Two Bigfork High School students had a unique opportunity to explore science in Glacier National Park this summer when Nora Kehoe and Tabitha Raymond both served as interns sponsored by the Glacier National Park Conservancy.
Both students were given internships after receiving recommendations from their teachers and had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field while learning from scientists who study flora and fauna in the crown of the continent’s ecosystems.
“I got to talk to all these amazing people about my future plans and they were able to give me advice. They helped me learn a lot about the world in general and birds and Glacier Park,” Kehoe, who serves with the Avian Productivity Monitoring program and Survivorship (MAPS) park, he said. “I’ve always loved birds, but I didn’t realize how much until this internship. I’d take anything, but this is a great opportunity to pass up.”
Every 10 days from June 10 to August 11, Kehoe gets the opportunity to help with the MAPS program as it uses 10 nets to capture, band and record information on many of the park’s songbird species. Along the way, Kehoe developed a new found love for the garden’s birds.
“I thought it was interesting to learn about all the different species of birds that I didn’t know. I was basically just thrown into the bird world next to all these experts, and it wasn’t easy. I had a lot of things to learn,” he said. I had to go into all this avian information which was like a whole new world to me. It’s amazing to actually hold this bird and learn about it first-hand from all these experts.
Kehoe also had the opportunity to help the park’s harlequin duck research team when he spent three days hiking along McDonald Creek to collect water samples for Glacier’s new environmental DNA study.
While he enjoyed working with the harlequins, he said it was the park’s songbirds that really caught his attention.
“I love the cedar waxwings. They are so beautiful and angelic. They have this feather that is so smooth and beautiful,” he said. “I also love the American redstarts with their amazingly colored wings.”
Kehoe will be a senior at Bigfork High School this year and said she hopes to go into the field of wildlife biology and conservation after graduation.
“This has helped me develop a broad view of my future. I’m very excited about where all the connections I’ve made can lead me,” he said. “It’s opened up more opportunities for me.”
Raymond also participated with the MAPS study this summer but also got a more rounded view of conservation in the park when he was a public conservation intern.
Along with the songbird survey, Raymond worked with native plant nurseries to collect seeds and work with whitebark pine. He joined USGS fisheries crews as they worked to remove invasive trout from Logging Lake, participated in loon studies and even watched young golden and bald eagles learn to fly.
“Getting to learn from experts who really know their field is amazing,” she says. “It was a really great experience. All the people I met and the things I got to do were unbelievable.”
While he enjoyed the whole experience, Raymond said getting to handle songbirds with the MAPS program was especially fun.
“Being able to handle birds and see them up close is really exciting. It’s an incredibly unique experience,” he said. “I feel like a lot of people have never seen songbirds like that.”
Raymond, who will graduate from high school in January, said he plans to get his basics out of the way at Flathead Valley Community College in the spring before hopefully studying conservation at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.
“I applied for the internship so I could learn what type of conservation I want to study going forward and I feel like this summer has been incredibly helpful toward that goal,” she said. “I’m really interested in biology work, so that’s probably the direction I’m going to go.”
Glacier National Park conservation intern Tabitha Raymond (right) inspects a songbird captured as part of the Avian Productivity and Survivorship monitoring program on August 11. (Jeremy Weber / Daily Inter Lake)
Intern Nora Kehoe collects water samples from McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park on August 10 as part of a harlequin duck environmental DNA study. (Jeremy Weber/Daily Inter Lake)
Do rangers live in national parks?
National parks are not just for tourists and rangers – researchers work there too. Some rangers live in in-park housing during the season. It’s a competitive job to get, but it’s not all adventure all the time.
What are national park rangers called? A Ranger by Any Name The NPS has always been more interested than the public in what constitutes a ranger. On the same subject : Washington Post 2022 Travel Photography Contest Rules. In general, visitors think of most NPS employees as âpark rangersâ regardless of their title, especially if they wear a uniform.
Do rangers live at Yosemite?
Rangers in Yosemite National Park live and work in several areas including Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, and Hetch Hetchy.
What does a ranger do in a national park?
Apart from being a national treasure, they all sit in national parks. The people on the front lines protecting this and other national treasures are national park rangers. On the same subject : Technology, global politics make CHIPS and Science Act necessary – Daily Leader. They help visitors, conduct educational activities, perform emergency medical services, and protect the land from those who abuse it.
Does Glacier National Park still have glaciers 2021?
There are at least 35 named glaciers in Glacier National Park (U.S.). At the end of the Little Ice Age around 1850, the area that contains the national park had 150 glaciers. To see also : Politics, disasters, taxes and China: Ewing Forum speaker series date announced. There are 25 active glaciers remaining in the park today.
How are the glaciers in Glacier National Park? Global warming has accelerated the melting of glaciers. Between 1966 and 2015, all 26 named glaciers in the park became smaller. Some have lost as much as 80% of their area, but the average loss is 40%, Glacier National Park tweeted this week. For years, the park predicted that all of its glaciers would be gone by 2020.
How long will the glaciers in Glacier National Park last?
Glacier National Park’s glaciers are expected to disappear by the end of the 21st century, regardless of future representative concentration pathways (RCPs).
What is it like working in Glacier National Park?
Great place to work. This is one of the most beautiful places I have worked in. The old management was a little difficult but all great opportunities and a peaceful place. There are many things to do during the holidays. Great people to work with.
How much does a Glacier National Park ranger make?
How many employees does Glacier National Park have?
We are the operator of lodging, restaurants, and other concessions in some of America’s most famous national parks and own some of the world’s top travel and adventure companies. Glacier National Park Lodges employ close to 700 people each summer. Explore mountains, lakes, waterfalls and glaciers.
Can you live at Glacier National Park?
About Glacier National Park Lodges Set in spectacular views of the park, lodging options range from historic grand hotels and mid-century motor inns to rustic cabins. Wherever you live, you will have the Crown of the Continent just outside your door.
What are problems in Glacier National Park?
The preservation and maintenance of Glacier’s natural resources is a daunting task for park managers due to an ever-increasing list of threats, including some on a global scale such as climate warming. The introduction of invasive, non-native (exotic) and fish species is also a major problem.
Are park rangers cops?
National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers or United States Park Rangers are uniformed federal law enforcement officers with broad authority to enforce federal and state laws on National Park Service sites.
Can a US park ranger pull you over? Can Park Rangers Pull You Over and Your Ticket? A park ranger can pull you over if you are erratically or speeding through the national park. They are also authorized to issue you a ticket.
Are Florida park rangers considered law enforcement?
All FPP patrol officers are sworn law enforcement officers of the state with full force of arrest.
Are Park Rangers the same as police?
Park District Rangers have the same powers as police officers with the ability to report, collect evidence, preserve crime scenes, carry weapons, and arrest offenders, as provided by the California Criminal Code.
