15 Aug Three Generations of EFTA Interns
Besides finishing my first ranger program, the past month here at Yaquina has been busy and exciting. I had a site check-in with my Environment for the Americas (EFTA) mentor, Stephanie Loredo; helped install mobility mats on our Quarry Cove beach; checked out the growing fruits and vegetables in our garden; and tried surfing for the first time. The surfing was not part of my internship, but rather a cool perk of living on the Oregon coast.
Let’s start with the the most exciting update. Stephanie is the Bird Conservation & Internship Lead with EFTA, and she came and visited my site here at Yaquina Head. It’s funny because she’s the one approving my blog posts, so hi Stephanie if you are reading this. We visited for a couple of hours and I walked her through the park and all of the projects I have been working on, including my ranger program (which you can read about in my previous post). While she was here however, she got to meet our Site Manager in person, Ricardo Escobar. For those of you who don’t know, Stephanie and Ricardo were also EFTA interns at one point doing variations of what I am doing now. It was such an amazing opportunity to have three generations of EFTA in the same place at one time. (I don’t think its actually 3 different generations because we aren’t that far apart in age, it just sounds cooler.) I’m extremely grateful that I get to work under such awesome mentors, and its amazing that we were all brought to Yaquina Head that day through doing this program. Below is a picture of Stephanie, Ricardo, and I.
Although the three of us are currently on different paths in the environmental world—Stephanie, who works for Environment for the Americas; Ricardo, a site manager for Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area with the Bureau of Land Management; and myself, an intern working for both—we all share a common passion, culture, and skill. We are all Spanish-speaking Latinos interested in diversifying the outdoors. Although I studied environmental science and Spanish at university and knew I wanted to combine the two for a career, it is inspiring to see people in my circle who share the same passion and are currently implementing it in the real world.
As my internship here continues, I am now focusing on organizing an event for Hispanic Heritage Month and National Public Lands Day. My goal for both events is to make them as welcoming and fun as possible while also engaging our community within the park itself. I grew up with my family speaking Spanish, and although I had to practice and learn it more thoroughly in recent years, my perspective on the world is shaped by my background. Whenever I visit places—whether parks, museums, or any outdoor spaces—I am subconsciously aware of how the materials are presented. Are they bilingual? Do they offer translations? Why should visitors, specifically Latino visitors, be interested in our park?
As an intern working at Yaquina Head, my goal is to ensure the answers to these questions are yes. Yes, the programs are bilingual; yes, there are translations; yes, there is a cultural connection here. I know it’s a huge goal, but at the end of the day, the most I can do is bridge the gap between a large demographic of our visitors and what is accessible in the park. Yaquina Head is already a great place to work, and my aim is to continue and expand that work through my programs and outreach.
That being said, it was wonderful to talk to them both in person. Cheers to compartiendo nuestra cultura. (We are also all very excited about birds.)
Projects Within the Park
At Yaquina, we have an awesome facilities maintenance crew that keeps the park running. I mentioned in one of our team meetings that I really enjoy building things, so our facilities maintenance lead offered to let me help repair the mobility mats on the beach at Quarry Cove. He installed them a few months ago, and they have been a huge success. The mobility mats create a hard surface on the sand for people who aren’t able to navigate across soft sand, such as wheelchair users or strollers. It was fun to use my hands and create something with a tangible impact for people visiting the park.
I also got to check out the progress our garden is making. We have so many fruits, vegetables and herbs that are ready to be harvested. One of the rangers at the park takes what we grow and donates it to the local food bank. I tried one of the strawberries and they were delicious. It must be that the plants like to grow in a place with such a scenic background. Just kidding. It’s from the work of our rangers who water, weed, and maintain the garden.
Last but not least, I got to visit the top of the lighthouse! The coast guard currently has the top of the Yaquina Head lighthouse closed off for restoration, so it was my first time getting to see the view from the top. I finally understood the hype behind lighthouses when climbed up the entire 114 steps. I bet it has something to do with feeling so small when you are standing up above the entire park. It makes you feel epic and in awe.
Other than those quick updates from the park, an off-the-clock update is that I learned how to surf! I’ve definitely found a new hobby. Right below the park is Agate Beach, a popular spot for surfers since the north side is sheltered from wind by huge basalt cliffs, creating the perfect surf conditions. Since starting here, I’ve always watched the surfers from the lighthouse trail, and now I finally get to be one of them. Pretty cool stuff. I’m definitely going to be the most mediocre surfer the world has ever seen, but that’s not stopping me. Let me tell you- Oregon water is no joke. It was freezing. I much prefer the warm gulf water in Texas, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Although Newport is a small town, there’s always a lot going on here. Who would have thought all of this could come from an internship? It makes me excited for my career—wherever that may be.
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