A beach park may seem like a vacation, but there’s so much more that goes on just below the surface. There is a lot of hard work that gets done at Assateague Island National Seashore. As our site’s CVA, I’m privileged to have a first-hand look at the hard work being done.

The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park sees thousands of kids each year. However, out of those large numbers, very few of them attempt to make another visit. As a CVA I am tasked with connecting our youth population while transferring historical and cultural knowledge to them. 

What makes an event successful? Can an event be successful if only one person shows up? Can it be successful if you end up far short of your goal of number of trees planted? What if everyone needs to shelter in vehicles because of a storm for more than half of the time of your event?

It felt good to be able to experience, first hand, a program which I played a small part in creating. It was such a fantastic feeling to see it come to life after watching those who made it possible work so hard during its creation.

Even though it is now 2019, Young’s words speak truth to power, in that 1 in 5 young people live with diagnosed learning differences and attention issues according to a new study by the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). Of this statistic, I am one and want to see change in the way we address the stigma of coping with such challenges.

Connecticut has some of the strongest opponents to guns in their government. Hartford is plagued with gun violence and gangs. It is about an hour away from Sandy Hook. And we are a park that mainly focuses on the accomplishments of a gun manufacturer. What does that mean to this community?

There is a disconnect between the National Park Service and communities who have historically been excluded or not represented in the park service workforce. As an urban park in Seattle, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (KLSE) has a unique opportunity to facilitate urban community groups’ involvement with Washington state's traditional ‘nature’ national parks.

Lei De Vera, a current Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) serving at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area hosted a volunteer opportunity with The University of Nevada for the entirety of Spring Break. 

“Wow, aren’t you just living the dream.” A statement I have heard countless times since I became the Community Volunteer Ambassador at Mount Rainier National Park. 

October 24, 2018 |It is impossible to fit all of our wants into a single day or week. We must prioritize, pick and choose. When I flounder with my sense of time as Zion’s CVA, I look toward two groups of people for inspiration: The volunteers of Zion National Park and the visitors of Zion National Park.