Puffins, Ponds, and Popovers (oh my!)

After only a week of settling in at the office here in Richmond, it was already time to head up to Maine for a week of field work and training in Acadia National Park. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that we all had a productive, educational, and fun time getting our feet wet (sometimes literally) with internship work. Acadia was a great place to go to get started with our projects; the areas that we inventoried were very diverse, from campgrounds to mountaintops to oceanside cliffs, and I think we were able to experience all of the varied landscapes that Acadia has to offer.

The land bridge to Bar Island on a rainy day

The view from the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

For our field work, I was assigned to complete the CLI update for Thunder Hole, which coincidentally ended up being one of my favorite places that we saw. Even though we visited on a sunny and clear day, the famous “thunder” could still be heard as the waves crashed into the cavern, and it was easy to imagine how impressive it would sound in stormier weather.

Beyond Thunder Hole, I also got to participate in the field inventory process for Sieur de Monts Spring, Jordan Pond House, and the Seawall Campground. Again, I was really impressed with how different the sites were from each other and how diverse the experiences were for each location (even the negative experiences – like the freakishly large and tenacious mosquitoes at the campground). Being back in the office and working on completing the updates has helped me understand how important it is to get physically out in the field to truly grasp the landscapes’ evolutions and continuing narratives. I’m glad I got to experience it!

Jordan Pond with “The Bubbles” visible in the background

Beyond our CLI work, we also got to engage in a ton of other enrichment experiences and meet lots of people on the way. On Wednesday, we got to meet with Gary, who let us take a look at his workshop where various signs and trail markers are made before explaining to us the ins and outs of trail management in Acadia. We also got to meet with Marie, the head curator at Acadia, who gave us a tour of the park’s impressive collections and discussed the ways that artifacts are sought out, stored, and transferred to maintain a coherent local story through objects. In meeting Gary, Marie, and the several other Acadia staff members, it quickly became clear just how many roles there are in ensuring that the National Parks run smoothly and remain effective in their mission of engaging and educating the public.

(L to R) Vera, Anna, and me checking out a trail in the Sieur de Monts area

Beyond the vast array of roles within Acadia, I also reflected a lot on the different roles of staff between different parks. Visiting Acadia was a completely new experience for me, and I enjoyed noticing the subtle differences between Acadia and the national parks in my neck of the woods – places like Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. From the flora and fauna, to the weather, to the local people and culture, it was really fun to see how each park experience is made unique for visitors.

Above all, I really enjoyed getting to know everyone on the trip. Here at MAWA, I’m the only intern, so it was lots of fun to meet and compare internship experiences with my Boston and SUNY colleagues. I even got to see the State Street office and spend a few hours exploring Boston before my flight back to Richmond (Julia is an excellent tour guide!).