It all began with an arduous backpacking trip through Yellowstone when I was 18. I thought I my heart would burst from exhaustion! We were eaten alive by mozzies and had to stay in our tent for almost an entire day, due to torrential rains and hail. Then to experience Bechler Meadows and the confluence of cold and hot spring fed creeks…the pain was gone. A few years later I worked as an intern at Devils Postpile National Monument and again at Joshua Tree National Park, both in California. Those years shaped me into the person I am today. Besides the technical conservation skills learned, I remember the feelings of overwhelming happiness the best. So far, those have been the best years of my life and I know that I will return to working for our Parks someday.
Sincerely,
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is home to the tallest mountain in the Lower 48 and the largest tree on earth. Mount Whitney's granite peak rises 14,505 feet above sea level on the arduous High Sierra trail. General Sherman, a sequoia in the Giant Forest, is the world's most voluminous living tree specimen, standing 275 feet high with a base circumference of over 100 feet. The park also features spectacular waterfalls and more than 200 marble caves.
State(s): California
Established: 1890
“Park employees sacrifice a lot to protect the spaces that most may see for a few days. It's their commitment to living in these remote parts of the world that need protection and funding. Without proper staffing the places that we long for while sitting at our desks or driving through traffic would become open to development, forever changing their landscape.”
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