The Very Tippy Top

          One of the most amazing parts of living in Big Bend is that the only thing to do on the weekend is explore. This past weekend my friends and I decided to take the 12 mile (round trip) hike to the top of Emory Peak, the highest point in the park. Here is a video from the very tippy top of the mountain.

Welcome to Big Bend

my first venture into video blogging...

letter mailing address:
Lindsey Loeper - Trails
Big Bend National Park, Texas 79834


package mailing address:
Lindsey Loeper - Trails
1 Maintenance Yard
Big Bend National Park, Texas 79834

An In-tents New Experience!

          As I sit here in a hotel room in Fort Stockton, Texas, I smile at the thought of where I will be living for the next month. Where am I going, you ask? I am on my way to Big Bend National Park, one of the most beautiful and remote places in the United States. My AmeriCorps NCCC project this round is different than my last two in several ways. First of all, round three is a ‘shuffle round’; all new teams, team leaders, and places. We are each given a chance to rank our round three projects with our personal preference and then are accordingly put on teams with those who ranked similarly to you. My top ranked project was Big Bend.

          The other major difference about this round is that we will be doing a split project. Our first month will be in Big Bend National Park, while our second month will be in Fort Davis at the Grand Companions Humane Society. So what will we be doing? Well since we have not begun work, all I know is what is in our project description, so here is an exact copy of the project description we received:

SUN UNIT ROUND 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

SPLIT PROJECT:  Big Bend National Park (APD: Stephanie San German)
Location: Big Bend

Dates: March 12 – April 12 (Dates subject to change)

Sponsor: Erik Walker

Housing:  Camping

Team: SUN 6

Team Leader: Joel

     This project is perfect for the outdoor oriented team who is open to working and living in primitive camping conditions while engaged in rigorous outdoor work. The Trail Program and AmeriCorps NCCC members will work together to comprehensively maintain priority trails park-wide which would include general repairs, proper pruning of vegetation and cleaning of drainage systems along trail corridors.  The project outcome will provide well maintained, sustainable trails for visitors to safely hike, learn about Big Bend’s natural and cultural resources and also preserve the environmental integrity for future generations.  The team will use pack mules to conduct backcountry spikes for three to four weeks of the project. The team may be helping with vegetation management and the preparation and execution of the park’s international border opening event.  Contingent on funding approval, the team may also be helping out with the construction of a new trail.  This will be an epic, fun and rewarding experience for all involved as well as provide improved access to the 350,000 visitors to Big Bend National Park annually.

     The team will be camping at a base-camp and may participate in a multi-day wilderness camping trips.  The team should be prepared to execute physically strenuous work, and camp and hike in remote backcountry areas under uncomfortable climactic conditions (heat and rain).

     Inclement Weather Plan:  Team will refurbish and sharpen tools, attend an Interpretive Ranger Program, assist with the park recycling program or change work location to be in a safer environment.

SPLIT PROJECT: Grand Companion Humane Society (APD: Stephanie San German)
Location: Fort Davis, TX

Dates: April 13 – May 4 (Dates subject to change)

Sponsor: Laura Langham

Housing:  House

Team:  SUN 6

Team Leader: Joel

     Great for a team that is interested in learning about animal care and training. Patience and willingness to learn will be key.  Every day at Grand Companions is a numbers game, with every number being the life of a pet saved.  The AmeriCorps team would provide invaluable resources that could significantly increase those numbers. Our services keep unwanted pets off the streets and increases the quality of our residents' communities and lives. The team's adoption outreach within the tri-county area, marketing efforts through flyers, handouts and radio ads and showing pets at our thrift store will dramatically increase visibility, socialization and adoptions for our programs.  In addition a group of team members will be working at the Adoption Center to prepare newer pets for adoption through cutting edge socialization, bathing, grooming and positive reinforcement behavior training that significantly reduce the adoption return rate.  There may also be the opportunity for team members may to participate in story time with a pet at the local library or at a women's shelter. 

     A rotation group of team members will also be completing critical projects our organization would be unable to complete or would take our valuable program staffing hours without the help of AmeriCorps team.  These projects include site clean up, thrift store improvements, recycling projects, fence building, landscape improvements and more.  Every project will benefit the community by supporting recycling, providing comunity beautification, and assisting us in increasing the number of pets we place, which will allow us to keep animals off the street and save pet lives.

          I wish I could easily express my excitement about this project right now, but unfortunately it is almost 1am here and my enthusiasm toward writing is not high. I hope to be able to write weekly in Big Bend; the visitor center down the road from our campsite should have wifi. Wow, sorry, this post really should sound a lot happier, I promise I am ecstatic about the next two months, but right now I am just ecstatic about going to sleep. Good night.

Gone, but Never Forgotten

          Today I write to you from my dorm room in Denver, Colorado. It’s wonderful to be back with all my friends, but I can’t deny that I am still greatly missing Arkansas Children’s Hospital. We had a wonderful last week there and the people we worked with made it known how much they truly appreciated our presence. On Monday, the culmination of all my hard work with Kelley, the hospital photographer, manifested into the greatest opportunity I have had in AmeriCorps so far, and invite to photograph on the Arkansas state senate floor! Awards were to be presented by the governor to several hospital staff and, of course, a photographer would be needed to photograph this event. So I put on my AmeriCorps best and entered the capitol building. After the award ceremony I got the opportunity to tour the capitol building; this completely white marble structure built in 1915 definitely impressed. As we entered the governor’s office, the governor walked up right behind us and began to chat like any other person would! Cool! All-in-all it was a fabulous day and I will forever be thankful for the privilege I received that day.



The man in the red tie, yup, thats the governor!



A photo I took inside, facing the House


          On our last day, Thursday, the team was presented with a gorgeous southern style ‘thank you’ lunch. All of our supervisors were invited to eat with us and asked to talk about how we made a difference at the hospital and in their lives. We then said our thank yous and goodbyes and returned to our apartments to pack. We left Little Rock at 8am Friday morning and as I watched the hospital fade into the distance I shed a tear and thought of all the wonderful things it has taught and showed me. Here is some of the knowledge I have gathered from my time there:

1. It is better to see an ambulance then a hearse.
2. It is better to hear crying then hear nothing at all.
3. A loving embrace can cure more than it is given credit for.
4. Death, sadly, is a part of life. It does not need to be understood, only accepted.
5. Give thanks for your health everyday because tomorrow it could be gone.

I love my family and friends very much and wish all of you happiness, healthiness, and peace of mind.

Our Final Weekend

          Oh, but we still have so much more to do and see! This is what Sun 5 had been saying all week as we realized this (now past) weekend was our last in Little Rock. The city has continued to blow me away with the activities it provides and proximity to beautiful nature. On Saturday (2/25) the team was finally able to take the trip to Petit Jean State Park. With its interesting Native American past and amazing natural wonders, this was a must-see while in Arkansas. We took the difficult but beautiful hike down to the bottom of the parks biggest attraction, Cedar Falls. Here are some pictures!





see that little white dot? yup! thats me behind the waterfall!

          On Sunday (2/26) our team decided to have a final team dinner at a popular local diner called the Purple Cow. This adorable family diner had plenty of purple food, their specialty of course; however none of the team took the venture to try it! Still good food and a wonderful AmeriFamily night!

We Love The Weekend!

          I have absolutely no ability to concentrate right now, but I promised I would write so I'll make this short and sweet. Here are the past 3 weekends, condensed!

We worked at the Ronald McDonald Foundation House one weekend. I may not be in support of McDonald's the restaurant, but seeing what they do for the parents of the kids at the hospital, I am so thankful for the help this foundation provides.



 Little Rock's Central High School is one of the most famous high school in the country and certainly the most important when it comes to the civil rights movement. Across from the high school is a museum dedicated to the Little Rock Nine and their stories. It was wonderful to see and stand in a place with such a rich history concerning the development of our nation.





Every Sunday we work at a downtown Little Rock museum called The Museum of Discover. This hands-on science museum is packed full of all kinds of amazing things to do. Our job is to 'go have fun' because 'if your playing with the exhibit, others will want to too and then you can teach them about it!', Sweet job, huh.

Arkansas is home to Bill Clinton, the father of the AmeriCorps program so, naturally, we had to go see the museum and library dedicated to him! The museum was surprisingly intriguing containing a mock Oval Office, a Lego Display, the actual presidential limo that was driven during his era, and, of course, a whole section dedicated to AmeriCorps!



Experience and Exploration

          Who knew Arkansas could be so exciting?! The last few weeks have proved just as amazing as the first few and now we only have two more to go! My morning job with the hospital photographer has continued to provide me with an invaluable and varying experience. I have been given access to conferences gathering some of the most elite doctors in our country, saw firsthand how photos of a baby in Arkansas can help doctors in Chicago diagnose a new genetic disease, and, of course, photographed some of the cutest kids on the planet. I wish I could show you all the pictures I have been taking, but unfortunately they are all property of the hospital or a violation of patient rights so you will have to use your imagination... so imagine something really good!
          My afternoon jobs in the ITU and NICU have also continued just as wonderfully as they began. It has surprised me how quickly I adapt to seeing 'that which make most cringe' and can now stand bedside with a child and watch as treatments are performed. This self realization has led me to dabble with the idea of becoming a pediatric nurse or physical therapist. I had never once even pondered such a thought as having a career in the medical field, but working here in the hospital has uncovered my curiosity about the human body and psyche and shown me that I have the strength, intelligence, and personality to succeed in the medical field. Of course, nothing is certain at the moment, but now I know there is a wealth of new careers out there for my consideration.
          It’s getting late so I am splitting this post up into several different posts. Tomorrow I will write about what we have been doing when not at work!



team photo in front of the hospital!