep an eye on what occurs in areas of the park, surveillance cameras are set up to monitor visitors use patterns while at the park. Visitors come to the park for various reasons; to hike, mountain bike, and even to ride horses throughout the mountains while others come to the park to simply walk their dogs.By observing park use patterns it helps us at SAMO by giving us insight on what we can do to make visitor experience more enjoyable.My supervisor taught me how to set up cameras in stealth to gather information on visitor trail use. Law enforcement also uses observation, to start and end investigations for violations of park rules and regulations. Since SAMO does not charge visitors an entry fee, surveillance helps visitor and resource protection division (VPR) by gather statistics on the number of visitors that come to the park, what activities they partake in as well as capturing footage of wildlife such as mountain lions for example.   

  

For the past few days, I've read up on Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations, they're a set of rules issued by federal agencies of the United States such as parks, forests, and public property. Understanding what Title 36 CFR is has expanded my knowledge on what’s permitted and what’s not permitted within the park boundaries.  I was assigned and trained on how to properly use radios to communicate with other LE rangers and Angeles dispatch. On a daily basis I am required to call in and out of service and radio dispatch when on foot or car patrol, in addition to when I make visitor contacts with LE rangers.

Over the weekend, an excessive heat warning was put in place for several areas of southern California. The blazing conditions stemmed from the Santa Ana winds nearby SAMO. Due to the extreme weather conditions, Ranger Ibanez and I conducted a 6 mile bike patrol in the Cheeseboro Canyons to ensure the safety of visitors. On this patrol we spoke with some of the visitors at the park while handing out bottles of water to those in need. Due to the intense weather conditions, hydration was very critical. While on the Cheeseboro Canyon trails, we recorded temperatures up to 117˚ Fahrenheit. This is the hottest weather that I have ever experienced in my life. For my first time mountain biking, I felt that I did a great job, I actually did better than I expected. The experience made my navigational skills stronger, as well as, promoting my cardiovascular health.

I had the opportunity to work with the fire management staff within VRP. These fire fighters are crucial in a very unique park like SAMO. They provide a fuel reduction and defensible spacing that removes excess vegetation from areas boarding park and private land boundaries. During the week, we scouted for areas within the park boundaries that required maintenance. We also evaluated what vegetation needed to be removed versus vegetation that is protected within the National Park while factoring in the impact to the wildlife within the area.. In essence, they protect the community from wildfires. Defensible spacing improves fire safety for those who live near the park whenever a wildfire occurs as well as protecting the natural and cultural resource within the park. 

Every day in SAMO has been an adventure!! There is much more to this park than meets the eye. VPR at SAMO has really made the experience so far worthwhile, I’m eager to learn as much as I can from them while on my adventures at SAMO.

The Mountains are Calling

Shamali Dennery

Hello everyone, my name is Shamali Dennery your new Pro Ranger interning at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area (SAMO) for the next several weeks.I recently graduated from the University of the Virgin Islands, Albert A. Sheen Campus on the island of St. Croix with my B.A in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science. Currently, I am taking online classes with Temple University to help expand my knowledge on the ProRanger Program and the History of the National Park Service. This is my first time in southern California. I am super excited to be here at SAMO and I am looking forward to learning about what SAMO has to offer. This place is a spectacular environment for both wildlife and visitors world-wide. This park has beautiful and diverse landscape that stretches 40 miles east to west starting from Point Mugu in Ventura County to Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles respectively. The park has a vast set of activities for visitors to partake in such as hiking, jogging, mountain biking, horseback riding camping, sight-seeing and even film making. 

My first day started off with a Park tour with Ranger Ibanez. The plan for that day was to get me familiarized with SAMO and its various sites. Within the Santa Monica Mountain Range, there are many agencies which in fact makes this park unique. Some parts of the Mountain are owned and operated by Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), California State Parks, and the remaining portions belong to the National Park Service (NPS). I visited the SAMO Headquarters where I was introduced to head employees from park divisions such as Interpretation and Education, Visitor and Resource Protection, Resource Management, Special Permits/Film-making and Facilities. The division that I am assigned to at SAMO is the Visitor and Resource Protection. The division is made up of different operations which may include fire management, Special park Uses, Law Enforcement, search and rescue (SAR), and emergency medical services also known as EMS. 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Headquarters

I learned about the roles each divisions play in making SAMO a place for recreational activities, educational learning, protection and preservation of both cultural and natural resources for generations to come. While at headquarters, I signed up for a basic hands-on first-aid and CPR training with one of their outreach groups called the SAMO Youth. The basic training was an introduction on how to safely approach unsafe situations and individuals that maybe hurt and in need of medical attention. The training I received will help build my skill set so that in the event of an emergency I can save someone’s life when needed to.

Basic hands-on first-aid and CPR training with SAMO youth group

Shortly after my training, something unbelievable occurred. We received a radio call from dispatch that a visitor was injured from a fall on horseback at the Cheeseboro Canyons unit of SAMO. We immediately responded to the situation and assisted the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department with SAR of the horseback rider. The feeling was like no other, being able to assist the individual made me feel really good about being a Pro Ranger and made me look forward to my future career within the NPS. In this experience, I learned the importance of incident response time in regards to learning about your park and being able to navigate from one location to the next.

SAR with LA Sheriff's County at Cheeseboro Canyons

National Park Service Volunteer at Cheeseboro Canyons

On this incident, I learned the value of having volunteers within the National Park Service. At SAMO, there are two main volunteer groups, the mountain bike unit and the mountain volunteer patrol. Two recreational activities of the park working together as volunteers groups to provide public assistance and resource protection to the NPS, California State Parks and Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Last year it was reported that park volunteers provided 4000 hours of service.

Within the first few days of my internship I was issued a vehicle to commute to and from work. This makes the experience very interesting, because independently, I am able to learn how to reach the various locations within the park. I am confident enough to say that I know how to navigate to most locations within the park without the use of GPS. I also have to keep up with my vehicle's maintenance by cleaning both interior and exterior in addition to scheduling routine maintenance with General Services Administration (GSA) approved businesses.

I conducted visitor site use surveys in partnership with the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. The purpose of the surveys was to learn what types of people visit the park, why they visit the area, the activities they partake in and the types of amenities they use. The results of the study will help the NPS learn how to better serve visitors for future generations. This was a great opportunity for me to speak with the public and get to learn about what areas of the park need improvement as well as areas that are used and utilized from visitors.

My supervisor and I conducted visitor use surveys at two locations within the park. The first was conducted on the Backbone Trail which stretches 76 miles across the park and the Wendy Trail which is a very popular hike at Rancho Sierra Vista. We surveyed and counted visitors as they left the trail into categories which included hikers, joggers, mountain bikers, and dog walkers to name a few. This activity showed me how vast the park truly is. 

NPS employees and volunteers building an AP for Chumash Traditions

Bullroar

At the end of the week I attended an all employee meeting where I was introduced to SAMO employees, volunteers, and various youth groups. At this meeting everyone participated in educational events that taught us about the history of the Chumash Indian Tribe that lived in the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding areas. We crafted tools utilized by the Indians such as a bullroar, a communication tool used by the Chumash. I learned about ethnobotany and how it applies to medicinal plants that the Chumash used for many ailments, in addition to the many archaeological tools they used in their daily routines. As a tribute to the Chumash Tribe, the group built an AP which was the names of their homes in an attempt to help preserve and continue the Chumash tradition. 

A view of the mountains nearby my residence.

After an exciting first week I look forward to all that SAMO and the law enforcement division has to offer me.

See you all next week!