October 9, 2018 | 2018 marked the first year of both the Kids in Kayaks and the AmeriCorps Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) programs at Fort Monroe National Monument (Virginia). CVA Chris Martin was tasked with improving a youth summer program from the year before using the park supply of kayaks to enhance the student experience.

September 22, 2018 | CVA member Rachele Funk was able to meet Secretary Zinke for a National Public Lands Day (NPLD) event on September 22, 2018. Rachele was able to speak with Secretary Zinke directly about one of their volunteer groups. 

August 17, 2018 | At Grand Canyon National Park, a big focus of my Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) position has been coordinating youth volunteers in the park. This allows me to work with over 100 college students that come between February and April during their spring break. These students, “alternative breakers”, are all part of a movement of positive social change through strong direct service. 

August 14, 2018 | I moved to DC in February for the Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) position.  I moved here with excitement, knowing I would be working in an urban park engaging the surrounding community through volunteerism.

August 1, 2018 | Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is more than just beaches, with over 50 miles of trails, monthly ranger-led programs, and several species of rare plants. Our volunteers help maintain our park, whether by working in the field to remove bittersweet or staffing the visitor center on busy weekends.

July 18, 2018 | After conducting her Masters research on indigenous resource use in two villages living around a recently established protected area in southern Guyana, Julie Savage was left questioning some of the ethical and moral components of that research. She persistently wondered about her role as a researcher of indigenous communities, and how her position as a CVA member at Mesa Verde National Park could help her better understand indigenous issues in the United States.

July 18, 2018 | Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Member, Michael Persaud, is nearly half way through his year of service at the National Parks of New York Harbor (NPNH). Michael has been an integral part of a brand new partnership between the National Park Service and St. John’s University in developing an accredited internship program that recruits and trains interns for research and interpretive programs in metropolitan New York City. 

June 11, 2018 | Betsy Isley at Sagamore Hill National Historic Park is working to make a difference with her science background. Every national park is unique but she has found a way to implement a science-based program at a historic site.

April 20, 2018 | They came from desert outcrops, snowy forests, mountain valleys and urban centers. They came together for three days for an intensive training for their year of service, where they all have a common mission, to be ambassadors for the National Park Service. They are, the Community Volunteer Ambassadors of 2018.

March 16, 2018 | Fifty-three young adults took the AmeriCorps pledge to “Get Things Done” and support a legacy of service and conservation stewardship at the National Park Service. These Community Volunteer Ambassadors will serve with the NPS for 50 weeks and be trained as community and volunteer engagement coordinators.