In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month this May, we are highlighting three parks rich in AANPHI history and culture that our SCA crew members have recently or will soon be helping to protect.
1. Manzanar National Historic Site
Manzanar War Relocation Center in California was one of ten camps where the federal government incarcerated Japanese immigrants ineligible for citizenship and Japanese Americans during World War II. Today, Manzanar National Historic Site seeks to preserve the stories and experiences of the lives confined to those grounds. Interns help manage artifacts and archival material and assist with exhibit cleaning, preparation and installation.
2. Voyageurs National Park
Signs of Native Americans are scattered throughout Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, making it critical to protect and share the unique cultural history shaped by the water and lands of this park. SCA alumni teams are experienced crews helping protect these ancestral lands through service projects, including removing invasive species, installing signs and rehabilitating the Locator and Shoepack Lake trail systems.
3. War in the Pacific National Historical Park
This park conserves the natural and historic values of Guam and commemorates those who participated in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Guam’s reefs have been severely impacted by elevated sea surface temperatures resulting in significant coral bleaching and mortality on a near-annual basis. SCA interns will help address this issue by developing a nursery that will be used to propagate and outplant critical coral species.
*Source: National Park Service, nps.gov