Park Improvement Projects – Intern Programs

Washington State Parks have rich histories and diverse natural environments. Park staff and interns are key to inspiring visitor interest and learning about all our parks have to offer. In 2024, donors helped us support interpretive naturalist internship programs in various parks, expanding staff impact.  

Interpretation is a tool park staff and interns use to enhance visitor learning. Instead of reciting facts, presenters may tell stories, create interactive activities, or use exhibits to create a collaborative learning environment. Our 2024 interns used these techniques to deepen learning and maximize fun for our park visitors. 

Interpretive Naturalist Intern Program 

This summer, the Upper-Cowlitz area hosted two interpretive naturalist interns serving Mount St. Helens Visitor Center, Lewis and Clark State Park, and Ike Kinswa State Park. The interns engaged over 1,000 visitors with many different learning experiences, like the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, old-growth forests at Lewis and Clark, and wildlife at Ike Kinswa. 

The interns were especially impactful for kids. They helped pledge in Junior Rangers, recruiting more young park visitors to learn about and protect parks. Having interns also freed up park staff to do more outreach programs, like working with groups connecting underserved youth to outdoor recreation. 

The internship program not only benefited park visitors but also built confidence in participating young adults interested in the natural resource field. This summer’s interns took on exciting projects around their own interests, including developing a hiking guide and photo journal of park trails. Staff look forward to hosting more donor-supported interns in the 2025 season. 

Deception Pass Recycling Intern 

Recycling isn’t always common practice, despite its benefit for the environment. Recycling efforts at Deception Pass State Park have historically been difficult because of limited recycling services in Island County and the staff labor it takes to sort trash.  

Thanks to donor support, Deception Pass hired a Sustainability Intern to help pilot a recycling program at the Cranberry Lake Campground in the summer of 2024. 

The intern managed a recycling pop-up to engage with visitors about recycling best practices and the impacts of plastic on ocean ecosystems. Throughout the summer, the intern refined the recycling program to reach more visitors, including setting up recycling activities at the campground on Friday Game Nights and driving around the campsite for recycling pick-up. 

The recycling program was a success—campers recycled 1,088 pounds of waste over the summer! The intern’s model offers opportunities for continued recycling programs at Deception Pass and beyond.