Joe Kay start his internship with the National Park Service
by Vicki Heisser |
Having come back to Alaska during the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe Kay had to spend his first two weeks in quarantine before beginning his work with Park Planner and Compliance Coordinator Morgan Gantz at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (NPS). He took some time to share with us what he was up to during those weeks: “… reading personal books as well as the NPS material Morgan gave me, and watching documentaries on the park, as well as other Alaskan historical films, running, biking on the trail around housing, listening to a lot of music, and going on drives to keep my car running. Morgan also gave me some kale and spinach plants, so I planted those...”
Joe was working with Morgan from a distance, answering questions related to NPS materials and focusing on different laws and acts, and preparing for his work post-quarantine. He also attended training for seasonal interpretative rangers to help him with his work at the Wrangell St. Elias Visitor Center so he can better serve those who come to visit. During the training, he learned about standard operating procedures, the surrounding area (including the Kennecott mine), and as he says -- he “even learned some information about salmon.”
Joe was really excited about the training he received and was eager to get to work. He shared, “I’m looking forward to spending some time interacting with visitors and learning even more about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve!”
For more information about Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve or to view some of the films Joe used to learn about the park, visit the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park website.