Week 10 - The Grand Finale

For my final week at COLO I was back with Law Enforcement to finish out the summer. The first three days of my week were spent back with Ranger Lamb as we hit the parkway, did some office work, and completed some odd jobs. We finished out the third day by hitting an area near College Creek, an area of concern for multiple reasons, on foot and found some trash and other objects that allowed us to further our thoughts on what has been occurring here and by whom. The last two days of the week were spent riding along with my primary supervisor Ranger Krebs. Finally. He had been on light duty due to foot surgery all summer and made it back just in time to see me leave. Although my time riding with him was short it was nice to get to see yet another ranger's style. To finish up the first day with Ranger Krebs he put me through some traffic stop scenarios. We had three rangers on at the time so Range Krebs sat in the vehicle with me and observed and then also acted as my backup. Rangers Lamb and Sheets acted as another vehicle; a task they decided to have a lot of fun with, ie: pretending to be sovereign citizens and Ranger Sheets hiding in the backseat and popping his head up to give commentary. The next day it was business as usual in the morning but then we headed out to newly acquired NPS territory at Werowocomoco to check it out and have some lunch. The picture up top was taken from the dock at Werowocomoco. We then headed back to the park, I returned everything I had borrowed over the summer, and I said my goodbyes. 

A picture I took while on foot patrol

It's truly been a great summer and I'm extremely glad I got to spend it interning at a National Historical Park. I've learned a ton of both formal and informal knowledge about the NPS and really enjoyed my time going around division to division and meeting just about everyone in the park. Every person I met was great at taking the time to really teach me and show me both the positives and the negatives of what is going on in their line of work. I couldn't have asked for a better park to go to for the summer and I'd like to thank everyone at Colonial National Historical Park for being an outstanding group of people who truly serve the NPS well.

Week 9 - You Learn Something New Each Day

Week 7 was another mixed week as I was scheduled to be with interpretation but ended up lending two of my days to finish up a project I had started while with cultural resources the previous week. I say project but we were really just moving part of the collection at Jamestowne over to Yorktown. This move required three trips and when the trip is a forty minute drive one way on top of the time it takes to load and unload, the time it takes quickly adds up. But over the course of two days we were able to get everything moved and organized in its new home and even had time to travel around to various locations and check temperature and humidity data loggers, which quickly turned into a scavenger hunt as a few of them had died and we couldn't use our phone to track there location. Overall, I'm glad I was able to do this as not being able to see the project through to the end would have bothered me. 

The rest of the week I was back to my normal interpretative duties of working the information desk at both the Jamestowne and Yorktown visitor centers. I have to say by the end of the week I really had the job down and was able to tailor my short speech to the visitors' interest pretty accurately. Through the week I also got the chance to participate in two interpretive programs I hadn't gotten to do my first week with Interpretation. The first is the subject of the three pictures included in this post. We have 3 buildings within the park that we open to visitors when we have staff to station there and the one I didn't get to do last time, the Nelson House, was finally open this week. This was the house owned by Thomas Nelson, Jr. who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a brigadier general in the Continental Army who fought at the Siege of Yorktown, and a governor of Virginia. This house was one of the few that survived the siege and is estimated to be 80-90 percent original today. Oh yeah and that cannon shot you see in the side of the building isn't real, but it sure looks cool.

The second new thing I got to do was take the guided Yorktown tour. Our visitor center used to offer a variety of programs and tours but these have slowly been whittled away as staff diminishes. However, we have a few volunteers that are knowledgeable enough to be able to lead tours and programs. This Yorktown tour is a rare occurrence so I made sure tag along for this one and it was well worth the hour out in the heat. I learned things during this tour that I hadn't even heard mentioned in the eight weeks I have already spent here. This tour really was a testament to the benefit of participating in an internship that allows you the ability to work with and talk to as many people within a park as possible.

Week 8 (Resources Division) - Two Sides of the Same Coin

Downed tree means it's time to get out on foot

For week 8 I had a mix of both natural and cultural resources. As I spent my first week with the resources division doing natural resources work I was scheduled to have the full second week with cultural resources but my services were requested for Monday. If you saw my previous resources post you would know I spent some time helping Dorothy Geyer complete part of her marsh bird survey. Monday we were finishing up the last two sites for this survey in addition to doing a plant diversity survey. Instead of kayaking out this time I had the pleasure of getting to trek out into the marsh by foot to get to the survey point. Many people are horrified by the idea of walking (and sinking) out into the marsh to then stand out in the middle of it for about a quarter hour. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it as I’ve never had the chance to do something quite like this, and it was a great workout as my boots quickly got covered in mud and filled with water. 

In the middle of the marsh

Once we managed to get to a survey spot we completed the bird survey procedure of 5-minutes of quiet, 5-minutes of listening, and then running through various calls. For the plant survey we made estimates of the percent cover of various types of marsh and marsh related features (such as open water, paths made by animals, and fallen trees). We then identified all plant species we could find and made an estimate of percent cover of invasive species. Lastly, we measured the angle of the horizon from the cardinal directions using a clinometer which was a first for me. Then all we had to was attempt to follow the trail we had made on the way out and not sink in the mud on our way back to dry land. 

A small storage shed I stumbled upon when hunting for cannons

I spent the rest of the week with Melanie, COLO’s conservator and collection curator. We have three main storage facilities throughout the park that house various bits and pieces of our total collection. As it is hurricane season there have been various meetings recently to review our hurricane plan which of course involves moving artifacts off of the very vulnerable Jamestowne Island. We are also in the process of moving as much of the collection as possible off the island permanently and condensing it into the two storage facilities in Yorktown. This is a huge process and I was able to help Melanie with a little bit of the condensing and moving of the collection.

Our collection of rifles and muskets

I also got to go on a cannon hunt. On the Yorktown side of the park we have around 40 to 50 cannons placed around at various spots for visitors to view. These cannons, whether they be reproduction or original, are all cataloged and thus we need to know where they’re at. However, cannons are constantly being moved around as some come in for repairs and others go out to take their spot. So armed with a map and a very old mini-van I set out with our 15 year-old volunteer Owen to track down as many cannons as I could. And I have to say we were pretty successful. After a long day of trudging through the heat and grass we found that every cannon that wasn’t in its designated spot was either found somewhere else or in the maintenance yard awaiting repairs. Due to the cycle of repairs the cannons will get scattered around again, but, at least for a just a little while, we now have a general idea where they all are and whether they’re supposed to be there or not.  

The world of curatorial and conservative work is very fascinating but also very complex. I can't image being the one in charge of keeping records of the thousands upon thousands of historical documents and artifacts we have in our collection. Being a historical park this is definitely one of the more important tasks going on within the park but probably one of the least recognized. Our collection contains items dating back from the early 1600's to within a few decades and showcases both the events that make this area historically significant and the history of this National Historical Park itself. 

Most Beautiful Spot In: Colonial National Historical Park

The sight you'll see as you leave Jamestowne Island

Week 7 - Ditch Diggin' and Weed Wackin'

This past week I was with maintenance for another hot and sweaty week. We had a couple of projects going on for that I was able to help out with. Monday and Tuesday were spent doing some graffiti removal on the infamous Crawford Road overpass. This overpass is part of our tour roads at COLO and a small portion of Crawford Road below falls within park boundaries but is owned and maintained by York County. There is graffiti on the tour road and the concrete guide rails, nearly the entire overpass structure, and on Crawford Road below. Some of the guys from maintenance and I were tasked with removing the graffiti off of the tour road and guide rails so visitors to the park don't have to see this very unsightly vandalism. With our limited supplies we were able to mostly accomplish (we weren't able to completely remove the graffiti but just fade it our significantly) this task after two days worth of work. 

Putting on my law enforcement hat for a second, I can tell you with absolute confidence our cleaning will likely be undone very quickly. This particular spot at is on multiple "Most Haunted Places in Virginia" lists for reasons and sightings that are based on events that park staff will tell you are definitely not true. Never the less, it attracts many thrill seekers and their spray paint. The graffiti has been an issue for decades and not much has been done besides occasional cleanings to combat it. However, COLO is now in the process of purchasing a camera system and multiple decoy cameras to place in view of the road. This camera will be motion activated and will alert us as to when someone is there so a ranger or York County police can be dispatched. The decoy cameras are there due to Crawford Road's reputation as a place used by people to shoot firearms. The decoys reduce the chance of the working camera being taken out. Additionally, COLO's rangers patrol the spot often and are citing anyone they find in hopes of deterring more people from coming and leaving their mark on the overpass. 

On Wednesday I tried my hand out at trench digging. I accompanied the same crew from Crawford over to Surrender Field to dig up old drainage piping that had become clogged. With the help of a backhoe we ripped the tubing out and dug a drainage trench into the hole created. It's a temporary solution but as you can see from the picture it does work during a rainstorm. Hopefully, a new piping system will be installed to keep this area free of flooding in the future. Thursday, I made my return to trash duty but didn't return to the same truck I had ridden in before. That truck had been involved in an accident on the parkway a few days earlier so we were using our slightly older and much bumpier spare trash-truck. However, we made the rounds as usual and I even had time to snap the shot below overlooking Surrender Field. I finished up the week with some good old weed-wacking. I weed-whacked and mowed throughout my teenage years so I'm used to the work and really don't mind it. However, I did mind the 112 degree Fahrenheit heat index. Nevertheless, we stayed hydrated and even finished all the work after missing the calls from our supervisor telling us to come back in due to the heat.

My Summer View: Colonial National Historical Park

To make up for the lack of a nice scenic view I've included three pictures of my housing at the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown.

The view from my one window

My room: two beds, two desks, microwave, mini-fridge, TV, a bathroom with
 a shower, and three inspirational pictures

The view right when you walk outside of my hall

Week 6 - Back on the Road

Riding along with Ranger Sheets as we check the tour roads and close gates

For my sixth week at COLO I was back with our LE rangers. After spending a few weeks rotating around through the park I was long overdue to climb into a patrol car and hit the Colonial Parkway. This week I tagged along with Ranger Lamb again but this time we were on the night shift. We started the week off on the 4th of July without a bang. That's probably due to our fireworks at Yorktown being cancelled because of rain. We use a portion of the battlefield as parking for the massive amount of visitors who show up to watch the fireworks over the York River but due to rain the previous days and a forecast for rain in the evening the parking operation would have been impossible and the event was cancelled. However Williamsburg's and Busch Garden's fireworks were still on, both of which are visible from the parts of the parkway. So Ranger Lamb and I, Ranger Brewer, and Ranger Sheets headed over to these areas of enforce parking violations and help direct the flow of traffic. And we still got to see fireworks.

Throughout the week Ranger Lamb stepped up my responsibilities and gave me more tasks to do to broaden my law enforcement capabilities. I began with radio communication. Ranger Lamb had me call in all traffic stops he was making by reading off the license plate, giving the direction we were traveling, and giving our location. I then kept in communication with dispatch giving the location at which we pulled over. I then read off the driver's license number and listened in to the details of the report dispatch sent back. Lastly, I then cleared us after the stop and notified dispatch sporadically of our status and location. Ranger Lamb also gave me the opportunity to practice writing written warnings and entering all of his warnings and citations into IMARS. I even tried my hand at writing Probably Cause statements for stops I had witnessed. Additionally, Ranger Krebs and Ranger Lamb gave me a crash course in handcuffing for an arrest.

If you've been paying any attention the news recently you've probably heard of the attack on law enforcement officers in Dallas. These events can be quite sobering for law enforcement professionals and I witnessed this first hand. However, they all picked up their heads and carried on with duties without missing a beat. This is especially impressive as there have been quite serious incidents at COLO recently. Within the past few weeks we have had a murder, a drowning, and multiple DUI's within the park. Despite this burst of activity for our law enforcement rangers they've been handling anything and everything as it happens and I'm grateful for the opportunity to watch them work during a time like this.

After patrolling and catching up on paperwork throughout the week I ended my second week with LE with Ranger Sheets on Saturday's night shift. We had some odd jobs to do during out shift and it was a nice change of pace. He even showed me a spot in the park where the sunset is fantastic that I probably never would have seen on my own. After the events of our day we arrived back in Yorktown around 11:30 PM only to find an abundance teenagers and young adults swarming. I quickly realized this must be the result of Pokemon Go and upon questioning a group this theory was confirmed. The issue with this is that the majority of buildings in Yorktown close with the rest of the park at sundown, so around 30 to 40 people were in violation of the park's sunset closure.
Never would I have thought a smartphone game would have an effect on law enforcement operations in our national parks. And thus an interesting week had an interesting end.

Gone Marshin' - Week 5

The first site of our marsh bird survey

Just because COLO is a National Historical Park doesn’t mean we don’t have plenty going on in the area of wildlife and land management. Sure our interpretative programs focus on telling the story of what happened at Yorktown and Jamestown but we have much more to offer than just that. The keen visitor may notice the cleared land where bamboo once dominated, hear the calls of secretive bird species, or see a turtle or snake crossing one of the tour roads. At COLO our resources division staff have plenty on their plate and I was fortunate enough to spend the past week with them.

My week began early Monday morning as I drove out to our maintenance yard at Jamestowne. There I met up with our Natural Resources Specialist Dorothy Geyer and we began loading kayaks into back of her NPS branded truck. We then drove out to the tour roads on Jamestowne Island, parked on a bridge and unloaded our gear. After lowering the kayaks off the side of the bridges into somewhat solid ground in the brackish marsh below we parked the truck out of the way and returned to the kayaks to push off into a creek running through the marsh. We were out there to find two spots designated for a marsh bird study where we would be recording what birds we could see and hear and then how they reacted to the calls of various bird species.

After a few minutes of paddling downstream we reached our first point of the day and did our best to ground the kayaks on what few patches of solid ground we could find. We then disembarked and pushed our way through the tall grass to a vantage point. I was acting as Dorothy’s recorder as she identified what bird species she could see or hear. I recorded what bird species she could see/hear for five minutes and then we played a series of calls through a speaker to see what birds would respond. We then kayaked to the second and final spot of the day and grounded ourselves on mudbank with a clear line of sight to an osprey nest (scaring away a number of fiddler crabs in the process). We then repeated the process we did at the first site. It was fascinating to watch Dorothy work and her expertise quickly became apparent as she easily picked out species and estimated their distance. It was also interesting to see the variety of species out there and I got the chance to see some species I’ve never encountered before that are native to the region. After returning back to Dorothy’s office I assisted her with some office tasks for the remainder of the day. There are a variety of other natural resources projects going on that rely on volunteers so most of the work I completed was organizing and digitizing data the volunteer groups had collected.

Tuesday I was able to test out my GIS chops while working with COLO’s GIS specialist Dave Frederick. We sat down for a while and discussed the scope of his work at the park and then he put me to work. COLO is taking over a piece of land with significance to Native American history in this region but we have no maps of the area. I was tasked with finding parcel data for the area and then digitizing this on satellite imagery of the area. This was necessary as the land that COLO will be maintaining consists only of certain parcels within an areas surround by parcels owned by private parties. I won’t bore you with the details of how I accomplished my task but I will include a picture of the finished product.

The fruits of my GIS labors

Wednesday and Thursday I had the opportunity to work with the NPS Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team. This is a team of four to five NPS employees who travel around to 18 different parks and tackle exotic plant removal projects. COLO has an issue with golden bamboo and removal projects in the past haven’t been successful. During my time with the EPMT we tackled three areas of bamboo: an area of about two acres where a contracting team had removed bamboo but where exotic ground cover was re-emerging and some bamboo roots remained, a spot along a revolutionary earthwork where bamboo was mixed in with other plant life, and a third strip along the Colonial Parkway where removal efforts in the past have been unsuccessful. In order to remove bamboo we have two methods to use. We can either spray the bamboo plants from top to bottom with a concentrated herbicide or use handsaws to sever the plant near the base and then spray herbicide on and around the stump. I quickly learned either method means difficult and very sweaty work. However, by the end of my time with the team we had hit all the spots we needed to so I’ll be making sure to keep an eye on these areas to see how effective our work was.

To end my week on Friday I got the chance to have a brief taste of law enforcement before finishing up my work with natural resources. I started my day around 5 PM by rejoining Ranger Lamb in his patrol car. We patrolled the parkway as it was rush around and kept an eye out for traffic violations. As next week will be my second week with law enforcement Ranger Lamb decided to step up my responsibilities. He increased my amount of radio presence by having me call in the traffic stops we were making to dispatch. I then also got the chance to practice written warnings. Ranger Lamb then dropped me off around 9PM to begin the rest of my duties for the day.

Me and a rough green snake

That evening and night I joined a group from the University of Rhode Island who were doing a herpetology study at COLO. The focus of that evening was the Spadefoot Toad which is an endangered species. They require a heavy amount of rainfall resulting in substantial pools of water to lay their eggs in. Seeing as we were due for a storm Friday evening the researchers were anticipating that tonight may be one the rare occasion when the local Spadefoots may lie their eggs. We started off by walking about a half-mile along the tour roads during a frog survey of any frogs we were able to find. As then rain rolled in we got back in the car and began driving to potential breeding sites but were quickly set-back as the lightning became very intense. After waiting for a few minutes under an overpass we continued on and were unfortunately unable to hear the call the toads make while mating. The herpetology team may have left slightly disappointed but for me it was a fun and interesting end to my first week with COLO’s resources division.

Getting to Know Colonial - Week 4

It took me four weeks but I now can say I know more about the events of both Jamestowne and Yorktown than the majority of people who come to these sites. This is of course all thanks to spending a week with COLO’s interpretative rangers. As I met with Paul Carson, chief of interpretation and education at COLO, on Monday morning I knew I was in for a knowledge-packed week as soon as he said he wanted me to be treated as a visitor for the first couple days. Up to this point I really hadn’t had a chance to thoroughly tour the entirety of the unit and to take my time reading all the signs. For the entirety of both Monday and Tuesday I had the chance to accomplish both of the tasks I just mentioned.

The theater at Jamestowne

I spent Monday at the Yorktown side of COLO participating in all of the activities a visitor would do if they truly wanted the full package. I watched the introductory video, toured the museum, and joined along for the 45 minute battlefield walking tour. Then in the afternoon I embarked on my own and drove all 16 miles of the tour roads, stopping at each sign to read about the significance of that particular spot. A volunteer was manning the Moore house, in which the surrender document was drafted, so I made sure to make a stop there. Another volunteer was also stationed at the Yorktown National Cemetery Lodge. During my visit here I was able to learn about the events that took place in Yorktown during the Civil War. To wrap up my day I toured historic Yorktown and took in the sights and read the signs outlining the history of this storied town.

In the ruins of a church during an archaeological tour

My day on Tuesday followed a similar format with a change in location. I made the forty minute drive out to Jamestowne and played visitor there for the day. I started out with a ranger-guided tour around the Newtown and Oldtown (the fort the settler’s initially built and inhabited) areas of Jamestowne which gave me a solid introduction to the events that occurred here. I then decided it was time to spend some time in the AC and watched the introductory video and toured the museum. I then began the afternoon by partaking in an archaeological tour led by Preservation Virginia (an organization that shares ownership with the NPS on Jamestowne Island). This tour provided me with insight into the history that we’ve gleaned from excavating and studying the artifacts left by the settlers. I finished the day up with a drive through Jamestown’s tour roads and then made my way back home.

On Wednesday and Friday Ranger Carson deemed me ready to partake in some interpretation. On Wednesday I worked the information desk at Yorktown’s visitor center and on Friday I did the same over at Jamestowne. Being on the front-lines tested my knowledge and I had to redirect those with specific questions to a more knowledgeable ranger on multiple occasions. However, the experience was very enlightening and I learned more about the both the park and those who visit it.

Adrian and I striking a pose at the entrance to Jamestowne

I skipped over the events of Thursday because they were a bit out of the ordinary for me. On Thursday I had the pleasure of having visitors. Our very own Ranger Adrian Fernandez and his family stopped by for a day at COLO on their way to Florida. We started off the day with a very productive meeting with COLO’s Chief Ranger Steve Williams and I then spent the rest of the day trying to show them as much of the park as I could in the little time we had. We then wrapped up with a meeting with my supervisor Ranger Krebs and they were back on the road. My week in interpretation was another productive one and I’m glad I finally got the chance to get to know the park and learn the specific details of events that were so important that their legacies are now being preserved by Colonial National Historical Park.

Week 3 - Maintenance

My third week at COLO was spent with the maintenance staff at the Yorktown side of the park. Throughout the week I took place in whatever they were doing for the day and essentially functioned as a seasonal maintenance employee. Through actually participating in all of the tasks maintenance is assigned to do I feel that I not only gained an understanding of the role they play but actively experienced the challenging work that goes into keeping COLO running smoothly.

My very smelly ride on Monday

On my first day with maintenance I walked into their common room bright and early at 6 AM. I took a seat and introduced myself to everyone else in the room. A few minutes later the maintenance supervisor came in and assigned everyone their tasks for the day. I was assigned to ride along with Frank who would be manning the trash truck. This may sound like I drew the short stick but this ended up being one of the more enjoyable tasks I did throughout the week. The job consists of riding around in an air conditioned truck to the various trash bins around the visitor center and then throughout the Colonial Parkway and emptying them. You also pick up any litter you find throughout the park. You get gloves, a metal grabber to pick up trash, and a bottle of hand-sanitizer in the truck. This might not make being a trash man sound any more enticing for you but for me this job was a sweet gig. And I left that day feeling good about the fact that I had made the park a better place to be for both visitors and wildlife.

Tamping an asphalt patch on the parkway

I also learned a bit about the visitors of COLO. At one particular pullout on the parkway there were three trash bins and a heap of garbage piled up around them. Frank and I evaluated the mess and starting chipping away at the bags around the trashcans. After that was taken care of we began emptying the trash bins only to realize that one of them had been left completely empty. And I thought I’d only be frustrated with visitors during my time with the law enforcement rangers.

I’m going to skip over Tuesday for now as I actually didn’t spend it with maintenance. On Wednesday I arrived again at 6 AM and was assigned along with a few others to take on the daunting task of weed-whacking the steep banks next to the entrance of the parkway tunnel. The other guys warned me this was one of the more challenging tasks they have to do but we took the challenge head on and got it done before lunch. We were then rewarded for our efforts by being given the very dusty and very tedious task of weed-whacking around the headstones at the Yorktown National Cemetery.

Got to keep the mowers spick and span

For the rest of the week I spent my time doing various tasks such as patching holes in the parkway, collecting blockades and reopening the tunnel (which had been closed for maintenance on the lights within), following a detour path and removing the signs, and on that rainy Friday doing some equipment maintenance and cleaning.

But we can’t forget about Tuesday. On Tuesday I took a break from maintenance and joined three of the law enforcement rangers on their day in court. As the law-abiding citizen I am I’ve never been in a courthouse before so the experience was a first for me. Watching the events and rulings during the cases being presented that day was also a first for me. Besides the many episodes of Law and Order I’ve seen I really had no idea how this part of the criminal justice system operates. It was definitely a worthwhile experience and I’m glad I had the opportunity to attend. Week three was definitely a success and I’m eager to move on to interpretation and start learning the history behind this national historical park.

COLO Week 2 - Administration

This is my collection of documents and information after just one week in administration

For my second week at Colonial National Historical Park I made the rounds through the various staff here who have administrative duties. Most of my time was spent in the administrative headquarters at Yorktown but I also spent time at the maintenance administrative offices in the maintenance yard. I can't even begin to describe the vast amount of information I took in this week. I was constantly flooded with knowledge pertaining to anything that goes on "behind the scenes" or through the various computer programs that keep this park running. I ended this week with an enhanced knowledge of what really goes into making sure COLO is operating at full capacity and I'm 100% sure this newfound knowledge will greatly improve my ability to carry out my duties as a NPS employee.

I began the week meeting with the Chief of Maintenance and acting Deputy Superintendent Jim Brown. I sat in on a morning meeting discussing the goals for the week and then we took a ride to Jamestown to meet with a contractor bidding for a HVAC replacement. During the drive to Jamestown and back Mr. Brown gave me a timeline of the various maintenance request programs the park has used and showed me some of the current maintenance projects and areas that are in need of maintenance. After returning to Yorktown I then met with Chief of Administration Cheryl Green. We sat down for the afternoon discussing some of the basics of administration and what all I'd be learning and experiencing throughout the week.

Me on a ladder trying to usher the hummingbird out the door

On Tuesday I spent the morning learning about property and acquisitions with the maintenance administrators and began becoming familiar with some of the systems the NPS uses such as FMSS (Facility Management Software System), FBMS (Financial and Business Management System), and PMIS (Project Management Information System). I was also given a 12 page list of acronyms as my welcome gift to the Federal Government. Then to end my morning I partook in a rescue operation to retrieve a hummingbird that had gotten itself stuck in the nearby fire cache. That afternoon I shadowed COLO's sole IT technician and learned the ever so valuable lesson of patience. We were tasked with updating the operating system and installing more memory on dispatch's server which was going very smoothly until we had backup the contents of the server to make sure nothing was lost during the update. This process ended up taking around 2 hours and finished just as it was time to head home.

This is where artifacts dug up during archaeological
digs at Jamestown are stored

Wednesday I spent a full day with COLO's budget and deposits coordinator and was quite honestly in over my head for the majority of it. Without any prior knowledge of accounting or really anything business related I did my best to keep up with the wealth of knowledge being given to me and I can say I do have a much better understanding of the flow of money throughout the park and the work that goes into keeping the park within its budget. Thursday was spent with COLO's Volunteer-in-Parks coordinator and Centennial Coordinator. I quickly learned what a huge role volunteers play in the everyday activities of the park and just how valuable their services are. I even managed to score an invite to the volunteer recognition dinner next week.

To finish up the week I sat down with COLO's administrative support assistant who really operates as a human resources coordinator. We went over everything from recruitment to retirement and I received a lot of information that will invaluable to me as an employee. That afternoon I met COLO's acting Superintendent Jennifer Madello at the Historic Jamestown Rediscovery Center and was given a tour of the artifact storage there. Overall, it was a very successful week in which I learned quite a bit about what goes into keeping a park running. Next week I'll be joining our maintenance crew as I take a more hands-on approach to keeping COLO operating at full capacity.

COLO Week 1 - Living it up in Law Enforcement

Me posing by a no trespassing sign. What you
can't see is that the fence has collapsed about 10 feet
to my left.

Hello my name is Taylor Johnson and I'm the ProRanger spending their summer as an intern at Colonial National Historical Park near Williamsburg, VA. I lucked out and have spent week one of the internship with the Law Enforcement Rangers here at COLO and I couldn't be happier with this turn of events. I knew from the start of day one that this was going to be an exciting week as just a few minutes after being picked up in Ranger Lamb's (who just so happens to be a former ProRanger) patrol vehicle we received a call about a traffic accident on the Colonial Parkway. We weren't first on seen but arrived shortly after Ranger Brewer responded and began conducting traffic control to make sure the scene of the accident remained safe. Fortunately, this accident resulted in no injuries and after a wrecker arrived and hauled away one of the vehicles my first contact of the internship was over. And I was hooked.

A view I got quite used to as I rode
shotgun with Ranger Lamb

I went on to spend three more days following in the footsteps of Ranger Lamb and one day riding along with Ranger Brewer during my first week. During this time we did everything from traffic stops for speeding to patrolling the areas around the pull-outs on the Colonial Parkway. I'm especially thankful to have had the opportunity to ride along with Ranger Lamb most days due to the fact that he was in my shoes just a few short years ago. The information and guidance he's provided me with so far is invaluable and I look forward to spending more time under his tutelage.

Ranger Lamb responding to a bus stuck in wet grass

It was quite a busy week so forgive me if I forget anything but here's a brief rundown of what I did. As I mentioned previously day one started strong with a traffic accident only a few minutes into my shift. After that Ranger Lamb introduced me to the typical morning routine of opening up the gates to the various trails and then we hit the Colonial Parkway again to enforce some traffic laws. After observing Ranger Lamb conduct a few traffic stops for speeding he then gave me a crash course in how his Doppler radar works for determining the speed vehicles are moving at, some basic radio commands, and the procedure he uses during a traffic stop. Later that afternoon I joined my supervisor, Ranger Krebs, for a CPR training course with Ranger Brewer and Ranger Kinde.

The rest of the week flew by as I continued joining Ranger Lamb for road patrol, I received a number of tours of all areas of the park (some of which aren't seen by the usual visitor), and I tagged along with Rangers Lamb and Sheets as they took to the ground on foot patrol. In just one week I absorbed so much information that it's honestly a bit overwhelming and is going to take some time to decompress and decode, but I'm looking forward to continuing my foray into all things Colonial National Historical Park. If week one is any indication of how much I'm going to enjoy this internship then this is going to be a great summer.

Welcome to Cohort 5!

The ProRanger Program is pleased to welcome Cohort 5 to the program.  We are also pleased to announce the participating parks for Summer 2016!

Cohort 5
Angelo Algeri
Nicholas Gosik
Stephanie Hudson
Seth Jaworski
Taylor Johnson
Shauni Kerkhoff
Brennan McAuley
Justen Williams

New Parks to the ProRanger Program
Big Cypress National Preserve
Buffalo National River
Christiansted National Historic Site
Cumberland Island National Seashore
Ozark National Scenic River
San Juan National Historic Site
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Virgin Islands National Park

Returning Partner Parks
Antietam National Battlefield
Boston National Historical Park
Colonial National Historical Park
Fire Island National Seashore
Gettysburg National Military Park
Independence National Historical Park
Shenandoah National Park
Manassas National Battlefield Park
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Yosemite National Park

Check back soon for updates from our new ProRangers and announcements about Summer 2016 park assignments.

Allow Me To Introduce Myself

          From the time I was a child I’ve always been fascinated with the way natural systems work. I believe this is largely due to me spending the first eight years of my life in the Tidewater area of Southeastern Virginia. This region lies right where the continent meets the Atlantic Ocean and is very rich in ecological diversity. This plethora of life gave me a pretty good reason to spend as much time outdoors as possible just taking in and exploring the intriguing landscape and the plants and animals living there. When I wasn’t outdoors I was usually listening to Sir David Attenborough or Steve Irwin narrate some spectacular ecological occurrence on a television program. This love of the natural world has stayed with me through my life and continues to shape my interests and hobbies in the present.

          My name is Taylor Johnson and I am one of the new ProRangers in Cohort 5. Today, as an environmental studies student at Temple University one of my primary interests in the National Park Service is their ability to simultaneously educate visitors and enforce laws regarding the treatment of the environment and local ecosystems. National Park Service units provide the perfect opportunity for the public to come and learn about the history and culture of the United States and to take in the scenery in some of the most beautiful areas in the United States. It is my belief that these beautiful, well maintained open spaces can serve as places of insight for those visiting. I feel that it would be quite a difficult task to leave from a visit to a NPS unit without having gained respect for the natural and cultural resources preserved there. However, when visitors decide to violate laws instead of taking in their surroundings, law enforcement ranger are there to step in and administer the appropriate action needed to help prevent visitors from violating these laws again in the future. I believe that this pairing of education and enforcement is an incredibly effective way to affect the public’s thoughts’ on environmental issues.

          What first got me interested in Temple University’s ProRanger program was the potential I saw for the availability of resources I’m going to need to shape myself into a highly skilled and refined law enforcement officer in the National Park Service. As I became further acquainted with the program I began to truly see the scope of these resources, whether they be aimed at my professional or personal development. There are ample opportunities for my fellow ProRangers and I to engage in hands on training and group exercises to prepare us for the situations we will be facing in the future as park rangers. Additionally, our engagement in a variety of academic and professional courses allows to gain an understanding of the full scope of the National Park Service and the effect it has on the American public. As a member of the relatively new Cohort 5 I’ve only had a small taste of these experiences but I am eager for more.

          Looking ahead to my first summer internship through the ProRanger program I’m incredibly excited to be spending it learning a National Park Service unit inside and out. When it comes to what type of NPS unit I prefer I’m very open, but I do have a preference for parks that are focused more on showcasing the natural world than they are on displaying history and telling the story of people and events of the past. Most of the NPS units I’ve been to in the past have been historical parks and sites but the parks I’ve visited that really stand out in my memory are the scenic and picturesque parks. I feel that natural, scenic parks encapsulate the excitement and adventure or spending time away from the normal landscapes of life that many associate with the NPS. However, the type of park I’m stationed as this seems fairly insignificant when compared with the fact that I’ll be spending my summer in one of the most interesting and educational places in the United States.