change is the only constant
Leave a commentJune 25, 2013 by Caity Stuart
I’m alive…I promise!
I’ve had hardly any internet these past few weeks, making a blog update a challenge. However, without the internet at my beck and call…perhaps that isn’t such a bad thing?
Well first things first, I’ve been having a blast here at Assateague Island National Seashore. If I were to write down here everything that I’ve learned, that has been shared with me, that I’ve experienced, I would be writing a book. I’ll spare you the dissertation. But for now, I’ll give you the brief snap-shot of just what I’ve been doing these last few weeks and then what the rest of my summer is predicted to look like!
the job:
Technically, I’ve been training these last few weeks. I’ve only been officially “on the job” for three days. We have been learning about the various ecosystems here on the island as well as the cultural and natural history of the island. One of the most consistent themes that I’ve been hearing is that “change is the only constant.” However trite or cliche that may sound, it is quite the obvious here. Being a barrier island, Assateague experiences a lot of roll-over effect (FACT: at one point in its history, Assateague used to be 5 miles East of its current location). What has made all of this change? Come visit and I’ll give you a tour. 😉
Speaking of which, I’ll be giving just about 7 or 8 programs, anything from story time with little kids to walking along the beach to taking kayaks out on the marsh. In fact, today I will be working on writing up my programs for:
- a puppet show (yes, be jealous)
- a Bay Discovery program (this is where we take nets out into the bay to then talk about what we find. What do we find? Crabs, eels, comb jellies, plankton, shrimp, killifish, and lots more!)
- Clamming and Crabbing programs (yep, we teach people how to catch and enjoy these creatures)
- a Kayaking program throughout the marsh (this is what I’m most excited for. A tour through the marsh, talking about cultural and natural history. On a kayak. Doesn’t get much better than this!)
- Creature feature (a 15 minute program at the Visitor Center that goes in depth with a creature found at the park. Mine will be on horseshoe crabs!)
- Aquarium talk (a 30 minute program at the Visitor Center on a number of different creatures found at the park)
- Beach walk at dusk (just what it sounds like and perhaps the program I am most looking forward to giving)
Needless to say, lots of work to get done! But what a blast it has been so far. I find it challenging to try and learn as much as I can about the beach and the marsh simply because I am playing catch-up to a lot of people. I don’t have much of a science background (don’t be fooled by the Masters of Science in Environmental Studies that I’m getting….my focus is still in the humanities!) and most definitely do not have a marine ecosystems background. Certainly I have LOTS of questions! But that’s one of the joys of being an intern…
I originally was hoping to get an actual paying job for the summer. Certainly with my past experience with the NPS and now my graduate studies this shouldn’t be much of a problem, right? Well, given that my goal for the summer was and remains “to learn how to quickly, Â effectively, and appropriately explain the environment to average people,” and that I have not had much experience with that in the past, internship it was for me. Sure, it was a bummer not to wear the green and grey again this summer but I’m quickly learning to live the life I’ve chosen and to embrace the unexpected opportunities that being an intern will afford me. I’ve got a little bit more time to put my programs together, however not too much time given that my supervisors want to utilize my skills as soon as possible (woohoo!). Â I also will get to shadow a lot of different teams of people in the park (primarily in the Resource Management division) to learn just what it is that a park like Assateague does to manage the natural environment as well as deal with Climate Change. I will get to work on extra projects revolving around expanding their cultural interpretation (um, yes puh-lease!). All in all, the experiences that I will gain this summer will be absolutely monumental! And not all of them will occur while in uniform…
housing:Â
One of the glories of doing seasonal work in the National Park Service is that you get to meet TONS of new people. Here at Assateague, all of the park housing is grouped together. We have 5 big houses with about 40 people total living together. Sure, this can be a recipe for disaster. But with awful cell-phone service and no hope of any wifi or tv cable, this can also spell the development of beautiful friendships. My new friend Erin mentioned that she loves not being inhibited by these devices because it encourages her to live more in the moment. I swear, almost every night there is something that is going on. Either we’re having a bonfire on the ocean, going to trivia night in the near downtown city of Berlin, making family dinners together, or simply sitting around a picnic table and chatting for hours. To be honest, it is quite difficult getting work done (i.e. researching and writing programs) because there is simply too much fun to be had! A lot of us here like to say that this whole experience feels like summer camp but for adults. That’s certainly one way to think of it!
never a dull moment here at the beach
Since training has officially ended and work is just now getting started, many great stories will be abounding shortly. I hope to maintain a pace of writing at least one post each week, even if it is just pictures. If I don’t get to it, know that I’m having just way too much fun here at Assateague. This is going to be a great summer. 🙂
keene observations 