August 13, 1999
By Kaarina Merikaarto
When you hear the words "smoke
filled air, tall trees, grassland, sweat, bugs, hot flames and
incredible views" what images come to mind for you? For Leonel
Arguello it means a day spent working outside doing what he loves
most. To some it may sound horrific, to Leonel it sounds like
an enjoyable day, an opportunity to preserve the integrity of
the oak woodlands, the native grasses and natural ecosystems that
are part of Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) in Northern
California.
As a park botanist at RNSP, Leonel's primary duties are vegetation management, which means he studies plant communities and plant species. He applies appropriate preservation techniques for the long term health of those vegetation communities. Techniques required for managing the ecosystems may include removal of invasive conifer trees to preserve oak woodlands and grasslands, prescribed burning, exotic plant eradication (removing plant species that are not native to the ecosystem), planting native plant species to encourage new growth, and a variety of other similar tasks.
In addition to his botanist duties, Leonel is the "Hispanic Special Emphasis Program Manger." Under that title he actively recruits Latinos and Hispanic employees to all types of vacancies at RNSP and sometimes other parks. Latinos are currently underrepresented in the National Park Service (NPS). Leonel wants to see more Latinos employed as natural resource managers, although his goal is to increase representation of Latinos within all job categories.
Although botany may not be a traditional career choice for Latinos, Leonel has found his job to be very rewarding. "Being a biologist gives me a perspective that is interesting when juxtaposed with my Catholic upbringing," Leonel says. "My advice for young Latinos considering a career in biology or natural resources is to go for it and follow your heart. Employment can be hard to get, but don't give up."
As an example, Leonel recently attended a Hispanic Association of Colleges and University workshop where he met a female Latina high school senior. She was walking the aisles looking for summer employment. She had very little knowledge about the NPS as an organization, and even less information to consider pursuing employment or a career with the NPS.
Leonel realized that this is the main problem with diversifying the NPS. "The message is not getting out to the youth of our nation. The NPS has many interesting places to work, live, raise a family and we (the NPS) should be trumpeting these assets to our youths," said Leonel. Attracting qualified applicants, from diverse backgrounds, is much easier if the service makes a presence to youths early on. He feels strongly that the strength of our nation, and therefore the NPS, lies in our diversity.
Leonel learned about the NPS while attending Humboldt State University, in Northern California, where he graduated with a master's degree in botany. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and had always wanted to study wildlife management, even though he had not gone camping or hiking much as a youth. His love for the outdoors grew mostly from watching nature programs on television. While at Humboldt he switched to studying botany which led to seasonal employment, a master's degree and eventually a permanent job at RNSP. Leonel lives near RNSP Parks with his wife and two children. When not working you may find him out exploring and enjoying the natural beauty of California's north coast, or relaxing at home with his family.
If you are interested in talking with Leonel Arguello, he is available to discuss career opportunities at RNSP. Call (707) 464-6101 x5281 or email him at: Leonel_A._Arguello@nps.gov.
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