National Park Service

Interpretive Ranger Intern

May - August 2023 • Lackawaxen, PA

What I liked

I enjoyed the work environment, my coworkers and supervisors, and even the work itself. It was both enjoyable and fulfilling.

What I wish was different

I wish I got paid, but the work was definitely rewarding. I wish I was able to work there for longer

Advice

Be ready to meet and talk to a lot of people, from a lot of different places and backgrounds.

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Forestry Aid

May - August 2023 • Kelly, WY

What I liked

I loved getting multiple hours of fire experience and traveling to Michigan!

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time for a full season

Advice

Remember to take time for yourself as well as to take care of your crew

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Geo-Tourism Intern

September 2022 • Myrtle Point, OR

What I liked

I especially liked the weekly meetings we had to outline what the assignments and responsibilities would be for the rest of the week, providing a communal space to share our findings and ask questions.

What I wish was different

I wish that the peers I collaborated with on assignments were more punctual in getting work done and responding to messages.

Advice

I would encourage others in similar positions or internships to reach out to the people they are working with or under early on to build a strong working relationship. Doing so in my experience made the process much easier and more enjoyable later on.

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Grand portage National park

May - August 2022 • Grand Portage, MN

What I liked

I took the community out fishing and taught them how to fish and what to do to keep them healthy

What I wish was different

More programs

Advice

If you like what you do, keep doing it

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Team leader

June - August 2021 • St Croix, Saint Croix

What I liked

The outdoor experience and insight into the maintenance of the parks.

What I wish was different

I wish the dats had been planned out better.

Advice

Work your hardest because you never who is watching.

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Youth concervaitonist

June - August 2016 • Pipestone, MN

What I liked

I liked learning about different plants and species in the park.

What I wish was different

I wish we had more learning opportunities.

Advice

It is a lot of hard work, but in the end, it is a lot of fun and you make new friends.

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Research Assistant

July - November 2021 • Boone, NC

What I liked

Helped me focus my interests, brought the passion back to my studies, gained valuable experience in a multitude of areas

What I wish was different

It was an unsupervised position which was great but there were times when I wish I had someone to train me a little bit more

Advice

Great experience, not to be missed.

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Natural Resource Volunteer

May - July 2019 • Sharpsburg, MD

What I liked

Guidance and coworkers

What I wish was different

I had more time

Advice

Fun and a great learning experience, but you have to commit

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Education

June - August 2020 • St. Louis, MO

What I liked

Being able to see what it is like to work in an NPS organization and see how it runs on a day to day basis.

What I wish was different

I wish I got to do more of what I was hired for as COVID meant that we couldn’t do normal programming with kids and did more busy work and maintenance.

Advice

It was very good and I enjoyed my time out west this summer.

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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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Astronomy and Interpretation

June - August 2020 • Waco, TX

What I liked

I got to experience living on my own for the first time and gained significant experience in the field I want to pursue. I gained life long mentors and friends.

What I wish was different

I wish there had need more intern-intern interaction, I only met with them over the internet a few times

Advice

Make sure you’re talking and getting to know your supervisor and coworkers! Networking is how you ensure you get a spot next year and when you graduate

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Interpretive Ranger Intern

June - August 2019 • Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

What I liked

Working with the Park Service staff was an amazing experience. I was able to get experience in different positions throughout the Park.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Intern

May - August 2019 • Gatlinburg, TN

What I liked

The opportunity to work with National Park staff on conservation.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Always seek out those who are distinguished in their field and learn from them.

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Research assistant

September - November 2019 • Chester, CA

What I liked

Hiking, field work, doing radio telemetry to find bats

What I wish was different

More availability and longer study.

Advice

Biologists have to be resourceful and flexible in a wide variety of challenging situations they need to get the job done while being part of a team or alone.

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Herpetology intern

May - November 2019 • Thousand Oaks, CA

What I liked

The work was gratifying

What I wish was different

Advice

Be patient and able willing to roll with punches

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Camp Counselor

June 2019 • Lafayette, LA

What I liked

Sharing South Louisiana’s culture & history with the kids

What I wish was different

Longer camp

Advice

Working with kids can be difficult but just try to remember how you felt at that age.

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EMS and Search and Rescue Intern

May - August 2019 • Bryce, UT

What I liked

I absolutely loved my job this summer! I was able to help sick and injured individuals every day, and it was very rewarding. I was also able to work very closely with Law Enforcement, Interpretation, and Resource Management to help park operations run smoothly.

What I wish was different

This summer was a transition period for the Law Enforcement Division, as 6 out of 8 employees chose to move on to a different park last year. The park was still trying to fill those positions throughout the summer, so we only had a total of 2 permanent staff and 3 seasonal staff for most of the season. Because of this, guidance/mentorship and structure was lacking.

Advice

If there is something you want to do, go out and do it! I would also highly recommend anyone interested in helping people and having fun while doing it look into employment in the medical field.

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Trail Maintenance Worker

May - August 2019 • Seward, AK

What I liked

Being out side and hiking

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Enjoy where you are

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Research Assistant

May - August 2019 • Orick, CA

What I liked

Everyone working out of the NPS office showed a dedication to education and protecting public land resources.

What I wish was different

I wish that we had more freedom to work with other divisions of ecological restoration and protection. I would love to see how Fish and Wildlife, Botany, and other Forestry crews spend their days.