Joy Wetzel, SCA Interpretive Ranger As Thanksgiving once again approaches to usher in the holiday season, disputes regarding the ethics of Thanksgiving are sure to resurface. Giving thanks is not an intrinsically political act, nor is it strictly American. Harvest festivities are practiced around the world. For instance, the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival has a millennia-long […]
Author: Discover Power of Parks SCA Interpreters
Discover the Power of Parks is presented by New Hampshire State Parks in collaboration with the Student Conservation Association and AmeriCorps and made possible by generous financial support from Eversource. The program offers a look into the natural world through hands-on programming.
Interpretive programs focus on connecting participants with nature and building appreciation for New Hampshire's unmatched natural heritage. Programs include guided hikes, interpretive tours, and imaginative environmental workshops for children and families. Programs are offered free to guests with paid park admission fee. No pre-registration is required.
Wildlife Rehabilitation
Kiley Cruse, SCA Field Crew Member What is Wildlife Rehabilitation? Wildlife rehabilitation is the treatment and care of injured, orphaned, or sick wild animals with the intent to release them back to the wild. On occasion the rescued animal will be unable to be released, in these cases the licensed wildlife rehabilitator will keep and […]
New Hampshire State Symbols
David Bailey, SCA Interpretive Ranger A state symbol can hold great meaning to a state. Many of them are chosen because they represent unusual and interesting items found within the state. New Hampshire is no different. As an Interpretive Ranger one of my more popular programs involve talking about some of these symbols. Here are […]
An Artist’s Look at Mount Monadnock
Joy Wetzel, SCA Interpretive Ranger For centuries, Mount Monadnock has served as a source of inspiration for countless artists and writers. These creatives can encourage us to see the mountain with a renewed sense of wonder. Today we will be exploring some of the most famous individuals who interpreted one of New Hampshire’s most popular […]
How Wildfires Impact Us At Home
SCA Interpretive Ranger Dan Wildfires are nothing new to the United States or even the world. They are something that humans have been dealing with for as long as we have been a species. In fact, many Native American nations/groups used controlled burns to lessen the impact of wildfires allowing for the environment to recover […]
Hibernation, Migration, and More; How Animals Survive Winter in New Hampshire.
Rebecca Durinick, SCA Interpretive Ranger Come winter time, animals only have a couple strategies to deal with the cold. The three main methods are to leave (migrate), sleep (hibernate), and adapt (metabolism, insulation, etc.). In this blog post, we will discuss some of the costs and benefits of these strategies. New Hampshire has a range […]
A History of Fire Towers
Rebecca Durinick, SCA Interpretive Ranger Fire towers have been longstanding landmarks among the New Hampshire mountain skyline. For over a hundred years many of these towers have provided essential fire prevention. Over time their usefulness has declined, but the still existing towers are used to this day. All of the fire towers have spectacular views […]
A Day in the Life of a Field Crew Member
Kiley Cruse, SCA Field Crew Member Hitch season marks the true beginning for field crew members at SCA NH Corps. Hitches are projects in which field crew members are sent to a state park or national forest for eleven days at a time to complete the work assigned. Field work consists of a wide variety […]
Birds of Monadnock State Park
Dan Guider, SCA Interpretive Ranger As an interpretive ranger at Monadnock State Park a big part of my job is hiking up the mountain. Doing this for a whole season may get repetitive at some points but something that always keeps things interesting for me is the wildlife I get to observe here. You can […]
Campfire 101
David Bailey, SCA Interpretive Ranger It’s the end of a long day spent hiking at any of our wonderful New Hampshire State Parks. You’re winding down and fixed a well-deserved dinner. The sun is going down and so is the temperature, but you’re not ready to go to bed for the evening. That leaves you […]