So I’m a teacher ranger teacher and what this program is is that they invite teachers to apply for a job as a park ranger for eight weeks in the summer and I not only learn about a certain park and the resources but I also am supposed to take that information I have learned and bring it back into the classroom and to share with the students about national parks and the environment so that they understand this heritage that they have here in america because in order to join the program you have to be in a school that have students where the majority receive reduced price lunches so a lot of them don't have access to a national park they are either in the cities or they just don't have the financial means to go on trips so this is the chance for the parks service to reach out to students and teach them about our natural heritage
and is this your first year in the program?This is actually my third year in the program
And how have you brought the information back to the classroom?It's been great I’m actually from Los Angeles and since we don't have a national park close by we have a national recreation area about an hour and a half away from the city I have incorporated some of the videos from the park and the science from the parks because I am a science teacher so that they understand science going on now not science like this is the way the environment is but that its a changing ecosystem so I use some of the resources on the website and also during National Parks week I have my students do a project where they become an expert on one of the Parks Historical or nature related because I want them to see that there is a lot of historical relevance here in the parks and so each one receives a brochure they become an expert on their park and the create sort of a travel poster to advertise their park and what attractions they have. and they also had to picture themselves in the park in the poster somehow so that they could be there and they presented that to the class. My students now have this curiosity about wow thats a neat place I studied and I want to go there or Wow that person talked about this really interesting thing I want to go there and so that's what I did to talk about the parks with my students.
And what year do you teach?I teach seventh grade science
And have you noticed a change at all in the students?You know because I talk too much about the environment because they know I put my ranger hat in my classroom they realize it's important to me. I did a field trip that parks week and brought about 30 students to the local national recreation area they kind of are getting the idea that these are important places. National Park week happens in April it's hard for me to see after teaching them what the impact was later on but I do get the sense that they are aware of it they get that it's important they do express an interest to go visit the places. Many of them i'm never sure but thats teaching. You never know what seed you have planted.
Have you noticed a difference between the levels of environmental interest between Moab and L.A.?Yes definitely but I have a very limited view because I work at the desk of Canyonlands the people coming to me already care it's a given but just this environment it seems like with all the recreation opportunity and the outdoors it seems like it naturally fosters that I would imagine in the students here rather than where I come from where they are so exposed to lets say Hollywood and the computers and texting it's just a different environment I mean I’m really glad I am part of this program to let them see there is more than just the city life and there is something out there that they are not familiar with but it's good to find out more about and experience that too.
Diane at the Moab Farmers Market presenting on the risks of Tamarisk in local parks.
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