In this episode host, Dave Barak chats with Hannah Murray, a 6-year-old volunteer at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, who is joined by her mother Elizabeth. They discuss why Hannah loves volunteering at a national park and why others should consider volunteering at their closest national park.

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TRANSCRIPT:

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[intro music begins]

Dave: Welcome to my Park story presented by the National Park Service. People form connections with their favorite national parks and programs, and this parkcast is a place to come together and share those stories. I'm your host, Dave Barack, and today we're talking to a six-year-old volunteer for Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, Hannah Murray, joined by her mother, Elizabeth.

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Dave: Where, where do you work? Where do you volunteer, Hannah?

Hannah: Mostly at Fort Moultrie.

Dave: What would you say to other kids that want to volunteer at a National Park?

Hannah: I would say like, hey, there's a there's a National Park you can volunteer at, and it's actually really fun. You can talk to Rangers, you can get a National Park book, and there's a gift shop that you can buy stuff from.

Dave: That's a great, that's a great way to talk about the parks, that that is such a fun thing to say to other folks that want to volunteer. And I hope that people will listen to your advice and volunteer at national parks. So you I know that you do some weeding at national parks at Fort Moultrie, and what else do you do at Fort Moultrie besides the weeding?

Elizabeth: When there's big events, what do we do?

Hannah: When there's big events, I usually help them, but usually we're not there for all the events. So I just help them like put up the chairs because we're usually late for the events. But but at least I get to help the Rangers put up the chairs,

Dave: OK, and sometimes do you, do you talk to the people that come about volunteering?

Hannah: Yes.

Elizabeth: Actually, we actually even bring your friends, don't we?

Hannah: Yeah, we do. I bring my friends.

Dave: What? So you brought your friends? You are part of a group. What group are you part of?

Hannah: We're pack 743 are. I'm with the Boy Scouts. But we are. Our troop and pack went Coed in 2016, 2017, 17 what?

Dave: What does Coed mean, Hannah?

Hannah: Coed means like boys and girls are allowed and troop.

Dave: That's really cool. So you have been volunteering for a year. What is your favorite part about volunteering?

Hannah: You know, with my Ranger friends?

Dave: Cool. You said that you have Ranger friends and I know you have your friends with Ranger Summer. Who are your other Ranger friends?

Hannah: Ranger Andy. Because he's funny.

Dave: Ranger Andy is funny. OK, that's good.

Hannah: Haley and Ranger and Ranger Rebecca.

Elizabeth: Do you wanted to tell Ranger Dave how old you were when you first got when you've got your first Junior Ranger badge? You were.

Hannah: Ohh, yeah. You were so old. When I first got my Ranger badge, I was three.

Dave: What> Do you know what I was doing when I was 3? I was. I was napping.

Elizabeth: Ranger Andy swore her in when she was three years old.

Dave: So you got a Junior Ranger badge from Ranger Andy, and now you work with him. That's pretty cool. Yeah, I know that you have lots of Ranger friends at Fort Moultrie, but I hope that you think I'm your friend now.

Hannah: Yeah.

Dave: Yeah, yeah. That makes me happy. Yeah.

Elizabeth: Do you remember what's special about Fort Moultrie and our family? Do you want to tell him that you're great? Great.

Hannah: My grand, my great, great grandfather was stationed at Fort Moultrie.

Dave: Wow. And that is a that is an interesting family connection. And I know that you have another family connection to volunteering because your mom told me that she was a volunteer. Is that right?

Hannah: Yeah, yeah.

Dave: Did she encourage you to be a volunteer, too?

Hannah: I just found it and I was like. Elizabeth: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just thinking of the first time that she went out there for her Scout Ranger Award. She was complaining about it being hot and how she didn't want to be in her uniform and she was ready for it to be done. And then she met Summer and she just did not care about the heat or the itchy uniform. She, she wanted to stay out there forever.

Hannah: Forever and ever. Dave: That's sweet. So are you going back to school soon?

Elizabeth: We already are.

Hannah: We already are.

Dave: What grade are you in?

Hannah: Second. Second grade.

Dave: And do you want to learn about things that Park Rangers learn about?

Hannah: I have to, actually, because I have to work. I want to work as a park Ranger when I grow up.

Dave: You want to work as a park Ranger when you grow up. That is so cool. What types of things do you think you'll need to learn so you can be a park Ranger when you grow up.

Hannah: How to take care of the parks and and let's see…

Elizabeth: And how to deal with people right.

Hannah: And how to deal with people actually and…

Elizabeth: Learn how to like tie your shoes.

Hannah: I know how to tie my shoes. I know how to tie my shoes.

Dave: Do you think you need to know science to be a park Ranger? Yeah, maybe. Yeah, Maybe. You could learn about animals and plants and things. A lot of Rangers know about that stuff. Do you think the Rangers at Fort Moultrie know a lot about history?

Hannah: Yes, lots of history.

Dave: Lots of history. Yeah, that's important to know when you work at a place like Fort Moultrie. So if you are gonna be a park Ranger, what types of things do you think you will do if you become a park Ranger?

Elizabeth: Tours.

Hannah: I will give lots of tours, 'cause I, I, I the only one I'm the only one I can take a tour of is my mom.

Elizabeth: But no, you gave Ranger Summer a tour.

Hannah: And I would like to tell him that my great, great grandfather was stationed, was stationed at, at Fort, Fort Moultrie.

Elizabeht: Would you want to help other kids earn their Junior Ranger badges?

Hannah: Yeah, I would give them hints.

Elizabeth: You would give them hints? It would be nice, as the Rangers were nice to you, you would give them hints? Ranger Andy made her work for it.

Dave: Well, you are very smart, I can tell.

Hannah: Yes, I am very smart. Very, very.

Elizabeth: Do you wanna tell him what special letter you got?

Hannah: Yeah, I got a letter from the mayor. I mean, not the mayor, the president.

Dave: A letter from the president? What did the president say?

Hannah: It said congratulations.

Elizabeth: And I'm proud of all your hard work.

Hannah: I'm proud of all your hard work. I hope…

Elizabeth: I hope to see you do amazing things…

Hannah: And remember to always be kind. Sincerely, Joe Biden.

Dave: That is so cool.

Hannah: You've never been to Fort Moultrie?

Dave: I have never been to Fort Moultrie. So tell me something special then. It sounds like you know a lot about Fort Moultrie.

Hannah: So there's a lot of tunnels. They have like rooms in the tunnels.That are called the powder magazines. And inside there is a movie that I really I that I will not leave there if I don't get to watch the movie.

Dave: You like the movie at the park? Yes. I love the movie.

Elizabeth: They had to recently close the visitor center because they had to do repairs on the HVAC system. So the Rangers at Fort Moultrie had to e-mail us the YouTube link so she could still watch her movie of Fort Moultrie.

Hannah: I love that movie.

Dave: OK, Now, do you wanna ask me any questions today, Hannah?

Hannah: Yeah. What's the favorite? What is your favorite thing about your job?

Dave: My favorite thing about my job is talking to you on our podcast.

Hannah: Do you like my jokes that I tell you?

Dave: Yes. I like your jokes very much. Do you want to tell a joke?

Hannah: Like, what did the Buffalo say to the to her son when he left her college?

Dave: I don't know. What did the Buffalo say to her son when he left for college?

Hannah: Bye son.

Dave: Bi-son. That's pretty funny. Ohh Hannah, you are gonna be a great stand up comedian when you are older and you're gonna be a great park Ranger and I'm very excited that I got to talk to you when you at the start of it all.

Elizabeth: She is coming for that social media job.

Dave: OK? You're coming for our jobs. I get it. It's, it's good.

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Elizabeth: We can have a joke off.

Dave: Yeah. Um, Hannah, thank you so much for talking to me again. Anything else you want to say?

Hannah: Please go to Fort Moultrie. It is amazing. Please watch the movie if you can.

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