Upper Delaware S&RR

This summer I will be interning as an interpretive park ranger with the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in Pennsylvania and New York. I'll be working at informational kiosks along the river, educating people and ensuring safety. I'll also be patrolling the river by canoe, talking with visitors and making sure they are wearing life vests. Another task of mine will be to create and present educational programs about different aspects of the park and the environment.



For the past week I've been training and getting to know my fellow interns and seasonal rangers. The blue house below is where myself and 2 other interns will be staying for the summer. It's located in the extremely small town of Lackawaxen, PA (a lot like Unity), and practically sits on the Delaware River.



Our house is right in front of the Roebling Bridge, the oldest existing wire suspension bridge in the U.S. It was originally built as an aqueduct for the Delaware and Hudson Canal by John A. Roebling (the same guy who designed the Brooklyn Bridge). Right down the street from us is the Zane Grey museum, which the park service also owns and operates out of. I never knew how much history actually surrounded the river until I got this internship.


The past few days have consisted of lots of sitting, listening and reading. We started the week at park headquarters, meeting the superintendent and listening to various people talk about what their jobs are there. The next few days were spent at the Zane Grey Museum, learning about interpretation, the history of Zane Grey and the museum itself. We also learned about the Roebling Bridge and kiosk operations, and also received various pieces of equipment to use throughout the summer (radio, life vest, paddle, dry bags, binoculars, uniforms, etc.).

I took the above picture on Thursday when we had our tour of the park. It is from a lookout above the river called Hawk's Nest. The tour took pretty much all day because the park stretches about 73 miles. We saw where all the different accesses and kiosks were, along with other hot spots on the river. On Friday we took a trip to the Delaware Water Gap and pretty much just explored all day.

The river and the area around it is beautiful, and I've seen a bald eagle nearly every day I've been here so far. Everyone I've met so far is very nice, and they're willing to help you out if you need anything. My housemates and I have gotten along great so far, and I'm excited to get to know them more throughout the summer. I'm excited to start working, and I'm more than proud to be a part of the Upper Delaware S&RR, which is helping to preserve this amazing piece of the natural world.

-Lara