Leah Duran, Oakland, CA

At the John Muir National Historic Site, I lead visitors through John Muir’s Victorian mansion, which showcases the original desk where he penned his ideas on the importance of preserving national spaces. As permanent park guide, I share my passion for the earth through ranger programs, conversation, and writing. After graduating from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in parks management, I decided to join AmeriCorps with the intent of giving back, a small “thank you” for life’s generous gifts. My introduction to the conservation field and the NPS began with an SCA internship at Montezuma Castle National Monument in Arizona. I was hooked, and resolved to travel, work in beautiful places, and learn and grow in ways I never before considered. At SCA Massachusetts, I shared my knowledge with students and carved trails and tree trunks with the chainsaw. In exchange, I learned the meaning of community and how to live close to the land. Afterward, I called the Grand Canyon home as an SCA habitat restoration intern before landing a job at Lassen Volcanic National Park. While serving with the NPS, I plan to keep merging my love of communication and conservation, with the idea that words can translate first to appreciation, then to action. My hope is to alight sparks, to kindle not only appreciation of these special places, but the desire to DO something, to live more consciously and lightly. I am thrilled to be involved again with the SCA, and to help enrich the lives of others while we all work towards more harmonious living.