Working for Grand Teton National Park

May 29th- Summer!

What a beautiful place to call home for the summer. I feel very lucky to be able to explore this park and work on a really awesome social science team as an intern. I started exactly a week ago and it has already been a whirlwind! I’m settling in now- this evening my roommate and I trail ran and really enjoyed those views. This park is super special, the Tetons are visible from almost every spot in the park, the wildlife is abundant- marmots, bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, moose, black and grizzly bears, pikas… the list goes on. It’s also wildflower season and the lupin are the first to make an appearance. Will have to head to lupin meadows at some point. I’m learning a lot about the park very quickly, just from driving around, looking at maps, talking to coworkers. I have a giant list of outdoor recreation activities that I must do this summer, and the list just keeps growing. In addition to outdoor recreation, Jackson and neighboring towns have an abundance of events, from concerts to art showcases to farmers markets to climbing workshops. Perks of living in a tourist town I gather.

The transition has definitely not been the smoothest or easiest but I’m finding my footing, meeting some very kind people and starting to dig into my work. It helps to be in a beautiful place with lots of fun sights to see and events to attend. On Saturday, a group went to the Snake River Fund River Fest, celebrating the Snake River. There was a live reggae band and even though the weather was rainy and chilly, people showed up and had a good time!

Being in Jackson means I need to get a nice cowboy hat, learn to swing dance, and visit the Cowboy Bar. Oh and try sloshies, a very big thing in this town- if you haven’t heard of these, look them up. Oh and the National Museum of Wildlife Art was incredible! They had an event so we got in free and they had a Thomas Moran exhibit on display and a women in wildlife art exhibit. Moran did a ton of work in Yellowstone, among other parks.