My Second Grand Adventure

This spring break for our Raider Service Break we went to the Grand Canyon and worked with the interpretation department helping visitors that were coming to the canyon. We arrived on Sunday evening and met with Todd Nelson and Rachele Funk who went over our schedules with us and give us an idea of what we would be doing throughout the week. After this, Todd had a National Parks volunteer trivia game for us to play and we all got some “schwagg”. On Monday, we had our first educational sessions and met with Tessa, one of the Wildlife Technicians at the park. We learned that there are over 350 species of birds, over 90 species of mammals, over 40 species of reptiles, over 10 species of amphibians, and over 15 species of fish at the Grand Canyon. Also, that there are 22 to 23 species of bats which is the highest number of species in a U.S. National Park. We learned about some of the research projects such as them continually checking the bats to check and see if any of them have White-Nose Syndrome since it is a fatal disease that has started to spread across the country. Their efforts to increase the population of the California Condor by breeding them in captivity. Also, the methods they are looking into for population control of the beefalo on the North Rim of the canyon. There are currently around 600 to 1,000 beefalo on the North Rim of the canyon. However, the canyon can only support around 200 beefalo which means that currently the beefalo is having a detrimental effect on the canyon. Thus, they are looking into ways to control the population of the beefalo. One of the most surprising things I learned at the session was how much the dam that was built to create Lake Powell affected the habits of the wildlife at the canyon. For example, before the dam was built big horn sheep and pumas used to seasonally move across the Colorado River, which runs through the canyon, however now they only move up and down the river but not across it.

After the educational session we met with Rachele to get our volunteer gear, which consisted of a hat, a jacket, a reflective vest, and a walkie talkie, and began our first day of service. For our service we were split into pairs, and placed at different locations around the Visitor Center and locations near the Visitor Center. On Tuesday we along with UTSA met with Rachele and she told us about different opportunities the National Parks Service offers in terms of volunteer work and jobs. Wednesday was our free day where we got to explore the South Rim of the canyon and visit some of the places we had been telling people about during the week. Thursday, we met with Colleen at the Museum Collection to learn about the park’s cultural and natural history collections. We learned that there are 1.7 million items in the cultural and natural history collections, 99% of which are at the park. There are around 500,000 species in the natural history collection.

Throughout our time at the Grand Canyon we learned numerous things from different educational sessions, and helped over 11,000 visitors while we were there. Some of the questions I received from visitors made me either think about assumption(s) that I had or assumption(s) other people had about people from Texas. I had gone on the Raider Service Break to the Grand Canyon last spring break so I knew there was wildlife at the canyon. I assumed that everyone knew that a female animal will protect its young by any means necessary. However, one day while we were there we had a group of elk, 2 females and a calf, show up close to the path that goes along the rim of the canyon. While I was helping keep people from getting too close to the elk I had at least 3 different groups of people ask me why they needed to stay far away, and why the elk would charge. I explained to them that the one female had just had the calf a few months ago and might charge if she felt her baby was being threatened. They acted like they had never thought about that or even considered it. That surprised me a little bit, but the part that surprised me the most from that experience is that I actually had groups ask me if they could see the elk charge someone. Not them specifically but some other person. I don’t understand why anyone would want to actually see someone get charged by an elk. Another time I met a group of people that were from Australia and Canada, and while we were talking they learned that I was with a group of people from Texas. After they found this out they asked me if we had all ridden horses up here, and if everyone in Texas rides horses. I explained to them that we drove cars to the canyon, and that not everyone in Texas rides horses. This made me think about whether or not other people from other countries assumed that everyone in Texas still rode horses.

One positive experience I had while participating in this service break was when a couple that I had talked with earlier one day about different places they could visit to see different parts of the park actually took the time to stop by before they left and tell me thank you for helping them and that I was doing a great job. One reason our service was important is that it helped minimize the number of people in line inside the Visitor Center that were needing questions answered. Since we were at different points nearby we could help people answer their questions quickly rather than them possibly having to stand in a long line at the Visitor Center and wait 45 minutes to find out how to get to a certain view point, or find out which way to go just to see the canyon. Another reason that what we were doing is important is that since there were more people out and about helping people answer their questions then they were able to have a better experience compared to if they had ended up just wandering around not knowing where to go. Now that I have completed this RSB I plan on doing my best to participate in more local service breaks, and I have also been thinking about getting some kind of job dealing with alternative service breaks after I graduate.

-Aaron Perkins