The Northeast Region has initiated a Climate Change Steering Committee that is promoting a sustainable building initiative along with energy audits, for all covered facilities. Also, parks in the Northeast Region are being directed to enter the Climate Friendly Parks Program and to establish regional Green Teams.

Both the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service have mandated youth programs as a high priority, calling for an increase in employment opportunities for youth in the Bureau by 60% this fiscal year. They have also directed the NPS to engage youth in resource and energy conservation efforts.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Reflection - The End


Seven Weeks. Nearly two months. 35 days. That's how long we have been training, visiting, working.

This program, as I knew going into it, is a short-term position and would last only until the end of summer. Nevertheless, knowing certainly differs greatly from understanding.

On Wednesday of this week, August 25th, we gave our final presentation to the Northeast Regional Office. It was during the presentation when I realized what I have taken from this program. I discovered how much we had actually learned - the training, the theory, the experience - and what we had accomplished - physical, beneficial work in three separate National Parks around the region - and what knowledge we could give to others - over 425 people reached, and, watching the faces of the audience, even more. It was only then when I realized this group of six disparate people had formed a single unit, a functional, cooperative, intelligent, wonderful team.

After we finished the presentation, I knew how grateful I was for the people who helped to bring this Energy Conservation Corps to life - Ernestine White, our immediate supervisor and organizer; Robert Fudge and Robin Snyder of the Northeast Regional Office; everyone at the Northeast Regional Office who had the willingness to encourage and foster this project. Without all of these people, I would not be as knowledgeable and experienced as I am now due to this program.

It was on Wednesday when I finally, completely understood that after these 7 weeks, after conversations and riding in the rental van and eating lunch and installing insulation and using a saw zaw and making a powerpoint and having a laugh, I really enjoy working with my coworkers, my colleagues, my friends. To Mike, Kelsey, Khalid, Nathan, John - thank you for making this last part of my summer so great. I honestly will miss you all.

Thank you.

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