A Student’s Recollection of Working at Arches National Park
An Interview With A Former Student Conservation Association Employee on What It Was Really Like
Have you ever wondered what it must be like to spend your college years as a student volunteer at one of our national parks? The kind of camaraderie and life long friendships that would develop, all the off grid places you might learn about.
But how do you find opportunities like that and get started? Do you get paid? Where do you live? What requirements do you have to meet to be considered? All of these questions and more came to mind when I met Lauren Suchy Marzinelli who spent several months working at Arches National Park as part of the Student Conservation Association back in her 20s. So, I asked her if I could interview her and here is where that conversation led.
[Note: this article may contain affiliate links.]
1. I understand that you worked as a volunteer/intern at Arches National Park. How long ago did you work there? How old were you?
I was 23 when I worked there in 2011. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years! I volunteered through the Student Conservation Association (SCA).
2. How long did you volunteer/work there for?
I arrived in late February of 2011 and left in early September. Most of the volunteer blocks for our internships were 3-4 months, but I did both a spring and summer internship.
3. How did you hear about this opportunity?
To complete credit requirements, I took a class called Outdoor Adventures during my last semester of college at the University of Illinois. There was a flyer for SCA in the classroom; I researched it a bit and went from there!
4. Was this part of the Pathways Program for current students and recent graduates that they still offer today? Was it overseen directly by the National Park Service?
It is not part of the Pathways Program. SCA did at the time, however, partner with AmeriCorps. Therefore, I received an AmeriCorps stipend when the internship was completed to use toward future education. The NPS did oversee our program. Our direct managers were NPS employees.
5. What kind of requirements did you have to meet, if any?
I honestly can’t remember! I know we had to be over 18. We sent in a pretty lengthy application, had multiple references, and then interviewed by phone.
6. What kind of training did you have to go through?
It was a pretty thorough training. We had classroom training with park policy, general facts, and search and rescue training. Then, we had field training and shadowed rangers for park programs and guided hikes.
7. Were you paid for your services or was it strictly volunteer work?
We were given a stipend of $75 per week and free housing in the park.
8. Did you get to choose which park you wanted to work at or did they choose for you?
We applied to the parks we were interested in. Many programs had different start dates so the available positions fluctuated. I interviewed with Arches and Pinnacles. I also applied to Great Smoky Mountains (and probably some more- can’t fully recall!).
Photo: Lauren in her SCA uniform. SCA staff don’t get the official flat-brimmed hat and green and gray uniforms like other park employees.
9. Can you tell me a little bit about how the program works? What was expected of you during a typical day? What were your responsibilities?
Long answer coming!
Our job as an interpretation intern was pretty much the role of an interpretation park guide. We generally spent half the day in the visitor’s center working the front desk. At the front desk, we answered visitor questions, provided permits to backcountry areas, and, my favorite, reviewed the junior ranger booklets and gave them their badges :-). Other types of shifts included guided tours, evening programs, or a rove shift. The front desk gave us time to chat and learn a lot from the staff, as it was generally a NPS employee and intern together. The guided tour and evening program could be whatever subject we wanted (manager approved, of course).
We also could take time to research for the programs as part of our day. And then the rove shifts were essentially to hike anywhere in the park to give employee presence. We’d generally hike the more crowded areas in order to talk to folks on the trails and educate them about the park, but we could also go hike some of the lesser traveled trails and backcountry. Also, on super hot days, I’d often stand at the trailheads making sure people had water during my rove shift. Honestly, the most intimidating responsibility was making sure we kept the NPS cars in good shape. Driving a government vehicle is a lot of pressure!
10. Where did you live while working there? Were you housed with others in dormitory style cabins or bunks?
We had cute little ranch houses along the entrance road that we lived in. It was a typical 3 bedroom/2 bath house, but better than anything I lived in during college! Everyone had their own room, which was nice. We did not have internet or cable in the house. If we needed internet, we had to walk to the visitor’s center to use the WiFi there. Luckily I also had an iPhone with (very slow) 3G.
11. What was it like working there? Did you enjoy it? Did you develop life-long friendships? Was there a sense of camaraderie among workers?
Yeah, overall I loved it! Sometimes it still feels unreal. I loved being able to spend a huge majority of my day outside, and the views were always amazing. And I never stopped learning. I really never got bored of the park.
I absolutely have made lifelong friends- a few even made it to my wedding! Some I talk to regularly, some I haven’t really talked to since leaving, but I would happily hug them if I saw them today. Personalities clash, especially when you work, live, and socialize together (we really were all each other had), but I learned something from and respect all of my previous colleagues at the park. It was a cool mix of people.
12. So, I picture it in my mind like living in the college dorms, a bunch of young people hanging out together, going to parties, just a lot of fun during the down time. Is that what it was like?
So it’s definitely a bit like dorm life, but a little more structured. Having our own houses and rooms let us have some personal space, which helped us feel more like adults. I had a few friends that visited during my time there, and one said it was like an adult summer camp, and the other said it was like a less dramatic version of the Real World with no cameras.
Everyone had different shifts and different days off, and generally during days off, people would take day or weekend trips (for example, my weekend was Thursday and Friday). Some people had a shift at 7 am while others didn’t start until 11 am. So, there weren’t any super wild parties or late nights since some people had to be up early or were off traveling.
Photo; Neighboring Moab
We definitely threw some tame get togethers though or went to the bars in Moab (very few). But overall, there were a lot of nights where we just sat around a bonfire or took night hikes. I would also have a lot of family dinners with my housemates as well.
13. Did you have special access to parts of the park that the general public were not allowed?
Not really! The only no public access area would’ve been the employee part of the visitor center, which is nothing exciting haha. We did know the backcountry areas well, which is generally missed by the average visitor.
14. What are your favorite things to do and see at Arches?
To me, Delicate Arch absolutely lives up to the hype. Some of my former colleagues would disagree, but it’s so fascinating and beautiful. You get this stunning arch that is solo on this rock, with the La Sal mountains and Colorado River valley in the background. It’s just majestic. If you can find a moment there alone, it’s even more special.
Photo: Lauren at one of her favorite spots, Delicate Arch.
I also loved Double Arch near the windows at night. It was a great place to sit and look up at the stars through the arch. And then the Fiery Furnace was a super cool area to explore, but go with someone who knows the route through it! The Park Avenue hike was my favorite for trail running. My favorite parts weren’t really off the beaten path. Boring and predictable, I know!
15. Well, I think that’s the reason they’re popular, because they are so great. So, how much time did you have off to explore the park and neighboring areas?
We had 2 days off a week. Everyone had varying “weekend” days off, and we often became close with the people who had the same schedules as us because they turned into travel buddies.
Often times, people would go camping or explore during that time, and sometimes it would be used just to go do some normal things. The closest Target was in Grand Junction, Colorado, so some weekends were spent just getting back to civilization. When I was moving to Utah to work there, I took a 2 week long road trip with one of my best friends to see the southwest before I started working, which was another way to take advantage of exploring the area.
16. I know Canyonlands National Park is nearby, did you spend time there as well?
Yes, I spent a lot of time in the Island in the Sky (ISKY) and Needles sections of Canyonlands. I never went to The Maze section.
Photo: Canyonlands National Park
I actually worked two shifts at ISKY, which was a fun change of pace. One of my friends during my time at Arches worked/lived in the Needles section so I did plenty of hiking there too. We met interns from all over the Southeast Utah Group, so we had friends in various different parks and monuments in the area.
Side note, The Maze is generally very backcountry and it is super important to be prepared and as safe as possible going there. Remember the movie 127 Hours with James Franco!
17. What was your favorite place in Canyonlands?
Upheaval Dome is really cool geologically (ISKY). Also the confluence overlook is interesting- watching the Green and Colorado rivers merge is super cool (Needles). If you’re ready for a big hike, Chesler Park is great (bring a lot of water).
18. I absolutely love remote camping and getting off the beaten track. Do you have any tips for me about what some of the park’s secret must-sees that the general public doesn’t necessarily hear about?
I do! I think the Fiery Furnace is commonly heard about, but it’s a backcountry area that requires a tour or permits. Even though it’s known about, you feel isolated once you’re in it.
(Sorry, guys the next places she shared I was sworn to secrecy about!)
19. I know that Zion is extremely advanced in its environmental efforts, probably more than any other national park. Has Arches taken steps to go green, use solar energy, recycle more or use water filling station instead of plastic water bottles?
Zion is the best! And it’s actually my favorite park (sorry, Arches) and part of the reason for that is their bus system. When I was there 10 years ago, options to cut down on traffic and emissions were being studied and discussed. There are still occasional public forums posted regarding the planning. I’m not sure how much progress has happened over these last 10 years, but I know it’s important to the staff working there. There are solar panels on some of the park buildings.
Photo: Lauren Suchy Marzinelli in her “claim to fame” photo at the Visitor’s Center.
We do have water spigots in the park to refill reusable bottles. My single claim to fame in my life is that I’m actually the person holding the water bottle in the poster over the water spigot at the visitor’s center. As of 2020, it was still there, but may have been taken down since! For anyone that visits, take hydration seriously! I saw quite a few people get sick from dehydration and overheating.
20. What would you say to someone wanting to volunteer at Arches or one of our other national parks? What suggestions do you have for them to get started? Any tips?
The SCA was a great way to gain experience, and the process is self explanatory through the site. If you know any other interns, ask them to give you a reference. Even though we were volunteers, we really were able to get the NPS experience. There are a few other ways to volunteer or intern in the parks- so definitely apply (especially if you can afford to live on a stipend, which sounds like an oxymoron).
If you’d rather skip the internship and apply for a park job with the NPS, applying through USAJOBs.gov is the only way, but remember many people are applying for the same roles. Once you’re in with the park service and you’re in good standing, you’re generally in like cement. Look at seasonal positions at smaller parks and go from there.
A fee booth job in a small national monument might not sound as exciting as a backcountry ranger job in Yellowstone, but it gets you into the park system. This kind of falls into the best advice I was given while working at the park, “you don’t get points for pretty.” Don’t focus on the glamour- work in any capacity at the park, wear the huge hiking boots, sunscreen, hat, and long pants, bring the huge pack of water and salty snacks. Being safe and healthy makes it way more fun (learned from experience!).
Thanks so much for this chance to relive the glory days!
Read More…
Looking for Stories About My National Park Mishaps & Adventures?
Don’t Ever Ask What Else Could Go Wrong - A story about traveling to Death Valley National Park
