Last updated: December 8, 2024
Article
My Park Story: Andres Ridley

Photo courtesy of Andres Ridley
In the past couple years, I have improved the access of critical resources to Spanish speakers who have limited English skills. During my undergraduate program at Tulane University in New Orleans, I worked at Culture Aid NOLA (a food pantry) and Luke’s House (a free medical clinic). Through those experiences, I became increasingly passionate about using Spanish as a way to increase accessibility.

Photo courtesy of Andres Ridley

Photo courtesy of Andres Ridley
For my summer project, I wrote and led an interpretive program for Dingmans Creek Trail, the most popular trail in the park. My hour-long guided walk was always available in English and/or Spanish and I aimed to create lasting connections between visitors and the park’s unique natural resources. I taught visitors that beavers and eastern hemlock trees are keystone species that modify the ecosystem around them and are also changed by the surrounding environment and human impacts. For many visitors, this was the first time they had ever heard of a keystone species. After my guided walk, visitors walked away with a better understanding that ecosystems are always dynamic and interconnected.

Photo courtesy of Andres Riley
I was grateful to have a welcoming and positive team to work with all summer long. All the park staff, and especially the Interpretation, Education and Partnerships Division, were kind and dedicated to stewardship of our public lands. My supervisors and coworkers gave me great mentorship and were always ready to answer my questions. A special moment during my summer was attending the 2024 NPS Internship Career and Leadership Workshop. This was the first time I got to meet the EFTA team, the other LHIP interns, some of the people who make National Park Service youth and young adult programs possible, and hundreds of other diverse interns involved in other internship programs. This was another great group, and I am excited to see all the great work we do in the future.

Photo courtesy of Andres Ridley
For now, what I am sure about is that this park, like all National Park Service parks and programs, should be accessible to everyone. Improving accessibility to Latinos and those who historically and currently have less access to public lands is essential. Providing interpretation in Spanish is a great start. I am proud of my work this summer in making my section of the National Park Service more accessible to Spanish speakers and Latinos.
Thank you to all the people at EFTA, LHIP, and the NPS Youth and Young Adult Programs office for my opportunity this summer.
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