Week 7 Interpretation

Week 7 –Interpretation (first week)                                                    Rockside

I can honestly say that this week in interpretation had to be the most fun. I say that because of all the cool intellectual people I have met and all the activities I helped with this past week.   On Sunday I met Margaret (Interpretive Ranger) on the north side of the park at Canal Visitor Center. Like everyone else I’ve shadowed we sat down in her office and exchanged questions and answers, while she prepared for our day. After we talked we rode over to Rock Side train station. Here we greeted and boarded the Cuyahoga Valley scenic railroad. The train took us from up near Cleveland all the way down into Akron. It took about 3+ hours to go there and back. The most impressive thing about the train is that it has GPS enabled audio that tells you the history of the surrounding areas of the train as you approach them. We both met a few visitors and talked to them about Cuyahoga Valleys most popular attractions.  After the train ride we got back to Canal Visitor Center and ate lunch. Post lunch we stepped outside to enjoy the weather and make more contacts with the visitors. We brought a few visitors into the visitor center to give lock demonstrations.

 Lock Demonstrations

 @North H.S

 The next day, Monday I shadowed Park Ranger Phil also known to his students as Dr. Phil this day me, him and camp counselor Adrian went to North high school, in Akron to helped a group of teenagers identify Lid tools that could better their school. We talked about lid tools already there and water runoff. This day was very informative for me because I have no educational background on tools like rain gardens or rain barrels which can be used to help benefit our environments when it rains. We gathered data with the teenagers and met them back at Cuyahoga Valley in the Environmental Education Center. At the EEC we at lunch and then played team building games. Tuesday was my day off but I came into work for a few hours to assist with the Hike and bike program offered to the same group of teenagers.

Hike or Bike Program

                                                          Get Up Get Out & Go

Thursday I worked with Park Ranger Brandy and his two interns and a few volunteers. This group of people work on a program Called Get Up, Get out and GO! This program is unique because it allows local urban kids to get out of Akron and Cleveland and experience natural and cultural resources of the National park with having fun. On this particular day we ran a program called fun day and let the kids come and do activities they wanted to do in a Grassy open field. It was hot so we supplied a lot of water and snacks to accompany the plethora of footballs, soccer balls, hoopla hoops, and Frisbees. The kids that came out really enjoyed themselves and in the process made me work up a sweat. After 2 hours of fun we all cleaned up and got on buses to take the kids back into the areas they lived in. Friday I was back with Park Ranger Phil and we designed and help the kids present the data we learned earlier in the week to the staff and their parents. 

    I ended my first week in interpretation with 2 hikes. One was called off the beaten path which is hiking off the legal path and kind of exploring the parks resources in an unusual way. That hike was led by Ranger Rebecca she showed us a Waterfall which was dry but pretty cool to discover. The Next hike was educational because Ranger Larry took his visitors around Brandywine Falls and informed them and myself about its history and the forgotten community that was there before.                         Off the Beaten Path

                                                                                                        BrandywineFalls