2025 Interpretive Internships: Creating Lifelong Park Stewards
How a growing internship program is enriching the state park experience for visitors and interns alike
Interpretive programs are at the heart of learning and discovery in state parks. When parks get busy, this can limit the capacity for ranger talks and educational programming. In 2025, Washington State Parks Foundation donors helped fund three interpretive interns for the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center along with Lewis and Clark State Park and Ike Kinswa State Park. These interns served the Upper Cowlitz area to fill the gap and provide visitors with a rich, interactive park experience. The program had a transformative impact, inspiring visitors to learn about nature and stewardship, and launching interns as the next generation of public lands stewards and conservationists.
Maximizing learning about the natural world
The Upper Cowlitz area’s intern program is one of the only natural resources-related internships in the region and is quickly growing in popularity. Selected applicants are enthusiastic and dedicated to making a difference for park visitors.
Collectively, these passionate young interns delivered interpretive programs to 1,894 visitors at Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, Lewis and Clark State Park, and Ike Kinswa State Park. Thanks to their efforts, visitors had an abundance of opportunities to learn about the natural world at these iconic parks, including the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, old-growth forests, and wildlife. The Mount St. Helens Visitor Center saw 4,000 more visitors in 2025 than the year prior, exemplifying the need for extra support. The interpretive opportunities interns offered deepened the connection visitors made with parks and helped create lifelong memories.
Inspiring youth to be public lands champions
Kids especially benefit from the hands-on learning interns provide. All three parks participate in the Junior Ranger program, which takes kids through interactive activities and puzzles to learn about parks and ecosystems. Interns spent time awarding Junior Geologists and Junior Rangers with a special badge upon completion of their exploration booklets, inspiring the next generation to protect public lands.
Creating lasting resources for parks
Each intern also had the unique opportunity to develop resources for parks based on their personal interests. One intern created an invasive flora and fauna species guide staff use with visitors at the front desk and on guided nature hikes. Another sampled Silver Lake near Seaquest State Park to create a plankton ID guide, and the third produced an aquatic invasive species brochure. These resources help visitors learn more about and become better stewards of the ecosystems they’re exploring.
Developing the next generation of conservation leaders
The investment in these young leaders goes far beyond just one summer. Many state parks interns go on to work in public lands, natural resources, and outdoor recreation, revealing the lasting impact these programs have on young people interested in the field. This is a win-win-win for intern program participants, state parks, and visitors like you.
Intern programs in Washington State Parks are rare but incredibly powerful. This program serves as a unique opportunity both to enhance the visitor experience and promote outdoor interpretation as a career path for young people in Southwest Washington. Thanks to donor support, the Washington State Parks Foundation is funding the Upper Cowlitz Area’s intern program for the next two summers. As the program grows, visitors, park staff, and interns alike reap continued benefits of their learning and connection in the outdoor world.