Founders Day!

Again, I've fallen behind in my blogging.  So sorry.  But I think it's important to keep things in order!  So we're time traveling back to August...for my last children's program on Founder's Day of the National Park Service!

Working in such a small park, (well small by visitation standards, the park itself is over 4 million acres) I sometimes forget that we are a part of the Park Service, a part of the bigger picture.  It's just such a small community of people here, and it's quite unlike any park I've ever been to.  But I have to remind myself that this park is a part of the greater scheme of things.  This park, although recently established in 1980, is a part of the big idea put together in 1916 when the National Park Service was founded.

On August 25th, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, with the distinct purpose to "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."  So what does this mean?  Well, in my eyes, the Park Service was established to protect and safeguard our nation's natural, historical and cultural resources for the benefit of everyone.  This goal is why I wanted to work with the Park Service.  In my last year of school, I really honed in on what I thought was important, spreading the idea of conservation and preservation to everyone.  I believe in the Park Service.  I believe in educating people about what our environment has to offer, and what the Park Service does for all of us.

Because of this mission, I was more than happy to put together a presentation on the NPS, and founder's day.  On August 25th, the NPS turned 96!  For 96 years we've held onto the goal of conservation and expanded the Park Service immensely.  The NPS now covers 84 million acres of land in almost 400 locations across the US.  So, with that in mind, I put together a little presentation for the older kids in Port Alsworth.

The basic premise for the program was the quote by Wallace Stegner, a historian and writer, who described the NPS as the "best idea we've ever had".  I put together a poster presentation with the first being this:   

During the presentation I talked about the goals of the NPS and why it was established, as well as talked about how Lake Clark fits into the idea.  Then I talked about what the symbol of the NPS means!  This was a good opportunity for me to learn a little more about the park service; I had no idea prior to this presentation what the Arrowhead meant.  Turns out, the symbol represents all that the park service protects!  The shape, the arrowhead, represents the historical and anthropological values, the Sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, and the mountains and water represent the scenic and recreational values!

So then I asked the kids what Lake Clark's symbol would be.  A real chance for them to be creative!  I asked first what the historical and anthropological symbol would be, and the first answer was...."the state!"  So I had that kid draw the state of Alaska.

Next I asked, instead of a bison and sequoia tree, what would our symbols for wildlife and vegetation be?  And they said the Spruce and the Ptarmigan (that's the bird in the middle).

And finally for the scenic and recreational values, they drew a bigger lake (I mean Lake Clark is the 6th largest freshwater lake in Alaska) and mountains (since, well, we're surrounded) and glaciers!  And grass, they insisted on drawing grass.

It was great to get them involved in the presentation.  

For the last part of the presentation I had the kids make their own symbols!  A great idea from the other interpretive ranger out at Lake Clark's other office in Homer. 

Initially they weren't up for it, but after some prodding and suggesting that they wouldn't be graded for it, they did great! 

What's my symbol?  Well, Michigan is my main historical value.  It's where I was born and raised.  My homeland.  My family are very important to me as well, so they got a place on the symbol.  A Spartan symbol for my Alma Mater, and finally, trees, the sun, and water to represent my desire to protect the environment.  There's so much more I could incorporate, but you know, that would just make it way too busy!



Overall it was a great success!  My last program was amazing, and it was all my own.  Quite the accomplishment I think. 

That evening we had our Park Historian come in and give a presentation on the Telaquana Trail, a trail that's 50 miles long and goes throughout park.  People used to walk this trail in one day.  Quite a feat I imagine.  John, the historian, has done this trail several times (not in one day though....although he probably could, he's one of the fastest moving hikers I've ever met, he probably slowed down for his hiking companions).  One of the things that struck him most about this trail is how it has changed over time.  The tundra has been dynamic.  At one point in time the brush was very low, but over time, it has grown.  In some places it is hardly navigable.  Not really a one day hike anymore.  But that's how the environment works, one day it's working in your favor, the next it's not.  That's why it's so interesting to me, it's ever changing!  And being in Alaska, I can really appreciate these changes.

With these two presentations, I've learned so much about the Park Service, and the park I'm working in, and it's made me enjoy this experience all the more!