Jonathon Gaare interned as a seasonal Park Ranger Interpreter for the National Park Service at the nearby Fire Island National Seashore and focused his project on science communication during a pandemic. The role of the Interpreter is to use their diverse wealth of knowledge of the park to engage and inspire visitors to learn about and enjoy its beautiful spaces. Jonathon found that due to the pandemic, traditional methods of science communication and interaction needed to be modified to maintain safety for all involved while still effectively sharing information and fostering visitor interest and investment in the local environment. Traditional communication tools, such as visitor centers could not be opened to the public, so fixed-point interpretation at doorways and frequent roving of the field were used to maintain good communication and capitalize on educational opportunities with visitors. Jonathon helped develop the “Watch Hill Expedition,” a combination of a self-guided tour and a scavenger hunt, which visitors could take part in rather than the traditional guided tours that would normally have been given. Jonathon spent much of the summer stationed at the Sailors Haven Visitors Center which is adjacent to the Sunken Forest. Using concepts learned in the MCP program he was able to provide a frontline opportunity for visitors to observe and recognize the true effects of sea level rise on this globally rare maritime holly forest.
Jonathon Gaare (MA, 2020)
