This week the Town Crier met with the Idyllwild Nature Center’s new Park Interpreter, Allison Fedrick. “Park Interpreter is the site supervisor of the location, and combines the duties of operations, museum exhibitory, animal care and wildlife education. That means that I help with public programs, school tours, conservation projects and the running of the Center itself.”
Although Fedrick has only been with the County for a month, she comes to the job well prepared. “I have a Master’s in Museum Studies, focused mostly on natural and cultural history, then began to change directions and built an interest in animal sciences. I went back to school and completed internships to become a zookeeper and wildlife conservation educator. I worked for zoos as a keeper and Animal Ambassador Educator, I would bring Animal Ambassadors to schools and public events, and out on the zoo campuses themselves. I did that for approximately seven years. Over time I decided that I was more interested in in-field wildlife conservation and education. The Nature Center was the perfect location for me to get to do both.”
Locals may know that the Nature Center has had a Ranger in the past, most recently Sonny Waldron. Asked about the change from Ranger to Interpreter, Fedrick explained that Rangers are law enforcement personnel, “very important in areas that require law enforcement skills. The County has shifted towards people with backgrounds in education, museum studies and public programming” to work as interpreters.
There are several conservation projects in progress at the Nature Center. “The Nature Center is trying to build a sanctuary for the native animals in the San Jacinto mountains. That is why we have native gardens and pollinator gardens, why we offer food locations for the birds, and we have protected areas for animals to reside. We also keep webcams up to see what kind of wildlife is here. This morning it was deer, regularly there are coyotes, bobcats, and foxes.”
The Lemon Lilies are the subject of just one conservation project incorporated into an annual event. “The Pollinator Garden helps with butterfly populations, that is connected to our butterfly event.” Other projects are less public; “There is a new effort to work on improving the populations of the mountain yellow legged frog, which has been impacted by the chytrid virus… Scientists in different locations are trying to build up the populations without the virus, and also build up the immunity against the virus.”
What the public will see most are the educational projects. “Education-based programming includes organizing lectures, nature walks, and creating a Nature Center with location-specific displays to teach the public about this ecosystem.” Fedrick gives credit to the volunteers of the Friends of the San Jacinto Mountain County Parks. “That work could not be done effectively without the FSJMCP. They have been working with the Nature Center for decades. They have a lot of ownership over the success here. I work with them to continue the proper care of the center itself while we progress toward the future.”
Asked about her own favorite residents at the Nature Center, Fedrick introduced me to Jackson, a king snake. “I certainly love our local snakes. A fun fact about king snakes is that they are impervious to rattle snake venom, and so they keep down the rattle snake population as well as the rodent population. I always suggest that people keep their distance but know that snakes are very important to the environment. If we didn’t have snakes the diseases that are carried by rodents would overpower humanity.”
Idyllwild Nature Center, 25225 Highway 243, open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday- Sunday. The FSJMCP are always looking for volunteers. To learn more visit: https://fosjmcp.org/
