National Park Service MOSAICS IN SCIENCEDiversity Internship Program2019Program Accomplishments Report
Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship ProgramProgram Accomplishments ReportFiscal Year 2019Greening Youth FoundationEnvironment for the AmericasNational Park ServiceFront Cover PhotosTop le: Estefanía Vicens monitoring slopes at the Southeast Arizona Group (SEAZ), AZ.Middle: Cory Zaller-Edmonds and Patricia Alquiza at the career workshop in Washington, D.C.Right: Christine Louis-Jacques and Christian Knutson at Badlands National Park, SD.Back Cover Photoe 2019 Mosaics in Science interns at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.
Mosaics In Science 32019MOSAICS IN SCIENCE DIVERSITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPORTTable of Contents• Executive Summary• Who’s Who in Mosaics in Science • About the Partner Organizations• Statement of Purpose• Program Alignment With DOI Priorities • Funding Overview• Federal Workforce Success Stories• Intern Demographics• Examples of Projects Completed• Program Summary• Intern Training• Career Workshop• Project Highlights• Intern Reflections• Quotes from Park/Oce Sta• Media• Conclusion• Acknowledgements• A Special ank You455 7899101112131415232727282931National Park Service (NPS)Limaris Soto, Program Managerlimaris_soto@nps.gov303-969-2082Paige Lambert, Youth Programs Assistantpaige_lambert@partner.nps.gov303-969-2099Environment for the Americas (EFTA)Sheylda Díaz-Méndez, Program Coordinatorsdiaz-mendez@environmentamericas.org787-458-5406Stephen Poblete, Assistant Coordinatorspoblete@environmentamericas.org301-642-0423Greening Youth Foundation (GYF)Eboni Preston, Director of Programsepreston@gyfoundation.org678-557-8145Christine Louis-Jacques, Project Managercljacques@gyfoundation.org 678-557-5987Diego Morales, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
Mosaics In Science 4In 2019, the Mosaics in Science (MIS) Diversity Internship Program successfully completed its 6th year and placed 24 interns in 23 parks in ten of the 12 Unied Regions of the Department of the Interior (DOI) and three inventory and monitoring networks. ese talented college students and recent graduates supported the NPS mission by completing important natural resource science projects, gaining on-the-ground work experience, and obtaining an understanding of the importance of conservation and resource stewardship on public lands. Projects ranged from inventory and monitoring, to research, and developing and presenting educational and interpretive programs. e 2019 MIS interns’ work contributed 10,368 service hours or the equivalent of 5 years of full time work doing critical science projects for the NPS. In 2019, the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program accomplished the following:• Received over 800 applications for the program• Recruited rst Native American participant to the program• Returned to Washington, D. C. for Career Workshop• Presented intern work to colleagues and sta at DOI• Conducted 12 site visitsEXECUTIVE SUMMARYDirect Hire Authority (DHA) interns meet at the career workshop in Washington, D.C.
Mosaics In Science 5WHO’S WHO IN MOSAICS IN SCIENCEMosaics in Science is supported by a dedicated team at the National Park Service and the coordinating organizations Greening Youth Foundation and Environment for the Americas. e selection of host sites, promotion of the program, recruitment and hiring of interns, site visits, organization of the culminating intern workshop, and programmatic reports required over one year of eort by the NPS and partner organizations. e success of this program is due to the tremendous support for all aspects of Mosaics in Science. Greening Youth Foundation and Environment for the Americas appreciate the opportunity to be involved in such a valuable program that promotes youth engagement at national parks and opportunities to gain important career-building skills at some of the most beautiful places in the United States. ABOUT THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONSNational Park Service, Geologic Resources Division www.nps.gov/subjects/geologye NPS Geologic Resources Division (GRD), within the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, provides Service-wide leadership in the understanding and management of geologic resources, processes, and energy and mineral development activities. GRD has a strong commitment to providing science-based, on-the-ground youth career development opportunities through the management of the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program (created in 2013) and the long-standing Geoscientists-in-the-Parks (GIP) Internship Program (created in 1996).National Park Service, Youth Programs Division www.nps.gov/subjects/youthprogramse NPS Youth Programs Division engages youth between the ages of 5 and 35 years old in various National Park Service programs to develop a life-long commitment to support our national parksand protect our natural environment and cultural heritage. Currently there are over 25 youth programs operating throughout the National Park System. Youth programs encompass a wide range of missions and responsibilities including the fostering of a strong relationship between youth and the natural and cultural resources managed by the NPS and instilling a work ethic into our nation’s youth.Environment for the Americas www.environmentamericas.orgEnvironment for the Americas (EFTA) is a non-prot organization that is committed to providing environmental education opportunities and materials throughout the Western Hemisphere, with the primary goal of improving public understanding of shared resources and their conservation. EFTA believes providing opportunities for youth to become involved in science and natural resource careers is key to ensuring the protection and future existence of quality public lands and wildlife habitat. EFTA is committed to increasing participation in environmental education and outdoor recreation across all demographics and has conducted research and eorts to reduce barriers to participation since 2009.Greening Youth Foundation www.gyfoundation.orgGreening Youth Foundation (GYF) has a mission to work with diverse, under served and under-represented children, youth and young adults in an eort to develop and nurture enthusiastic and responsible environmental stewards. GYF’s culturally-based environmental education programing engages youth from local communities and exposes them to healthy lifestyle choices in order to create an overall healthy community. GYF believes that youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds can greatly benet from the career opportunities presented within the state and federal land management sectors. Accordingly, GYF continues to develop and strengthen partnerships with land management agencies to provide service and internship opportunities for youth and young adults thereby creating pathways to conservation careers.
Mosaics In Science 6EFTA TeamChu Yu LinGraphic DesignerStephen PobleteAssistant CoordinatorSusan BoneldExecutive DirectorSheylda Díaz-MéndezProgram CoordinatorAngelou EzeiloFounder & CEOChristine Louis-Jacques Program ManagerAdrienne ByrdDirector of FinanceEboni PrestonDirector of ProgramsGYF TeamLina OliverosProgram AnalystYouth Programs DivisionGeorge McDonald Division Chief Youth Programs DivisionLimaris SotoMosaics in Science Program Manager Geologic Resources DivisionPaige LambertMosaics in Science Program Assistant Geologic Resources DivisionErnestine WhiteNational Youth Employment Coordinator Youth Programs DivisionNPS Team
Mosaics in Science Statement of Purposee Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program provides diverse youth who are under-representedin natural resource science career elds with on-the-ground, science-based, work experience in the NationalPark System. Established in 2013, this multi-disciplinary program provides opportunities for undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates to work on inventory and monitoring, research, GIS and other technologies, and interpretation and education projects. e Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program helps parks complete high priority science projects at a low cost to the federal government, connects the public to our parks through educational and interpretive programs led by the interns, and builds the next generation of park stewards. e program is administered by the National Park Service Geologic Resources and Youth Programs Divisions in partnership with Environment for the Americas and Greening Youth Foundation.MOSAICS in SCIENCEProgram Objectives• Provide meaningful and relevant science-based internships for racially and ethnically diverse undergraduate/ graduate students and recent graduates allowing the NPS to increase relevancy, diversity and inclusion• Support high priority resource management and visitor education and interpretation projects in national parks• Promote the National Park Service missionMosaics In Science 7National Park Service STATEMENT OF PURPOSESources: Esri, GEBCO, NOAA, National Geographic, Garmin, HERE, Geonames.org, and other contributorsMosaics in Science Diversity Internship Sites: 2013 - 2019146 MIS interns66,030Hours of service83 NPS UnitsSources: Esri, GEBCO, NOAA, National Geographic, Garmin, HERE, Geonames.org, and other contributors
is program supports the following U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) priorities and objectives outlined in the DOI Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018 – 2022:Mission Area #1 – Conserving our Lands and WaterGoal 1 – Utilize science in land, water, species, and habitat management supporting decisions and activities.Cory Zaller-Edmonds worked as part of Mount Rainier National Park’s wildlife crew to support the bat monitoring and white-nose syndrome (WNS) surveillance program. Goal 3 – Foster partnerships to achieve balanced stewardship and use of our public lands. Diego Morales developed bilingual programs that brought Latino participants to Point Reyes National Seashore to hike, birdwatch, and learn about the park’s mission and resources.Completion of high priority STEM projects in parks in partnership with conservation organizations and the use of interns substantially helps the NPS achieve its resource management stewardship goals.Mission Area #3 – Expanding Outdoor Recreation and AccessGoal 2 – Enhance public satisfaction at DOI sites.Crystal Zhao utilized citizen science techniques to engage park visitors in trail accessibility monitoring so people of all abilities can enjoy Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Sonia Meyer conducted carbon dioxide monitoring in Carlsbad Caverns National Park to ensure visitor safety at the park.e Mosaics in Science Program directly supports this DOI priority by developing and providing science education programs and activities to park neighbors and the public and building stewards and supporters of our national parks.e Mosaics in Science Program also closely aligns with recently released DOI Secretarial Order 3369 - Promoting Open Science (issued 9/28/18). is order requires DOI bureaus to “....base its decisions on the best available science and provide the American people with enough information to thoughtfully and substantively evaluate the data, methodology, and analysis used by the Department to inform its decisions.” Science projects completed in this program are intended to provide sound science for parks to use in decision-making and the results are provided to the public through reports, outreach materials, websites, and public interpretive and educational programs. PROGRAM ALIGNMENT WITH DOI PRIORITIESMosaics In Science 8“Words cannot adequately describe how thankful I am for this opportunity of a lifetime. I will forever remain grateful for having had the chance to participate in such an amazing program like the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship.”- Katlyn FuentesKlondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Skagway, AK
Mosaics In Science 9FEDERAL WORKFORCE SUCCESS STORIESMosaics in Science tracks the success of its interns specically if they nd positions with the National Park Service, other federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Since 2016, nine Mosaics in Science interns have been hired into permanent positions with the National Park Service or other federal agencies. Five of these interns earned the Direct Hire Authority as part of their internship. The total National Park Service budget from the NPS Youth Programs Division for the 2019 Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program was $320,000 to support 24 interns. The budget was split equally between program partners EFTA and GYF, each receiving $160,000 to administer half of the Mosaics in Science internships. Additionally, two parks provided funds to extend the positions of Estefanía Vicens at Southeast Arizona Group (SEAZ) and Alyssa Canova at the Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network and Yellowstone National Park. Additional funds for these extensions totaled $8,992.00. FUNDING OVERVIEWRicardo EscobarPetried Forest National Park, AZBrenna RodriguezWhite Sands National Monument, NMGabriela DunnGolden Gate National Recreation Area, CAKayla FerminLewis and ClarkNational Historical Park, WASophia Bass -WernerBoston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, MAElizabeth RicoBig South Fork National River & Recreation Area, KYFabiane Barato SpeyrerGulf Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network, Gulf Coast statesLaura Del ValleSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, CARichard DuenasU.S. Census Bureau, Washington, D.C.
Mosaics In Science 10INTERN AGESHAVE YOU HAD AN INTERNSHIP WITH THE NPS BEFORE?INTERN DEMOGRAPHICSRACE / ETHNICITYGENDER4.2 %LEVEL OF EDUCATIONMaster’s Degree Bachelor’s Degree95.8 %YESYESNONO26.1 % 73.9 %HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MIS?PRIOR TO THIS INTERNSHIP, HAD YOU EVER VISITED A NATIONAL PARK?0246810Other NPS WebsiteEmail Career ServicesProfessor MIS Website18 19 - 25 26 - 3533.3%66.7%75%8.3%16.7%Male FemaleLatino: 9 Asian: 7 African American: 3Middle Eastern: 1 White: 1White, Black: 2 Native American: 137.5%29.2%12.5%4.2%4.2%8.3%4.2%
Mosaics In Science 11EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS COMPLETED“I was born and raised on Guam...I know that I want to continue with the restoration of coral reefs.”-Brittany TominezWar in the Pacic National Historical Park, GuamResearch• Examining reef-fish visual census and data analyses for series of targeted species, Biscayne National Park, FL • Hummingbird banding and pollen sample collection, Capulin Volcano National Monument, NM• Bat monitoring for white-nose syndrome and education, Mount Rainier National Park, WAInventory and Monitoring• Orthoptera surveys, climate stations, macro photography, and citizen science assistance, Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network/Yellowstone National Park, WY, ID, MT• Citizen science and development of phenology program, Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network/Badlands National Park, SD• Monitoring nesting success of colonial birds, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, AK• Species monitoring with inventory and monitoring networks, San Juan Island National Historical Park, WA• Inventory and monitoring of cormorant breeding colonies, South Florida/Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network, FL• Inventory and monitoring of unstable slopes on trails and roads to reduce risk and deterioration of park infrastructure, Southeast Arizona Group (SEAZ) - Coronado National Memorial, AZ• Collected sound and carbon dioxide data to establish a baseline for the ongoing visitor use management study, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NMGIS and other technologies• Assessment of wetland health & GIS mapping, Minute Man National Historical Park, MAEducation / Interpretation• Curriculum development and programming assistance, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, HI• Interpretation and citizen science programs, Point Reyes National Seashore, CA• Interpretation assistance, citizen science and curriculum development, New River Gorge National River, WV • Night Skies education programs, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CAMulti-faceted• Trail monitoring and citizen science, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH• Organization of fossil collection and inventory and database recording, Dinosaur National Monument, CO and UT• Acoustic monitoring and data collection, Saguaro National Park, AZ • Coral reef health monitoring, research and programming assistance, War in the Pacific National Historical Park, GU• Pollinator education project, Indiana Dunes National Park, IN• Communication, outreach and education, Lava Beds National Monument, CA
Mosaics In Science 12PROGRAM SUMMARYMulti-disciplinary: 5Biology: 12Geology: 5Natural Sounds & Night Skies: 250%20.8%20.8%8.3%PROJECT CATEGORY SUMMARYDID THIS INTERNSHIP INFLUENCE YOUR CAREER GOALS?AFTER THIS INTERNSHIP, I FEEL MORE PREPARED TO APPLY FOR JOBS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: YESYES88%YESYES100%Region NPS Unit Manassas National Battlefield ParkMinute Man National Historical Park (DHA)New River Gorge National RiverSouth Florida/Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network (DHA)Biscayne National Park (DHA)Cuyahoga Valley National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park (DHA)Missouri Basin Region 5Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network / Bandlands National ParkCapulin Volcano National MonumentCarlsbad Caverns National ParkDinosaur National Monument Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network / Yellowstone National ParkRocky Mountain National ParkPetrified Forest National ParkSaguaro National Park Southeast Arizona GroupMount Rainier National Park (DHA)San Juan Island National Historical ParkLava Beds National Monument (DHA)Point Reyes National Seashore Sequoia and Kings Canyon National ParksAlaska Region 11Klondike Gold Rush National Historical ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National ParkWar in the Pacific National Historical ParkColumbia-Pacific Northwest Region 9California-Great Basin Region 10Pacific Islands Region 12North Atlantic-Appalachian Region 1South Atlantic-Gulf Region 2Great Lakes Region 3Upper Colorado Basin Region 7Lower Colorado Basin Region 8e National Park Service is organized by 12 Unied Regions. In 2019, MIS interns held positions in 10 of these regions.
Mosaics In Science 13INTERN TRAININGBefore beginning their internships, participants attended webinars that provided basic information about Mosaics in Science, introduced them to the partner organizations, and helped them to understand their responsibilities and the expectations of the program. Each intern received a digital and print copy of an Intern Manual to serve as a guide to program logistics. WebinarsDuring the internship, the Mosaics in Science team oered weekly webinars to connect with participants, to provide additional training, and to answer any questions or concerns. Webinar topics included: Additional webinars were oered by the Oce of Personal Management covering topics such as USA Jobs, Interviewing Techniques, and Federal Resumés. Date Time Topic5/7/19 2:00 PM (MT) Welcome to the Mosaics in Science Program! (pre internship)5/14/19 2:00 PM (MT) Blogs, Social Media, Professionalism (pre internship)5/21/19 2:00 PM (MT) Workplace Harassment Overview for NPS Interns5/28/19 2:00 PM (MT) Financial Literacy Getting Out of College Debt 6/4/19 2:00 PM (MT) Resumes and Navigating USA Jobs6/11/19 2:00 PM (MT) Emotional Intelligence: Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion in the workplace6/18/19 2:00 PM (MT) Stepping Stones to a Career in the NPS6/25/19 2:00 PM (MT) Being Green7/2/19 Holiday Week - No Webinar7/9/19 2:00 PM (MT) Applying to Graduate School7/16/19 2:00 PM (MT) Intern Updates7/23/19 2:00 PM (MT) Workshop Preparations (presentation how tos) Poster / Oral7/30/19 2:00 PM (MT) Workshop Details“I am eager to be working in a world class cave where I can learn from the best, but what I am most excited for is continuing to hone my cartography skills and getting real-world experience with GIS.”-Sonia MeyerCarlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
Mosaics In Science 14Upon completing their internships, participants traveled to Washington, D.C. for a four-day workshop. During the rst two days of the workshop interns met at the Department of the Interior, where they presented their projects orally or in a poster presentation, met other National Park Service sta, interacted with a panel of scientists, and had a facilitated discussion on diversity and inclusion. e workshop also provided the important opportunity for interns to meet each other face-to-face. During the last two days of the workshop the interns were able to tour some of the National Park Service National Mall and Memorial Parks and learned about the African American culture and explored this history through interactive exhibitions. We wanted to provide the interns with an opportunity to see how diversity shaped stories, the history, and our cultures. e workshop provided an important conclusion to the internship experience, and culminated with comments and suggestions for improvement from the participants and an awards ceremony for the interns.CAREER WORKSHOPHow important was the opportunity to meet the other interns in person during the workshop? Very Important: 95%
Mosaics In Science 15PROJECT HIGHLIGHTSEstefanía worked on the Unstable Slope Management Program (USMP) in the National Park Service’s Southeast Arizona Group (SEAZ). Estefanía identied, categorized, and rated unstable slopes along the trails and roads of Chiricahua National Monument using the USMP-rating criteria. e work Estefanía completed over the summer helps reduce risk and deterioration of infrastructure in the park.Estefanía VicensSoutheast Arizona Group, AZ Geomorphology Assistant
Mosaics In Science 16Ansley assisted in developing best management practices and other pollinator education materials for Great Lakes park units and collecting updated data on native bee diversity and abundance at Indiana Dunes National Park. e maps and other visitor resources Ansley completed show areas of priority for pollinators, including which habitats to conserve and explanations of dierent factors such as bee species, habitat type and county within the Great Lakes Basin. e project, which is part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, is an eort to better understand the native pollinator community at Indiana Dunes. Ansley also organized a citizen science “Bee Blitz” activity to assist U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service eorts for locating populations of the endangered rusty patched bumblebee. e activity and resources created by Ansley help to educate the public on how native bees benet the surrounding ecosystem and how they can support native pollinators. Ansley WatkinsIndiana Dunes National Park, IN Biology Assistant, DHA
Mosaics In Science 17Xavier’s main focuses at Capulin Volcano National Monument were hummingbird banding, plant and pollen identication, restoration techniques and greenhouse management. He helped to prepare approximately 4,000 trays of native grass sod, which were cultivated in a specic growing area using reclaimed water from his living area before being planted in desired areas around the volcano. His work aided in providing more native plants for native pollinators in the area. In addition to helping provide plants native pollinators need, he was able to learn about hummingbird banding station protocol and collect data while learning to band hummingbirds. e research Xavier completed will be used to study the changing phenology of hummingbirds and ora in the face of climate change. Xavier RiveraCapulin Volcano National Monument, NMBiology Assistant
Mosaics In Science 18Cory worked as a key member of the Mount Rainier wildlife crew to support the bat monitoring and white-nose syndrome (WNS) surveillance program. He completed eld-based surveys for bats by conducting emergence counts at bat colonies, assisting with bat captures to screen for WNS, and using acoustic detectors to process bat calls. Cory also established a research project in collaboration with Oregon State University evaluating bat guano as a tool for surveillance and early detection of the pathogen that causes WNS in order to prevent the disease. His research helps future scientists to better understand WNS and protect bat populations. Aside from bat research, Cory also partook in bird banding and data collection for avian population surveys.Cory Zaller-EdmondsMount Rainier National Park, WABiology Assistant, DHA
Mosaics In Science 19is past summer, Brittany’s projects were focused on scientic approaches and technologies for monitoring and managing coral reef, snorkeling surveys for the threat of coral bleaching, and assisting park sta with the planning and implementation of youth activities and general environmental outreach education programming at the War in the Pacic National Historical Park in Guam. Several of the coral reefs are under serious threats caused by marine environmental changes and stressful historical events from the past. Brittany supported Reef Ranger activities by training high school and college youth volunteers to do snorkeling surveys toward increasing their knowledge of coral bleaching, reef organism abundance, and the frequency of giant clams’ health using monitoring equipment. e work Brittany completed this summer played a vital role in monitoring overall coral health and growth within the park, which is home to the highest diversity of marine species among other national parks.Brittany TominezWar in the Pacic National Historical Park, GUNatural Resource Interpretive Assistant
Mosaics In Science 20Patricia spent this summer completing an in-depth analysis of Biscayne’s reef-sh data that spans from 1999 to 2018. Her work examined the spatial and temporal trends in sh populations within the park using a pre-established database and the R soware program. Patricia analyzed data for 10 sh family groups with a total of 62 individual species, and managed an extensive data system with protocols. She also created a how-to guide to ensure that future years’ analyses can continue uninterrupted.Patricia AlquizaBiscayne National Park, FLNatural Resource Management Assistant, DHA
Mosaics In Science 21Hannah’s work was mainly centered on monitoring Mexican Spotted Owls (MSO) at Saguaro National Park in the Rincon Mountains. Her role with acoustic monitoring was especially instrumental in learning more about changes to the MSO population and presence within the park as well as noticing any changes to Saguaro’s soundscape. rough the use of modied MP3 players, Hannah collected data, recorded, and analyzed the call frequencies of the owls. e work that Hannah completed over the course of the summer helped to obtain a better understanding of where the owls are moving within their protected areas and if they are showing up in new locations.Hannah GershoneSaguaro National Park, AZAcoustic (Natural Sounds) Assistant
Mosaics In Science 22Christian KnutsonNorthern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network/ Badlands National Park, SDBiology AssistantChristian worked to understand the changing patterns in the timing of events in the prairie plants of Badlands National Park. He laid the foundation for a robust citizen science project focused on prairie phenology, and told the local history of the natives that inhabited the land. His interpretive wildower walk took visitors on popular trails, and introduced them to native owers and their traditional uses. He also assisted vegetation, archaeology, wildlife, and geology crews with data collection and interpretation. e work that Christian did showcased the natural resources at the park while memorializing the local history and narratives of Native American communities.
Mosaics In Science 23INTERN REFLECTIONS“I got to travel to St. Johns, Arizona where I hosted an education program for the public library. e activity I conducted consisted of teaching the students about the Earth’s layers and they were very excited to build an Earth of their own. As soon as I got the play modeling clay out, they were very joyful and started rapidly putting their earth together. It was truly one of my happiest moments as an interpreter seeing little kids take aer my program and smiling at the fact that they were learning. Working as an interpretative assistant has taught me how important our role is in the park and how without interpretation programs the park’s resources and research would not be as important to the public. It is a great responsibility. I am glad this year to be working in interpretation which has shown me how all divisions of the Park Service work in order to run a park eciently.”Sebastian Alvarez Petrified Forest National Park, AZ“I didn’t know much about the Park Service before. It’s fun to learn about the network of people that are so passionate. ey jump from park to park and love their jobs. It’s not that much money, nancially, but they’re all working towards a collective mission. Like with the research I did on glaciers – people have been working on it for centuries. Rocky Mountain National Park was founded because of its glaciers and seeing the way it all weaves together from people building o of the previous work is really cool. And now that I have completed my internship, I have a better understanding of where I want to go aer I graduate next year.”Vishva Nalamalapu Rocky Mountain National Park, CO”“During my orientation, I had the opportunity to shadow rangers for a day to learn about the park and the visitor’s experience. is was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn about the National Park Service (NPS) through the eyes of interpretative rangers and learning about the dierent career paths in NPS. I learned lessons in patience and working within the boundaries of the resources currently available to me. Working on this project without internet or computer access for most of my internship was a challenge, but it made me resourceful. I had opportunities to work with scientic equipment such as data loggers, and to complete eldwork, both of which are invaluable experiences for anyone applying for cave management positions and graduate school, which is a next step for me.”Sonia MeyerCarlsbad Caverns National Park, NM
Mosaics In Science 24“Generally, when people envision Sequoia National Park, they picture the giant majestic namesake Sequoia trees. I was personally awe-struck by rapid rivers that transformed into waterfalls, the lush greenery and various mountain peaks. One of the most shocking things I have discovered is that some of the mountains still have snow on them, parts of the park still have knee-high snow, and the surrounding lakes are still completely frozen in June! But one of the aspects of the park I really enjoy is the quiet and stillness that surrounds me; it is incredibly peaceful and calming. When I wasn’t researching, developing and presenting daily interpretive programming on the importance of naturally dark skies, I loved exploring the nature trails the park oers and taking in the sight of the night sky since Mineral King, CA has almost no light pollution.”Caprice Phillips Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, CA“An unexpected adventure of my summer internship was tagging along with Taylor Ellis, a park wildlife technician, for a Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) survey. At the rst site, the search for Northern Spotted Owls took us far o-trail with the most intense bushwhacking I had ever experienced. We scaled down a ravine, over a creek, and clambered back up the other side chasing the hoot of an owl in the distance. Luckily poison oak was absent here, but the thorns of blackberry bushes created some uncomfortable situations. Aer 90 minutes of crunching branches and weaving through shrubs, we reached them: two Northern Spotted Owl adults! e birds were magnicent, and we spent some time watching their behavior and taking down data. Also, Kevin García López and I developed and provided programming for a YMCA summer camp group visiting the park. Kevin taught the Kindergarten through 2nd grade children how to use binoculars, and I took them on a hike to learn about earthquakes. e programming ended with a Junior Seashore Ranger ceremony for all the campers, and all of their smiles receiving their patches was an amazing experience.”Diego Morales Point Reyes National Seashore, CA“e thing that most interested me about the project description at this site was the focus on a conservation eort for a single insect species. Bee conservation programs are usually all that is seen in regards to insect conservation, which is what makes the Island Marble Buttery (IMB) program unique. Even though the attention the public gives this program might be because of the beauty of the buttery itself, I still think this is a major win for insect conservation. I think of pollinators like honey bees and butteries as being the pandas, or killer whales, of insect conservation. Now, specically my job at San Juan Island National Historical Park involves the captive rearing of IMB caterpillars and surveying the presence of ying adults at seven sites throughout the park. Our “lab” is a repurposed maintenance shed tucked away on the road leading to visitor center. Every day we come down to the lab and record data on 80-100 caterpillars who live on sprigs of their host plant from our nursery. It’s really interesting to study them each day.” Camilo Acosta San Juan Island National Historical Park, WA”
“My summer has been a long summer of new experiences. I started the program with never setting foot within the park that bordered my home. I hardly le the homeland of my people and I knew close to nothing about the National Park Service. I did not have the slightest idea that there were such things as Inventory and Monitoring Networks. I did not realize how many jobs and workers it took to run a national park. I never considered that there were dierences between national parks, monuments, historical sites and battleelds. I could never have imagined the type of work and projects that the National Park Service supports. But now thanks to the Mosaics program and the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network I have a new view on the Parks Service and I want to be a part of it more than ever.”Christian KnutsonNorthern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network/Badlands National Park, SD“anks to the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program, I have a greater sense of respect and admiration for the National Park Service. Working with scientists in both the Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network and the Yellowstone Center for Resources has inspired me immensely. As a rst generation college student, it has been dicult for me to settle on a career path aer completing college. However, the mentoring that I received from the Yellowstone National Park scientists continues to steer me in the right direction. e career possibilities with the National Park Service exceed my wildest expectations; I can do eldwork, write papers, and provide citizen science opportunities all in the same job! Before this internship, I had never realized the importance of citizen science. I now see that citizen science initiatives help bridge the gap between science and the public all while sparking public interest in what scientists are doing. I highly recommend applying for this program and others like it. It is safe to say that this program has changed my life.”Alyssa CanovaGreater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network/Yellowstone National Park, WY, ID, MT”Site visit to Mount Rainier National Park. Pictured above from le to right are Sheylda Diaz (EFTA), Paige Lambert (NPS), HBCUI intern Najee Shahid, and MIS intern Cory Zaller-Edmonds and their supervisor, Dr. Tara Chestnut.
Mosaics In Science 26“My project this summer was not only fullling and meaningful, it was fun. Good, real, wake up excited fun. I really enjoyed the thought puzzles of putting together a eld trip that was connected enough to ow well but not so connected that each activity was fully dependent on the last. I appreciated the creative freedom to structure the program the way I wanted and come up with ways to make the learning experience fun for students.”Nicole EschNew River Gorge National River, WV“Eleven weeks later and here I am, smarter and tougher with more skills and a larger network. is internship certainly lived up to my expectations and even surpassed them in some areas. Back when I applied, I thought of this internship as a mini-test run of what my future career might look like as a federal biologist with a PhD. I learned that I am capable of taking a dataset I am completely unfamiliar with, nding the story it tells, and hammering that into a manuscript for publication. ere is some hype about my work among local ecologists working on dierent aspects of Biscayne Bay restoration, which is exciting, but my work was just the rst analysis of these data. Hopefully, it will inspire more investigations into these birds going forward.”Donna MolfettoSouth Florida/Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network, FL“Volcanic life is exciting. It’s grandiose and spectacular. Every morning, I feel grateful to walk outside and witness a true phenomenon, seeing how these islands that I am walking on have been born of re, born of the sea.” MyLynn PhanHawai’i Volcanoes National Park, HI”
Mosaics In Science 27QUOTES FROM PARK/OFFICE STAFF “Having gone from a Mosaics in Science intern (2017) to an intern supervisor (2019), I have seen many positive changes made to not just the program itself, but the career workshop as well. e quality of intern projects just keeps getting better and better. e cultural and ethnic backgrounds of presenters and panelists in the workshop are now much more reective of our nation’s evolving demographics. I look forward to seeing the continual growth of the Mosaics in Science program.”Ricardo Escobar / Education Specialist, Petrified Forest National ParkTara Chestnut, PhD / Ecologist, Mount Rainier National Park “I am happy we could implement an 11 week program with meaningful content and provide an opportunity to decide if this is what you want to do as your career. “Tut was wonderful. He was a great self starter, wonderful at speaking with the public and willing to learn new things. I would be thrilled to have him work with us again in the future and would recommend his skills to any park in need of a capable, enthusiastic paleontologist.” ReBecca Hunt-Foster / Park Paleontologist, Dinosaur National MonumentMEDIANicole Esch created an introduction video for the self-guided Grandview Citizen Science Program at New River Gorge National River. https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=06E2D519-F762-BAE7-ADF7D18C0D529CBF
Mosaics In Science 28CONCLUSIONMosaics interns toured the National Mall during their career workshop.e 2019 Mosaics in Science (MIS) Diversity Internship Program successfully completed its sixth year. e program recruited 24 talented youth who worked across the country to complete high priority natural resource projects on inventory and monitoring, research, GIS and other technologies, and science interpretation and education. Since the program’s inception, 146 interns have completed 66,030 hours of critical work in 83 national parks. e MIS interns gained valuable on-the-ground training, personal and professional development skills, and an increased awareness of conservation and environmental stewardship. e program partners contributed innovative ideas that improved the program by providing additional training opportunities, mentorship, and assistance with subsequent job searches. e unique attributes of MIS enable NPS to successfully achieve its goals of relevancy, diversity, and inclusion. With nine MIS interns hired into federal agencies, eight into the NPS, we continue to make progress to diversify the federal workforce. We look forward to continuing this successful initiative in 2020.
Mosaics In Science 29ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSe National Park Service Youth Programs and the Geological Resources Division would like to express their sincere gratitude to both partners Environment for the Americas and Greening Youth Foundation for their invaluable work and guidance to the interns throughout the course of the MIS program. We would especially like to thank the interns for the critical science they contributed to parks and the education and outreach they provided for the public. We would also like to thank the supervisors for mentoring and motivating the interns throughout their experiences and in their project and the colleges and universities that support these outstanding participants."anks to the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program, I have a greater sense of respect and admiration for the National Park Service. Working with scientists in both the Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network and the Yellowstone Center for Resources has inspired me immensely."-Alyssa CanovaGreater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network /Yellowstone National Park• Biscayne National Park• Capulin Volcano National Monument• Carlsbad Caverns National Park• Cuyahoga Valley National Park• Dinosaur National Monument• Indiana Dunes National Park, Great Lakes Research and Education Center• Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park• Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park• Lava Beds National Monument• Manassas National Battleeld Park• Minute Man National Historical Park• Mount Rainier National Park• New River Gorge National River• Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring Network / Badlands National Park• Petried Forest National Park• Point Reyes National Seashore• Rocky Mountain National Park, Continental Divide Research Learning Center• Saguaro National Park• San Juan Island National Historical Park• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks• South Florida/Caribbean Inventory & Monitoring Network• Southeast Arizona Group (SEAZ) • War in the Pacic National Historical Park• Greater Yellowstone Inventory & Monitoring Network / Yellowstone National ParkNational Park Sites
Mosaics In Science 30• Black Hills State University• Chaminade University of Honolulu• Cleveland State University• Cornell University• Emory University• Florida International University• Grinnell College• Hiram College• Johns Hopkins University• Mount Holyoke College• Penn State University• e Ohio State UniversitySchools Attended by MIS Interns• University of British Columbia• University of California, Berkeley• University of California, Riverside• University of California, San Diego• University of Notre Dame• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill• University of North Carolina, Charlotte• University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez• University of Texas, Austin• University of Washington• University of Washington, Bothell• University Park, Hawaii Cory Zaller-Edmonds, Mount Rainier National Park, WAis summer Kuhl, an outdoor apparel company, helped to outt the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship’s participants and sta. With their support, the program was able to provide eld shirts to interns. ank you for the support and commitment given to the program, environment, and the next generation of scientists. We are proud to call you a partner!
In December 2018, former MIS Diversity Internship Program Manager Lisa Norby retired aer 26 years of federal service. During that time, Lisa was, and continues to be, a champion for students and early career professionals in natural resource sciences, and for increasing diversity in the NPS workforce. Lisa’s 26 year career with the NPS has spanned many dierent programs and projects including park planning, petroleum geology, and over-seeing youth programs. In her most recent role in the NPS Geologic Resources Division, Lisa managed two Service-wide natural resource science internship programs - Geoscientists-in-the-Parks and Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program, in addition to serving as the Branch Chief for the Energy and Minerals Branch, which oversees energy and minerals projects in all National Parks. In 2007, Lisa assumed leadership of the GIP Program and through her tireless eorts and close coordination with partners, she grew the program steadily from an average of about 50 GIPs per year in 2007 to 180 in 2018. 2010-11 Lisa completed a detail that established the George Melendez Wright Initiative for Young Leaders, a program that supported paid internships to highly accomplished undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates to work in national parks for approximately 12 weeks on projects in scientic research, interpretation, park operations, policy development, and other elds. 2012 Lisa won the prestigious Geological Society of America (GSA) Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals for excep-tional service to the Society and to the geosciences. Lisa received this award due to her dedication to providing STEM opportunities, particu-larly in the geosciences, to diverse youth. 2013 Lisa created the Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Program with George McDonald, Chief of the NPS Youth Programs Division. Mosaics in Science is funded by the NPS and is managed in partnership with Environment for the Americas and Greening Youth Foundation. 2018 Lisa was awarded the Superior Service Award for career employees of the Department who have made signicant achievements and/or performed acts, or services that materially aid the mission of the Department of the Interior (DOI).2019 Lisa was named the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) Champion of the Year. is Award recognizes individuals from agencies and organizations that partner with 21CSC programs to help engage the next generation of conservation and community leaders in service, education and training.Lisa is recognized as a national leader in engaging the next generation of conservationists on public lands because of her hard work, dedication, and lifelong passion for youth programming. As the Energy and Minerals Branch Chief, she took the lead of two large natural resources science internship programs designed for young adult engagement, while simultaneously juggling her primary responsibilities. Lisa has been a dedicated and enthusiastic advocate for youth programming for decades, and the partnerships developed through her ingenious creativity and eorts have provided priceless experiences for young adults and helped preserve precious public lands.ank you so much for all of your contributions!A Special ank YouLisa NorbyMosaics in Science founder, Lisa Norby, attended the 2019 career workshop in Washington, D.C.Mosaics In Science 31
National Park Service www.mosaicsinscience.org • go.nps.gov/mosaics