All this summer, a group of passionate and inspired Interpretive Rangers will bring a series of nature-based programs to our parks! These programs are offered free to our guests with paid park admission so take the opportunity to try one (or many) of these programs when you camp, swim or hike at a New Hampshire State Park this season.
The Discover Power of Parks Programs focus on connecting participants with nature and building appreciation for New Hampshire’s natural heritage. Starting the last weekend in June, Interpretive Rangers from the Student Conservation Association will present informative and entertaining programs for children and families. Programs will cover subjects such as native animals, constellations, edible plants and include activities like ponding, interpretive tours, night hikes, stargazing and campfire sing-alongs!
Below is a schedule of parks/days these programs will be offered this summer:
Park Programming Schedule
State Park
Days (late June – Labor Day)
Bear Brook
Friday-Saturday-Sunday
Clough
Saturday
Crawford Notch
Saturday & Sunday
Echo Lake
Friday
Ellacoya
Wednesday night/ Thursday
Franconia Notch
Sunday – Saturday
Greenfield
Wednesday – Saturday
Hampton Beach/Seacoast
Wednesday & Thursday
Kingston
Friday
Monadnock
Sunday
Moose Brook
Friday evening
Pawtuckaway
Wednesday – Sunday
Silver Lake
Sunday
Umbagog Lake
Wednesday – Sunday
Wentworth
Wednesday
White Lake
Wednesday – Sunday
More about the 2016 Interpretive Rangers
Jamie Samdahl – White Lake State Park Interpreter
Jamie Samdahl – from Princeton, MA, attended Smith where she became a prolific writer. Jamie’s parents, who are ornithologists, took her birding as a young child. She looks forward to sharing this knowledge with park visitors. As the 2016 SCA New Hampshire Corps White Lake Interpreter Jamie is excited to connect with the residents of the area as she brings parks to people and people to parks in outreach season. Through Discover the Power of Parks Jamie hopes to intertwine local history in her programs on loons, native animals, and constellations.
Darren Lu – Southern Rover (Seacoast, Kingston, Clough, Silver Lake and Bear Brook State Park)
Darren Lu – a political science and geography double major at Berkley, comes to the SCA New Hampshire Corps from sunny Southern California. As the 2016 Discover the Power of Parks Southern Rover, Darren is excited to conduct interpretive programming at the Seacoast, Kingston, Clough, Silver Lake, and Bear Brook State Parks. He is excited to see how he can mold a set of programs into unique and special presentations for each park. Darren is most excited to become acquainted with the parks and the people that visit them.
Katie Steketee – Seacoast and Bear Brook State Park Interpreter
Katie Steketee – from Long Island, went to Coastal Carolina University where she fell in love with ecology and learned a lot about coastal ecosystems. She will be the 2016 SCA New Hampshire Corps Interpretive Ranger serving the seacoast and Bear Brook. During the Discover the Power of Parks season she is excited to utilize her coastal book learning to impart some knowledge on park goers. She is also excited to find the hidden gems at Bear Brook State Park and share them with program participants.
Jessie Paulson – Franconia Notch State Park Interpreter
Jessie Paulson – from Charlestown NH, was a Ram at Colorado State where she earned a degree in Wildlife Management. Last summer she was a bear technician for the State of NH and is excited to utilize this knowledge as the 2016 SCA New Hampshire Interpretive Ranger at Franconia Notch State Park. During her time at Franconia Jessie hopes to inform the park patrons about human and wildlife conflicts, such as conflicts with black bears, and how to mitigate these issues.
Jake Morel – Northern Rover (Wentworth, Ellacoya, Echo Lake, Moose Brook and Crawford Notch State Parks)
Jake Morel – from New Hampton, NH, is a recent graduate from Keene State College with a Major in Geography. Jake will be the 2016 SCA New Hampshire Corps Northern Rover headed to Wentworth, Ellacoya, Echo Lake, Moose Brook, and Crawford Notch each week during the Discover the Power of Parks Interpretive Ranger Season. During Outreach Jake will head to Monadnock eager to assist hikers. Jake is looking forward to traveling to these parks and inspiring interest in the recreational opportunities while connecting individuals to nature.
Rachel Munro – Pawtuckaway State Park Interpreter
Rachel Munro – from the Atlanta, Georgia area, comes to the SCA New Hampshire Corps after having been an Environmental Educator/Interpreter at the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska. She is excited to be the 2016 Interpretive Ranger at Pawtuckaway State Park. During the Discover the Power of the Parks Season she is excited to camp and teach visitors about wildlife and edible plants.
Donny Palumbo – Umbagog Lake State Park Interpreter
Donny Plumbo – from CT, is a Graduate of Southern Connecticut State with a major in communication. Donny will be the 2016 SCA New Hampshire Corps Umbagog Lake Interpretive Ranger. Donny is excited to engage with, explore, and meet all that the North Country has to offer. During the 2016 Discover the Power of Parks and Outreach Seasons Donny is excited to reach out to the community and get more individuals excited about and visiting the park. He is also interested in delving into the nature of Bald Eagles and disseminating that information to visitors.
Natalie Strickland – Greenfield and Monadnock State Park Interpreter
Natalie Strickland – from NC, became enamored with conservation work through trail crews. She did her first trail crew with Vermont Youth Conservation Corps in NC. Since then has wanted to learn all about the different career paths one can take in the conservation field. Natalie will be the 2016 SCA New Hampshire Corps Greenfield and Monadnock State Parks Interpretive Ranger. During the Discover the Power of Parks season she is excited to divulge Greenfields’ secret spots and stargaze with visitors. During outreach at Monadnock she would like to share her knowledge of leave no trace and hike safe with park patrons.
Jillian Mather – Franconia Notch State Park Interpreter
Jillian Mather – hailing from CT, went to Georgia Southern University where she is finishing a degree in recreation and tourism. Jillian will be the 2016 SCA New Hampshire Corps Visitor Services Interpretive Ranger at Franconia Notch State Park. She is looking forward to heading to a place she has frequented a lot since childhood and help visitors enjoy their experiences there as much as she has. During the Discover the Power of Parks Season Jillian would really like to do interpretive programs on owls and get people excited to hike and climb all of the 4,000 footers.
Discover the Power of Parks is presented by New Hampshire State Parks in collaboration with the Student Conservation Association. The Discover the Power of Parks program is made possible by generous financial support from Eversource.
