LE Ride Alongs

Week 3 at Buffalo River! This week I focused again on law enforcement. I’ve been able to shadow 5 different rangers at this point and see different personalities work as rangers. I feel being a national park ranger is the best job because the park service really allows you to find your passion and go with it. LE all have the same rules they must enforce but everyone has their personal interests here and it works out perfectly so that the park is policed in different ways. For example there are rangers here that focus on preventative search and rescue so they make sure there is no glass on the river way and also want to make sure everyone is wearing a life vest. There are rangers who focus on finding drugs in the park and rangers who really like doing traffic stops. All these personalities working together helps the park because a wide range of laws are always being covered at all times. If everyone loved doing traffic stops and tried to avoid the water then the river could turn into a dangerous spot. I’ve enjoyed riding along with different people so I can hear their point of view and see where their passion lies.

At this point I’ve been able to see different locations of the park in the upper and middle district. The river is the main attraction to this park but there are many trails around the park as well. I’ve been able to see different historic homestays that are scattered throughout the park. Some houses just have the foundations and a chimney left but other houses are still in great shape. It is interesting to see how they insulated the houses with newspaper and used mud to fill cracks in the wall frame. Since the houses are park property now the rangers have to check on the houses periodically to make sure there is no damage done to the property, like graffiti. We found people carving their names inside a house and new names are starting to pop up. I was told it’s important to get that fixed because when people come in and see the cravings they want to do it themselves; add their name to the list.

When I told my supervisors that I’m really interested in how Search and Rescue works in the park, they have helped me focus on that interest on my days off. I’ve been given different types of ropes so that I can practice knot tying. (https://www.animatedknots.com/ is a great website to learn from.) I’ve also started training online to become certified as a wildland firefighter. I’m really trying to keep busy here and learn as much as I can! In my free time I try to go hiking, swimming, hang out with coworkers, or catch up on all my work. If I was worried about one thing this summer... it’s getting chiggers. These bugs bury into your skin and give you a major rash! I’ve already gotten poison ivy so I’m trying to be careful around tall grass! Ticks you can find and remove, apparently chiggers are so tiny you can’t see them till it’s too late. I try to use bug spray every hike and shower often.

On Even Drier Land

Another week at Lake Mead National Recreation Area and another opportunity to learn about Visitor and Resource Protection. This week I was working with the Rangers over the Boulder District of Lake Mead. You may ask, what does Visitor and Resource Protection (VRP) entail? Well, thanks to the Organic Act, 16 U.S.C. 1, VRP staff essentially enforce all traffic, wildlife, and other laws that apply while within the park’s jurisdiction. Not only that, they provide emergency services to those in need as well, as many of the Law Enforcement Rangers here are EMT trained.

The second week was marked with all sorts of tasks the Law Enforcement Rangers have to perform while patrolling LAKE. I began my week with a patrol on the road towards Callville Bay where we spotted an abandoned water tanker. Initially we were alarmed as there was various debris and first-aid equipment strewn about the ground towards the front. We eventually called a tow company to recover the vehicle but we had to drain it of its water first. The likely case being that the vehicle was stolen and ditched once it ran out of fuel. 

The stolen water tanker being drained.

As the summer goes on the area is getting busier and busier on the weekdays and weekends. I have had several opportunities to play the essential role of what a backup officer may perform for another officer when addressing a contact in a safe situation. I am on the lookout for any weapons that may be used to harm an officer or myself, and I continue to communicate with the initial officer if I see anything. Should anything go wrong, I have a coordinated plan to either retreat to a safe area or call dispatch for assistance. However, those opportunities to perform as a sort of backup officer has made me more comfortable addressing someone during a traffic stop. 

One of the patrol boats located at Hemenway Harbor

I later had the opportunity to ride in one of the patrol boats to rescue man who was stranded on Fishfinder Cove due to his jet ski's engine malfunctioning. Since the park service cannot interfere with commercial operations that can be performed by a local business they cannot tow vehicles, they can only rescue the people not property. So, LAKE has a rotation of tow companies that are contacted for such situations involving vehicle retrieval. So, as I continue my internship here at Lake Mead National Recreation Area I will continue to experience more law enforcement contacts and situations that occur, whether it be on land or water. Allowing me to further my training with the National Park Service, and foster a deeper understanding of how the area operates.

A Diamond in the Rough

When I googled Buffalo National River in Arkansas not many great things popped up on my screen. I did not know what I was getting myself into before coming here. But now that I’m here I can’t imagine being at another park. This park has exceeded my expectations by miles. It’s a beautiful park filled with the nicest people. Pictures do not do this park justice. There are massive bluffs, tons of waterfalls, beautiful flowers with butterflies everywhere you look, and the river is such a cool color from all the limestone.  Everywhere I’ve been to has blown me away with the history and the agriculture.

This park is massive but the staff isn’t so it has turned into a big family. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve never worked at a place where everyone gets along so well. I love how everyone pretty much knows each other, it helps to have everyone support each other and help keep the park running smoothly. Everyone seems very inviting and I’m excited to start working with other parts of the park so see how everything connects.

I have now been here for two weeks, which I cannot believe; time is flying by quickly! My first weekend I was able to help with a Search and Rescue (SAR). There was a man who hiked down the Hemmed-in Hollow Falls Trail to take pictures of the 209 ft waterfall, but then fell on his hip. He tried to walk but could not, so a team was put together to help get him out. A group of us hiked down about 5 miles with the litter and then we carried him to the river where a few people were waiting to take him out by kayak. There was then an ambulance waiting to take him to a helicopter because the man thought he broke his hip. When he left, the group decided to not hike 5 miles back up the mountain, so we went the more adventurous way back! Had to cross the river 5 times, it was an experience. The whole thing ran so smoothly, and it was interesting to see because I’ve never been involved in a real SAR.

Since I’ve been here I’ve been able to see the importance of even a minor ticket. A ranger ticketed a big group for not having lifejackets. They were upset but later that day a few from the group got lost. It was dark and they couldn’t see anymore so they just stopped paddling since they fell out a few times. Not having a lifejacket may seem minor but you never know what’s gonna happen.

This park so far has been giving me a great experience and showing me so many new things. I’m working on my rope skills now and hopefully going to work on my fire management skills next. I’m really able to see how law enforcement rangers are using their jobs to help protect the visitors from the many dangers of the park. It’s important to have fun at these parks but it needs to be done safely because anything can turn dangerous fast. 

                                  

Natural Resource Management: Wrapped!

The summer is flying by, as are my work weeks! Due to the different scheduling demands involved with trying to split time between different parks and different divisions, things have been a little strange with my schedule. It’s hard to believe I am finishing up my fourth week of work – especially since it’s only been three weeks in calendar days! 

    For the past two work weeks, I have had the pleasure of assisting the Natural Resource Management division with the establishment of a long term forest health monitoring project. We spent our days creating monitoring plots throughout the park and taking data on various indicators of forest health and the ecological impact of the white-tailed deer population. Over the course of the last two weeks, we set up 20 permanent research plots in total. In a few years, the researchers will return to collect more data in order to evaluate forest health trends over time.    Since the plots are scattered randomly throughout the forested areas of the park, we spent a lot of time hiking the trails and fighting our way through the (sometimes very thorny!) underbrush to get to the very specific GPS locations that have been assigned. (We also met some horses who live on leased property in the park on our way to the trail!)  

 

After we reached the plots, we set up our measurements and started taking data on the trees and plant species present.  

 

On Saturday, since the biology team wasn’t working, I spent the day with Chief Meyers. The park was playing host to several trail races – a 10k, 25k, and 50k – so we checked in on the setup in the morning and continued to monitor the trails and roadways throughout the day. 

 

After the trail races, Chief Meyers and I worked on navigation and orienteering around the park. While we were out, we stumbled on a motor vehicle accident that had occurred just outside of the park property. An elderly woman had t-boned another car at a 4-way stop. No one was seriously injured, but traffic was backing up and becoming hazardous, so we jumped out and Chief Meyers directed traffic while I tried to keep the woman calm and make sure she wasn’t injured. State Park Patrol from nearby Brandywine Creek State Park arrived on scene and assisted with traffic shortly after. Then there was a medical incident in our park, so we rushed to that scene, but it turns out it was just a dehydrated or overexerted runner who refused medical care from the ambulance. All in all, it was an exciting day, and thankfully one without any serious injuries.  

 

       After a couple of days off, it was back to trail work. We wrapped up the remaining nine plots over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Although Wednesday’s plots were pretty challenging – both plots were taken over by thorny shrubs and vines – one of the highlights of my week was discovering a tiny bird’s nest hidden in a thicket of multiflora rose: 

 

And with all that time in the field, I got a chance to practice my wildlife photography: 

 

 

 

Since we finished with the vegetation monitoring work on Thursday, I finished out my week getting certified on the UTV (utility terrain vehicle) and patrolling the park with Chief Meyers.  Not a bad way to spend a Friday!  

 

Now it’s time for my first “weekend” that has fallen on an actual weekend! Next up, I’ll be back at Independence Hall working with the Cultural Resources division. See you guys next week! Page Break