Interpretation and the Stars

This past week I worked with the Interpretation Division. I spent a few days manning the information desk over at the Alan Bible Visitor Center, answering phone calls (the calls being questions pertaining to the Lake's water levels and launch ramps), and assisting visitors by telling them of many wonderful things they can do here in the summer. I also gave out programs and park maps to get visitors interested in seeing the park and attending ranger programs. Working at the information desk throughout the week was a wonderful way for me to learn as much as I could about the park since I needed to find out the answer to any and every question I was asked by visitors.

The Alan Bible Visitor Center overlooking Lake Mead

When I was not in the visitor center I roved the beaches of Cottonwood Cove, Boulder Beach, and Nelson's Landing to bring Interp. to them. Informing the public of the recreation area's rules and regulations, safety tips, and just striking up conversation alongside Interp. Ranger Kevin Garcia. The opportunity to meet with the public stressed the importance for NPS staff to be inclusive and accommodating to the various communities that make up the Nevada/Arizona Area. Specifically, Ranger Kevin and I are one of the few staff members who can speak Spanish when Nevada's population is 28% Hispanic and Arizona's is 31%, respectively. The probability of contacting someone who may not speak English as their native langue is relatively high, so being able to speak to those from different backgrounds is important. Not only because it is a useful skill, but because it highlights the NPS's core values of Excellence, Integrity, and Respect. Many of the people we spoke with, who were not native-English speakers, were often surprised if not thankful for being able to interact with staff who can actually understand them.

My experience with Interp. taught me a lot on how to interact with the public, outside of a VRP context, and learn much of the interpretive themes of LAKE itself. For those who do not know, interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park. The main theme here being survival due to everything and everyone relying on the life giving waters of Lake Mead to live out here in the desert. The landscape being a physical embodiment of the human spirit of resilience in a hostile environment and exerting dominion over the land to create something that stresses interdependence with nature, as well as a delicate tapestry of ecosystems that are deeply reliant on one another.

One of the last projects I assisted with before my week's end was helping with the STAR Party. The program is held to teach visitors about the stars, planets, and other celestial features. Despite some light pollution from Las Vegas, it is astonishingly easy to see a myriad of stars and their constellations. Before the event, we had to consider various things like possibly cancelling due to an excessive heat warning for the area. We ended up moving the event indoors and then bringing it outside near the end in order to allow visitors to see The Summer Triangle, which is an asterism. It’s made of three bright stars in three different constellations, the stars being Vega, Deneb and Altair.

Tim Denny explaining to visitors the significance of moon phases

Ranger Kevin Garcia manning the welcome desk for the STAR Party

The Summer Triangle

Interpretation Volunteer Elaine educating visitors by red light

Checking out the rocks at Redstone Dune

The night ended well, with excellent examples of interpretive talks from volunteer Elaine who gave a riveting tale of the Chinese legend "Night of the Sevens." The story involves two lovers, a weaver girl and the cowherder represented by Vega and Altair, who are tragically separated by an impenetrable and raging "River of the Sky." The next day we conducted an "After-Action" review to discuss areas of success, areas of improvement, and overall feedback for the one in charge of the program. Looking to host the next event at a more scenic environment, I was tasked with scouting out Redstone Dune Loop Trail as a possible site to host the next STAR Party. It was important to keep in mind the logistical necessities such as capacity, the number of benches, how many telescopes can fit there, what to equipment to bring, and the safety risks. Reflecting on my week, it has been an eventful few days full of knowledge. So, if you ever find yourself here at Lake Mead, be sure to stop by the Alan Bible Visitor Center to say hello to the Rangers and volunteers who will do their best to make your stay a great one.