National Park Service

Biological Science Technician Volunteer

May - August 2019 • Buxton, NC

What I liked

Hands-on biology experience with a variety of shorebirds and sea turtles; educational opportunities with the public to increase conservation/preservation awareness; intense physical labor; opportunities for bird banding, sea turtle and marine mammal stranding response, necropsies, sea turtle nest excavations, etc.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be prepared for long days out in the sun, with summer heat indexes up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit!

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Historical Interpreter Intern

June - August 2020 • Fredericksburg, VA

What I liked

I loved being outside and learning new things about the Civil War.

What I wish was different

Nothing, I wouldn't want to change a single thing.

Advice

Just because you aren't a history major or a Civil War buff, you shouldn't totally disregard the idea of working at a battlefield. These days these sites encompass much more than just a historical landmark. Families use the grounds to picnic, hike, and enjoy the beauty of nature. If they learn something, than all the better, but people are drawn to these parks for more than just their pasts.

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Visitor Use Assistant

May 2017 - August 2019 • Empire, MI

What I liked

I loved the people I worked with and it was a beautiful place to work.

What I wish was different

Advice

Don’t be afraid to work for the government. It’s not always has bad as you think.

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Ranger

May - August 2019 • Vienna, VA

What I liked

A fun job with a lot of different skill areas. I learned about public speaking, the importance of public lands, the music business, visitor services, and youth education. My bosses were invested in me and my coworkers. They wanted to see us grow and be happy, and they fostered a supportive and enjoyable environment.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Tour Guide

July - August 2019 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

The experience of getting to see what was in the rock.

What I wish was different

More hours of work.

Advice

Do not stop yourself from believing you can escape.

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Park Ranger Intern

June - August 2019 • Munising, MI

What I liked

I loved that I got to help a lot of different groups of people find their way through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It was so hands on and we got to do an independent project, work with law enforcement and wildlife biologists as well!

What I wish was different

I wish it would’ve been longer!

Advice

Be prepared to answer many questions and be ready to hike and have an amazing experience.

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Environmental Health Sciences Intern

June - September 2019 • Packwood, WA

What I liked

This was a life changing internship experience that allowed me to broaden my opportunities in a future career in environmental health. I got to work in a beautiful place outdoors and work with amazing people that I have built life long friendships with.

What I wish was different

I wish my internship could be longer, I already miss my friends and the mountain was my second home.

Advice

Push yourself out of your comfort zone. You’d be surprised at what you are capable of once you step outside your familiar bounds. There’s a world of exploring to do!

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Intern

June - August 2019 • Lowell, MA

What I liked

Helpful permanent park rangers.

What I wish was different

I want the internship to be longer.

Advice

Take advantage of the helpful staff and follow the standard operating procedures.

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Pathways Intern

May 2019 • Fort Washington, MD

What I liked

Great working environment.

What I wish was different

variety of tasks, not too repetitive.

Advice

Be ready to be flexible with tasks they may assign throughout the summer.

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Interpretive Ranger

May - August 2019 • Packwood, WA

What I liked

The interpersonal experiences between myself, the other Rangers, and the visitors

What I wish was different

More time to interact with visitors and greater priority over other locations within the park by management

Advice

Become a Park Ranger!

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Park Ranger

May - August 2019 • Bar Harbor, ME

What I liked

I especially liked working with visitors, my hiking patrols, and cooperating with coworkers to help people.

What I wish was different

Often expectations from supervisors is not always clear.

Advice

Take advantage of every moment of the experience. Especially enjoy all the visitors you get to meet.

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Visitor Resource Protection Intern

May - August 2019 • Flagstaff, AZ

What I liked

I like being able to work in an outdoor environment and being able to learn more about both Law Enforcement and Interpretation in the NPS.

What I wish was different

I wish there would have been more "hands-on" and structured format to my internship. Most days, it was up to me to decide what I wanted to do with the day. This worked out well for me, but I could see it being an issue with future interns.

Advice

This internship was a great way to learn more about the functioning of the NPS at a smaller park site and I would recommend it to anyone interested in Law Enforcement or Interpretation with the NPS. One piece of advice I can share to new interns would be to be prepared to create your own schedule and your own goals and objectives for each day and for the whole of your internship.

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