“It’s better late than never.”

My name is Kelechi Akabogu and I’m the lucky ProRanger student who got to spend her summer in the magnificent Yosemite National Park. I am currently a Criminal Justice senior and would likely graduate by May 2016 from Temple University.

This summer (June-August 2015) was by far the best summer I have ever had in my entire life. It was my first internship in the ProRanger program and the experience in Yosemite was the best. I got to experience a totally different part of the United States, opened my horizons and embraced different kinds of challenges. This summer was the first ever time in my entire life away from my parents and family for more than a day in an unknown land. I got to spend 10 weeks without the supervision of a strict African parent and that showed me who I am and helped me learn a lot about myself.  This summer, I was able to recognize my innate ability to easily cope with new challenges and adapt to environments new to me.

This summer I worked with almost all the divisions in Yosemite and I saw how every single person works for the advancement of the Agency regardless of their job title. My summer however highlights wilderness restoration, interpretation and law enforcement divisions.

Working with the wilderness restoration crew, I got to learn maps, compasses and GPS, about archeology and the history of where I was. I camped in Mcgurk meadow, Mono meadow and Evelyn Lake and slowly but steadily I got comfortable with sleeping in the wilderness and outdoors in general. I knew what to take and not take, and I started to welcome the quiet environment where I found myself.

With the interpretation division, I was privileged enough to shadow the famous and brilliant Shelton Johnson in his Junior Ranger programs and also in the visitor’s center. Working with him made me appreciate and relate with the environment I found myself even more. He always had a way of making people relate to the magnificent environment, Yosemite.

With the Law enforcement I shadowed skillful and proficient Law Enforcement Rangers. I went on ride alongs, shadowed investigations and interrogations, sat through court cases and did traffic, Preventive Search And Rescue (PSAR), and Search And Rescue (SAR).

Ultimately, I want to use this medium to express my appreciation to the ProRanger Program for selecting me into this program, and also thank everyone who played a role and contributed in ensuring the success of my internship. I thank you all for your time, knowledge and support (participation) this summer. It was indeed a privilege to have spent my summer in your home, thank you for welcoming me with warm open hands.

Why Does This Nuclear Reactor Have a National Park Sign?

The nation’s newest national historical park was formally created last week in Washington, D.C.  U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz signed a memorandum of agreement on November 10th, establishing the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.  The agreement outlines how the National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) “will work together to preserve, protect, and provide access to the historic resources associated with the Manhattan Project at locations in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and the Hanford Site in Washington state.”  More on this:

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-nuclear-bomb-park-20151116-story.html

http://www.energy.gov/management/park-implementation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cobgea6xcsg&feature=youtu.be

Mysterious Building

You may be wondering what this building is. I'm going to rule out some possibilities. It isn't the Sheraton Suites. It isn't Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. It isn't the luxurious Marriot either. This is the building that President Abraham Lincoln stayed in the night before he delivered the Gettysburg Address. Cool right? During his speech, he reminded our country of the sacrifices that were made after the three day battle concluded. Many lives were lost during the Battle of Gettysburg. Unfortunately, I didn't get to go inside and take a nap on the bed he used during my break. However, stay tuned for that one.

Cyclorama At Gettysburg

During my internship at Gettysburg National Military Park, I learned that we had a variety of amenities and attractions to accommodate the 1.2 million visitors that tour the park each year. The first one that I would like to note as a very convenient attraction called FREE PARKING. I'm from Philadelphia and free parking where I'm from is the equivalent to a unicorn flying in the sky twice a day. It doesn't exist.

However, aside from free parking at Gettysburg we have this very cool attraction that depicts the third day during the Battle of Gettysburg. We call this feature the Cyclorama painting. This is a 360 degree canvas oil painting that surrounds the room it is placed in. It looks like the painting is 3D the way the illustrations pop out at you but, you can't touch it. I tried.

The room the Cyclorama is in features dimmed lights, narrative voices to depict what is in front of visitors, and sound/light effects (for the big bad cannons). During the late 1800s, the Cyclorama style of painting was very popular in the U.S. and Europe. However they lost popularity with the rising of motion pictures which we use today in modern society. None the less, it is still very cool to see these type of paintings.

Horsing Around

I was scrolling through photos of my summer internship at Manassas National Battlefield Park and came across several photos of the horses at the park that I had a chance to work with. At MANA, a Law Enforcement ranger runs the mounted patrol program. He works closely with the horses day in and day out. He trains, cares for, and maintains the horses and their stables. As well as training volunteers that go out on rides to get the horses some exercise. 

I personally have never worked with horses. I had never ridden one, fed one, or knew any sort a caring techniques for a horse. Well, that all changed this past summer. When I first arrived at the park a ranger met me at the law enforcement office, which happened to be attached to the horse stables. The ranger I was meeting was going to show me where I would be staying for the summer, but before we left the Law Enforcement office he gave me a quick tour, which led to the stables and began introducing me to each of the four horses MANA has. He handed me a snack to give the horse and I stared at him with a wide-eyed expression and he gave me my first lesson of how to feed a horse.

My Chief made it my duty to feed the horses each morning whenever I arrived at the Law Enforcement office. It was an interesting experience learning how to work around such a large animal of that size, and learning to control any signs of being nervous around them. I helped "muck stales"with my Chief, disposing the animal waste and placing down new straw for the horses. Taking care of these horses and keeping the program running takes a lot of work and dedication. Manassas is not just a place for lovers of history to visit and enjoy, but a place of recreation that many local residents go to run, walk, hike, and even go on rides with their horses. 

Frankie the Horse

Ginny the Horse

Can't forget Sadie the Cat, the mascot of Manassas!

To the new ProRanger Cohort, welcome and remember to take on every new experience you can get out of your summer internships and the classes at Temple. This program has a lot to offer, it is up to you what you make of it.

Watching the Seasons Change

I was just thinking to myself as I took notice of the leaves changing their colors how beautiful Shenandoah National Park would be this time of the year. Whether you're taking a drive along the Skyline or going for a hike in the back country to spot rattlesnakes and waterfalls it's a beautiful sight. I was stationed at Manassas National Battlefield Park, but I was less than an hour away from the North entrance of Shenandoah through the small town of Front Royal. Midway through my summer experience my Chief thought it would be great if I could take the Wildland Fire course, S-130/190 at Shenandoah NP where it would be taught. Luckily with a couple phone calls and a few forms to fill out I would be staying just outside the park for the 4-day training to receive my Red card along with a seasonal maintenance worker at MANA.
We spent three days in a classroom going over basics and essential tools used on a fire, and the last day was spent in the field getting to use the equipment and understanding how to deploy your shelter in a matter of seconds. Not only did the training teach me about wild land firefighting, but in order to go on this training I had the opportunity to work closely with Manassas's administration staff. I was fortunate enough for them to support me going on the training and help teach me about how to send someone out on a training or even on a fire, as well how one would get paid or reimbursed during such an event.
Overall I had a great time at Shenandoah, getting the chance to meet other people working in the park and seeing Shenandoah in a different way rather than from a visitor perspective. A way in such that can help protect and prevent the spread of fire throughout the park if such an unfortunate incident ever took place.

Here we are all lined up, each ready to head out into the woods to do
some practical training with different tools.

       

Myself, in (borrowed) Personal Protective Equipment.

Seasonal Maintenance employee at MANA, Christian, carrying the leaf blower.

Digging a line.

Not only is the leaf blower used to help control and reduce fire in the field,
but also used to simulate the rough wind speeds of fire rolling over a deployed shelter. 

Saying goodbye to Shenandoah NP.

From Casting Iron and Forging Progress to Preserving Stories and Enlightening Visitors: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Nestled in the heart of Berks County, PA, and surround by bucolic French Creek State Park, lies Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (HOFU), a place that will surprise, enlighten and offer a rare glimpse into Southeastern Pennsylvania’s iron-making past and its influence on America’s industrial revolution.  Six Temple University ProRanger students joined Landscape Architecture and Design Associate Professor Robert Kuper’s class of senior design studio students to explore this unique historical site and draw inspiration from the beauty of its natural resources and the culture of its former inhabitants.  

Division Chief Frances Delmar

Hopewell Furnace Site Manager and Interpretation Division Chief Frances Delmar and Park Ranger Norman Feil, II provided the interpretative narration and walk-through necessary to accurately envision Hopewell Furnace at the height of its operations and iron-making production from the late 18th to the late 19th centuries.  But, as Delmar was sure to point out, “Hopewell is everyone’s place”; that is, unlike other very well-known national historic sites, Hopewell Furnace is the story of everyday people and everyday life.  

And, Delmar is right – while Hopewell figures prominently as the most intact example of an iron-making settlement, the real story is with its inhabitants and their day-to-day lives converting plentiful, local raw materials into finished products ranging from “Hopewell stoves” to hollow-ware to mortars and cannons used at the final battle at Yorktown.  In later years, Hopewell’s furnace produced “pig iron” that was used throughout the U.S. and the world.  

In addition to being technologically ahead of its time, Hopewell Furnace was a leader in gender and social equality.  The practice of equal pay for equal work was the norm – women earned the same as men for their work – and the workplace (including housing) was racially integrated.  

Park Ranger Norman Feil

After the last iron furnace was extinguished in the late 1880’s, the site fell into disuse and disrepair until the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the national stimulus program under the leadership of President Teddy Roosevelt, put the young and unemployed to work on large scale conservation projects on federal and state lands, including Hopewell Furnace.  The CCC’s preservation efforts in the 1930’s saved Hopewell Furnace from ruins, but in a twist of irony, were a social step backward for Hopewell, as the CCC was limited to young men only, and racial minorities were required to work and live separately from whites.  

Today, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (just over an hour’s drive from Independence National Historical Park and less than 45 minutes from Valley Forge National Historical Park) is managed by the National Park Service and draws visitors looking to understand the cultural, natural and human resources behind the American industrial revolution, or to find respite and a quiet place to walk, run or recreate, or to simply take in the fall foliage in glorious shades of red, yellow and orange.  

Delmar also suggests families visit this time of year to gather and enjoy the kind of apples “you won’t find in a supermarket.”  For the bargain price of a dollar/pound (buckets provided), families can stock up on enough apples to last them through the fall.  Hopewell Furnace has something to offer to every visitor, but perhaps Neil put it best when he said the most valued finished product Hopewell “casts” today is enlightenment.

Papal Detail

Where do I begin about this past weekend event for the Papal Visit? The extensive preparation for such a historical event for Philadelphia? The TSA security checks? The amount of different government agencies that I discovered existed this past weekend? I do not know where to begin because of the overwhelming anticipation of such an event of this importance. Fellow ProRangers and I rallied up in front of the Liacourus Center at promptly 0445 hours. We greeted each other with sleepy eyes and eagerness to see what the day entailed for us. We entered the "zone" and ran through the TSA security check point heading for our 0600 hour briefing for the day and to find out more of what we would be doing. After the briefing, several of us were assigned to a Ranger and from there we followed orders of what to do.

Working next to U.S. Park Police from the Statue of Liberty

I had the opportunity to be stationed with my mentor Jordan Keiffer, who I got to know a bit better and helped guide the ProRangers and I through this confusing new experience of working a detail. We moved around to several different posts that needed to be covered and then later on in the day most of us were placed in Washington Square. From there we stood on post behind the Pope's personal tent making sure only Law Enforcement officers passed by us. Several others spent time roving the park of Washington Square to monitor for any suspicious activity. It may have been a lot of standing in one spot, but that's what building character is for. For myself, and I'm sure I can speak for the other ProRangers as well that we are all grateful to have been apart of such a truly life changing experience. To have had the practice of working a detail of this extent. To learn about CTR's and watch the process of an incident command system being run before our own eyes was absolutely amazing.

A view of the Pope's personal tent.

On our way to work at 0530 hours.

Sneak peek of the Pope!

Nothing like a classic family photo.

ProRanger Tim Greene and I protecting the Liberty Bell...or just asking for a photo in front of it.

Manassas National Battlefield Park

My name is Daniel Bussell, I am currently in Temple University's ProRanger Program and spent my summer internship at Manassas National Battlefield Park. After my long struggle and not-so tech savvy skills I have finally made it onto to blog about my experience. I had an excellent time in Virginia and was sad to go. My supervisor and Chief Ranger of Manassas, Mark Howard, provided me with copious amounts of opportunities to attend trainings and refreshers. Through each department, I was welcomed with open arms to teach me more about the roles of their jobs in the park service, from natural resources to administration.
I was given the opportunity to attend Chainsaw Safety, Maintenance, and Operation certification the first week I was at the park. It was a great way to meet the staff of the park, and the volunteers that help maintain it. After receiving my certification in CSMO, it allowed me to work and help with the Fuel Reduction teams. Fuel Reduction projects are areas that are mapped out in the park that have a high potential of wild land fire fuel. We would work to clear and chip fallen trees and branches. We worked to drop every tree to the ground that sat elevated because of the higher chance of drying out and potentially becoming a greater source of fuel to a fire.
Thanks for reading, plenty more to come!

A class photo after we all successfully passed our certification.

Maintenance worker and head of Fuel Reduction crew James Riddick runs over the mapped fuel reduction zones for the areas to be covered with Natural Resource's Allison Sloop.

Fuel Reduction Crew

Throwback Thursday- Rev Run 2015

On April 19th, 2015, four of us took a trip to Valley Forge National Historic Park to take part in the 10th Annual Revolutionary Run. The 5 mile run through the hills of Valley Forge was a challenge, but the beautiful spring weather and scenic view helped us to keep going.

ProRangers Katie Yody and Tim Greene giving TU (Temple University) a shoutout. 

After the race, ProRangers Katie Yody, Tim Greene, John Hesdon, and Brittany Kriner
were able to talk with the Chief Ranger of Valley Forge.

Taking place in April, this was before we really knew each other, so it was a great bonding experience. Every ProRanger who attended the race was able to successfully finish the hilly 5 mile course. ProRangers in the past have participated in the Rev Run, and we look forward to bringing the popularity back to the event and continuing this great tradition with future cohorts.

All The Best, Monocacy

Today is Labor Day, and it has finally set in that my ProRanger Summer 1 internship has come to an end. I am now walking on sidewalks, taking subways, and there are more people here than cows. Classes have started in North Philadelphia, football season is upon us, and I am already missing my time at Monocacy National Battlefield.

Photo taken of my "backyard", the Thomas Farm, during my last week at Monocacy. 

My final week was spent with the Resource Management division, where I had the privilege of working with 2 SCA (Student Conservation Association) interns and members from the YCC (Youth Conservation Corps). For the first few days, I worked on tagging trees with my roommate Liz. This project was her main focus for her summer internship, so it was great to see everything that she has been working on for awhile.

We placed a tube around the tree to protect it from the animals, and would attach an
identification tag to the tube so we could easily identify and tracks the tree's growth.

My final two days were spent at Gettysburg National Military Park. We were asked to help their Resource Management staff with picking peaches from the Peach Orchard. The trees were becoming too heavy as the peaches were pulling down on the branches, so it was crucial that some peaches were removed. With that being said, it was also an enjoyable time to be outside and enjoy the beauty of Gettysburg.

The Peach Orchard at Gettysburg National Military Park

Picking peaches was a nice activity because it allowed me to reflect on the fantastic time I had this summer. I feel very lucky that I was assigned as a ProRanger at Monocacy National Battlefield. I owe a big thank you to everyone at Monocacy and Antietam for treating me extremely well and giving me a great experience. I look forward to making a visit sometime soon back to Frederick, MD and being back at a place that I consider a second home. The 10 weeks flew by, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for my next summer.

Thank you for reading my blogs and I look forward to writing more down the road.

Sincerely,

Tim Greene

Farewell Colonial NHP

My final two weeks at Colonial National Historic Park could not have gone better.  I spent them with the protection division, which meant I got to go out on patrol almost every shift.  I met with Deputy Superintendent Steve Williams and Superintendent Kym Hall, which was wonderful of them to squeeze me in their busy schedules.  I also got to work on traffic stop scenarios as well as proper handcuffing.  One of the last days I did a mock driving course with the acting Chief Ranger (only one cone was harmed in the process).

The whole experience at COLO was wonderful, everyone I worked with was eager to share their experience about working in the park service and other agencies.  Each division I worked with was willing to work with me, showing me how their division keeps the park functioning.

I cannot thank everyone I worked with enough for their patience, and willingness to take time out of their busy schedules to work with me.  I learned so much about the Park Service and hearing about different peoples careers and details helped me (slightly) figure out where I want to go with my career.            

Large Amounts of Goat Bones

Last week I finished up my second week with the Cultural Resource Management division, as well as my 40-hour conservation project. For my project I assisted the CRM staff in taking inventory of the park's many resources.

The first week was largely spent getting familiarized with the different branches of the division. I learned about the parks library and photo collection, one of the few in the NPS, curated by one of only a few head librarians working in the agency. I got to visit the park's archaeology lab and see where relics are cleaned, sorted, reconstructed, labeled, and stored. The museum branch allowed me to tag along as they presented a meticulously reconstructed navigation tool to the private investor that helped fund it. The amount of detail and time taken to restore this object was incredible and plain to see and it was very cool to get to see the final product, which will hopefully be displayed in the near future.

The actual inventory-taking brought me all over the park and allowed me to interact with dozens of different types of artifacts that the park possessed. I traveled around with curator as we counted and cataloged items in the Bishop White House, Ben Franklin's Print Shop, the Declaration House, Old City Tavern, and more. I also got to clean and sort artifacts in the archaeology lab, handle the park's extensive records collection, and help fellow intern Joanna in her cataloging of the items in second bank. In addition, I got to see the park's collection storage areas, containing everything from vases to ship masts to busts of Julius Caesar. The collection also contains, as I ascertained firsthand, hundreds and hundreds of goat bones, along with clam shells and other animal bones, which are kept (in case you are wondering) in order to facilitate future research into the eating habits and food locations of people in the 18th and 19th centuries. I ran into small facts, and strange items, like these all over in my time with CRM. It was impressive to see the sheer amount of items the park possessed and know that I still only saw a fraction, everyone in the division was very knowledgeable and able to answer any of my questions and helped to make my time very enlightening and fun.

Last week at Independence!

Administration and Motivation: My Week at Antietam

Money has an enormous impact on many things, and last week I learned that the National Park Service is no exception. I had the privilege to travel from my place in Monocacy National Battlefield to Sharpsburg, Maryland, home of Antietam National Battlefield. Being our sister park, we share an Administrative staff with Antietam. Administration was the division where I had the least amount of knowledge before spending time with these amazing workers and people. I was lucky enough to follow around Kathy, our Administrative Officer, and Corey, our Budget Analyst.

Totally candid! Corey let me look over his
shoulder as he shared his knowledge.

The administration is mostly behind the scenes, but very involved when problems arise. I learned that our administration is so important because they have so many responsibilities that have a direct impact on many people. One of their duties is dealing with employee's money. They oversee and review the payroll, deal with the different kinds of leave time, and even work with the hiring of the best qualified individuals. They use so many different programs, and the most challenging part of my week was trying to comprehend all of the acronyms. My dad always tells me to never use an acronym if I can't tell you what it stands for, so I tried my best. We used FPPS (Federal Personnel Payroll System), PAR (Personnel Action Request), iQMIS (Internet Quarters Management Information System), SMIO (Safety Management Information System), and the be-all and end-all of programs, FBMS (Financial Business Management System). Yes, it is a lot to remember, but it is crucial to have so many procedures involved to ensure that money is being used in the best and most appropriate way. Corey shared with me that "FBMS has created so much accountability for what we do because everyone can see it, and everyone is involved." 

Aside from dealing with employee's money, they also deal with the park's money and property reports. These people have a stressful role and do a great job. I was thankful that in the middle of the week, they gave me the opportunity to follow former Temple ProRanger Jay Copper. 

Temple ProRangers of the past and the present.
Jay and I in front of the Visitor Center at Antietam National Battlefield. 

I want to thank Law Enforcement Officer Jay Copper for allowing me to tag along with him for a whole day. It is inspirational to see someone who was in my shoes a few years ago, now succeeding as a full-time Ranger. He answered every question that I asked (and there were many) and gave me advice that I will remember as I go forward. This experience served as motivation to continue on and make the most of my remaining time at Monocacy. Again, thank you Jay and the rest of the staff at Antietam for having me this past week. 

Only one week left!

Colonial NHP: Getting Caught Up

The past couple weeks I have spent wrapping up in other divisions, as well as completing my conservation project.  The week after fourth of July I started off doing graffiti removal with maintenance around the park.  We have one bridge specifically which is a problem where kids hang out and tag it from top to bottom.


                

Some of the walkway was re-leveled in some
places where it had become a tripping hazard

After my day of graffiti removal I started working with the HPTC (Historic Preservation Training Center), crew who have been at COLO for weeks.  For the majority of my time with HPTC I helped clean out the joints on the brick sidewalk to the Moore House. After they were cleaned out  the joints were then filled with envirosand, which prevents weeds from growing up between the pathways
.








In between my time with HPTC I worked with the Resource Division here at COLO.  I spent time organizing an old ARPA violation in which pieces had been separated from each other over the years.  I got the opportunity to GPS sample points around the park and work with the GIS system.  I also got to go bird marsh monitoring to monitor for endangered species.  It is part of a monitoring of the endangered birds up and down the East Coast.  At the end of the week I helped set up wild life cameras to monitor the beaver dam.  The beavers had started building a second dam in one of the ponds, we were interested in finding out why they hadn't repaired their old one and started a new one.

              

The time at Colonial has been flying by and I'm finishing up with the Protection Division, practicing handcuffing, and working on different scenarios.