National Park Service
Captain John Smith Chesapeake
National Historic Trail

June 2021

Meet Our New Ancestral Lands Interns and Seasonal Park Rangers
The Chesapeake Trail is pleased to introduce the second class of Werowocomoco Ancestral Lands Corps interns: Kalen Anderson, Rihanna Kelver, and Connor Tupponce. The trio will be based at Jamestown, the trail's headquarters. For 26 weeks, they will work alongside NPS rangers and staff in four different divisions at the park--Interpretation & Education, Law Enforcement, Facility Management, and Resource Management--in order to become familiar with how the divisions work together and operate within the greater national park system. Each division will provide opportunities to apply skills and knowledge to those same operations at Werowocomoco. Ancestral Lands interns earn educational credit as well as direct hiring authority for two years.

Two new seasonal park rangers also began work at Jamestown last month: Will Bustos and Frank Furs. Will and Frank will provide tours and talks about the trail on and around Jamestown Island. They will also provide trail education and outreach at special events throughout the summer.

Keep reading to learn more about the new additions to the trail team!

Kalen Anderson: Born in the Tidewater region of Virginia, Kalen is a citizen of the Nansemond Indian Nation located in Suffolk, Va. Last year, he graduated with an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering technology. His love of the outdoors and the history of his people have inspired an interest in pursuing additional studies in environmental history and conservation in the near future. Kalen is a member of Red Crooked Sky, a Native American dance troupe that educates audiences on Native culture through traditional dance. He enjoys fishing, hiking, kayaking, and native crafts. He hopes to gain as much knowledge as possible from his internship so that he may fully share Werowocomoco's importance as a spiritual, religious, and communal place with fellow Virginia Indians.

Rihanna Kelver: Born in Littleton, Colorado, with ancestral roots in Virginia, Rihanna is an enrolled member of the PaTow'O'Mek Tribe of Virginia and is a proud indigenous transgender woman. She studies history with a specialization in indigenous history at the University of Wyoming. She happily joins the Ancestral Lands Corps program in an effort to further preserve and protect the lands of her ancestors. 

Connor Tupponce: Connor was a member of last year's inaugural class of Ancestral Lands interns and is making a return to the program to help guide Kalen and Rihanna and to further develop his leadership skills. He is a citizen of the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe in King William, Va. He studies public administration at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Va. Connor is an avid outdoorsman with a heart for conservation.

Will Bustos: Originally from Texas, Will is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and holds a bachelor’s degree in park management from Kent State University. He enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, and fishing. Since childhood, Will has been enamored by the great outdoors and tales of hidden history. He delights in visiting all types of natural parks and wilderness areas.

Frank Furs: Frank boasts eight seasons as a seasonal park ranger for NPS, including stints as an interpretive ranger at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont, and as a visitor use assistant at Yorktown National Battlefield. Prior to his NPS affiliation, Frank's military service brought him in close touch with numerous cultures in the Far East and Europe, including the Balkans. Frank hopes that, with the help of Connor, Kalen, and Rihanna, he will increase his knowledge and understanding of the indigenous peoples of the Tidewater area. 
Kalen Anderson
Rihanna Kelver 
Connor Tupponce
Will Bustos
Frank Furs
Ranger Christine Lucero Recognized for Her Work as NPS Liaison to Commission

On April 5, the Chesapeake Trail's Manager of Interpretation and Partnerships Christine Lucero was recognized for her work as NPS liaison to the 400 Years of African-American History Commission at a ceremony at Fort Monroe National Monument.

The 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act, signed into law January 8, 2018, established a 15-member commission to coordinate events surrounding the 400th anniversary of the 1619 arrival of the first enslaved Africans to the English colonies, on the land that would become Fort Monroe, Virginia. In 1861, during the Civil War, Major General Butler of the Union Army declared enslaved people who escaped to Fort Monroe as "contraband of war" who could become recruits for military service. Thousands of enslaved people sought sanctuary at Fort Monroe, which became known as "Freedom's Fortress."

Ranger Lucero was handpicked by NPS leadership to start up and run the 400 Years Commission from February 2018 through September 2019. During that time, she developed bylaws and administrative procedures for the commission, facilitated its first election of officers, and oversaw commission meetings, among other responsibilities. The commission is still going strong after an amendment to the original legislation extended its work and, in 2020, provided federal funding via a grant program for projects that highlighted the robust history and culture of African-Americans across the United States.


Photo: Commission Chair Dr. Rex Ellis (left) presents Ranger Christine Lucero with an esteemed NPS arrowhead award. Photo courtesy of Christine Lucero.
Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week Is June 5-13

We revel in the beauty and history of our nation's largest estuary every day, but even more so during Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week, which is June 5-13.

Speaking of Bay awareness, did you know that the word "Chesapeake" is derived from the Algonquian word "Chesepiooc," which refers to a village "at a big river"? The name "Chesapeake" may refer to the Chesepian or Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe that lived in the area surrounding what is now known as Hampton Roads, Virginia.

While some believe "Chesapeake" means something like "great shellfish bay," some Algonquian linguists disagree. According to them, it more likely means something like "great water," or it may refer to a village at the bay's mouth.

Photo: A recreational fishing boat travels on the Chesapeake Bay at sunrise near Solomons, Md., on April 25, 2014. Credit: Steve Droter/Chesapeake Bay Program
National Trails Day Is June 5

Our nation's trails have provided physical and emotional respite during the pandemic, so let's be sure to show our gratitude on National Trails Day, which is this Saturday, June 5. NPS is pleased to join the American Hiking Society (AHS) in celebrating this annual day of service and advocacy for hometown trails.

"Thousands of hikers, bikers, rowers, horseback riders, trail clubs, federal and local agencies, land trusts, and businesses come together in partnership to advocate for, maintain, and clean up public lands and trails," says the AHS website. For easy ways to celebrate National Trails Day, and to take the official pledge to care for our trails and green spaces (and our water trails!), please visit National Trails Day® - American Hiking Society - First Saturday in June.

Photo: A kayaker navigates around rocks at Riverbend State Park, which is located along the Chesapeake Trail in Fairfax County, Va. Credit: NPS
Social Scene
May 8 was World Migratory Bird Day! In the Chesapeake Bay, we are lucky to have so many migratory birds to celebrate. For example, piping plovers arrive in the mid-Atlantic between mid-March and mid-May. They lay their eggs in coastal sands and are almost invisible thanks to their excellent camouflage. Breeding pairs often make their nests in the same spot every year.

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more posts like this one!

Photo credit: Sidney Maddock/NPS
Updated Susquehanna River Water Trail Maps Now Available
Updated maps of the Susquehanna River Water Trail-North Branch are now available for purchase. These waterproof maps are a must-have resource for paddling this remote, beautiful portion of the Susquehanna, as there is no cell service on this part of the river.

Maps may be purchased online at www.emheritage.org or at the Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) office at 602 Main Street, Towanda, Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit the EMHR website: New Susquehanna River Trail Maps Available – EndlessMtnLifestyles.com

Image credit: Endless Mountains Heritage Region
Book Your Summer Riverboat Tour of the Susquehanna

Explore the Susquehanna River on a free boat tour this summer! The boat tours, which leave from the Zimmerman Center for Heritage, started on Memorial Day weekend and will run through October 10. Tours are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays four times a day: 10 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:15 p.m. All boat tours depart from the Zimmerman Center, 1706 Long Level Road, Wrightsville, Pa., weather permitting. Reservations are required and can only be made online. To learn more and to book your tour, please visit River Discovery Boat Tours (susquehannaheritage.org).
The promise of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail is to help the millions of people in the region and elsewhere experience, envision, come to understand, and care to protect what the inhabitants and the explorers of the region saw 400 years ago.