As a Heavenly/Taylor Creek Visitor Center Interpretive Ranger, Natasha Puri is presented with the challenge of interfacing with a large segment of the public and helping them to better understand the value of the wild spaces they visit. As Natasha tells us, “throughout the Heavenly summer season (July-September), I led more than 80 public tours and educated hundreds of visitors on the cultural and ecological history of the Lake Tahoe Basin.” Fortunately, Natasha comes to the task well-equipped, both in terms of her expertise and her spirit.
Natasha graduated from UC Santa Cruz with an Environmental Sciences degree. Upon graduation, she worked as a field technician at Freshwater Life, a non-profit organization partnered with the National Park Service, conducting invasive trout removal in Yosemite’s alpine regions. “Shortly after that, I worked at Caltrans as an Environmental Scientist performing environmental impact reports,” she explains. “Although I learned many great project management and GIS mapping skills at Caltrans, I am passionate about fieldwork and interpersonal relationships with community members. During this career break, I regularly volunteered with a non-profit organization, Save the Bay, to support my career aspirations.”
This passion made her a natural fit for her current position. Her work during the summer season included managing the U. S. Forest Service informational booth at Heavenly Mountain in order to strengthen the partnership between the entities. At Taylor Creek Visitor Center, she performs a variety of activities: “I provide visitor information and services by leading interpretive tours, managing clerical duties, and performing maintenance operations, design and installation of public signage, lopping, installing aquarium magnets. More recently, I lead academic field visits to educate elementary students about fish life cycle and local ecology.”
Clearly, Natasha’s contribution to GBI and our visitor services is greatly valued, so we are thrilled to hear that we have been able to provide a stage on which she can further develop her skills and understanding on what goes into interpretation and public education: “Interpretive work with GBI has brought to my reality the public’s need for updated and accurate information and education. I am learning the importance of community engagement to push healthy change in our local areas. I believe to succeed as an interpretive educator, I need to be a credible resource and it is my responsibility to dive deeper into the questions I do not know. This experience has improved my confidence in relaying knowledge and public speaking skills. Additionally, this has helped me gain clarity on my next career steps in environmental policy and education.”
