Lights, Camera, Week 5!

       Hello everyone! My name is Sam Vecchione and I am a member of Cohort 6, partaking in my Summer II internship. If you may recall, I was the ProRanger developing the blog from Colonial National Historical Park (the blog with the witty jokes and scenic photos) last summer. This summer, the ProRanger Program has provided me the opportunity to work in New River Gorge National River (NERI)!

Sandstone Falls

View from the Grandview Overlook

       After an engaging couple of weeks at Independence National Historical Park, I have made my way to West Virginia. Working at Independence has made the transition to NERI quite smooth, as I was able to experience how the Rangers at Independence handle events like the 4th of July (particularly at such an iconic location!). My weeks there covered one end of the LE spectrum, as the urban environment cultivated strengths in communication skills. Transitioning into a park that has as many trees as Independence has pedestrian traffic, there was no disparity in terms of contacts made as NERI covers over eighty-thousand acres. My arrival at NERI was nothing short of incredible, as it is quite different in terms of scenery however from good ol' Philadelphia. Surrounded by nothing but nature as I traveled down I-64 West, I arrived at the Headquarters of NERI to meet with the Chief of Visitor/Resource Protection. I spent the day touring with park with Chief, listening intently as he pointed out the innumerable qualities of the park. This included touring the most scenic overlooks of the Gorge, trails, waterfalls, recreational areas, and so much more. My first week of work here at NERI was even more incredible, and I knew from quite early on in this internship that I would struggle to find my favorite area of the park. Each piece of the park adds its own value to the park as a whole, and it truly is living up to its name of a "Ranger's park." If you are interested in law enforcement, search and rescue, EMS, or fire, you are bound to work with tremendous staff here at NERI.

       The greatest challenge for myself at this location is determining the exact layout and boundaries of the park, being that it is so much larger than a visitor might expect. The law enforcement (LE) division protects over eighty-thousand acres across five different counties in the state of West Virginia, and to say that I've been studying park maps for hours would be an understatement. The LE rangers at NERI waste no time in introducing me to the popular or otherwise secluded areas of the park, and I am confident that after my weeks here, I will understand why their job is so unique. Perhaps the biggest icon at the park is the New River Gorge Bridge, the largest arch-bridge in the Western Hemisphere! If you think that is exciting, wait until you hear that I received the opportunity to walk along the catwalk that goes underneath the bridge, overlooking eight-hundred seventy-six drop below. Although my hands were glued to the railing at first, it only took a couple minutes before the captivating views overcame my fleeting fear of heights.
     
       This week at NERI was such a fun experience, and I cannot wait to spend the next couple of weeks here. The time spent with LE in this week has already given me so much more of a developed perspective of my future career and the National Park Service as a whole, and every day at work I am reminded of the importance and value of the ProRanger Program. Thanks for hanging out with me this week, and I look forward to our next weekly blog together!