Abstract
Demetrius Falconer is presently the chief of community engagement at Summit Metroparks. In her oral history, Demetrius discusses childhood memories of visiting parks, education and her families history. Demetrius also discusses her time working for the National Park Service. The interview concludes with reflections on the Summit Lake Nature Center, which under her leadership is in competition for the Ohio Governor's Award.
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Interviewee
Lambert-Falconer, Demetrius (interviewee)
Interviewer
Jones Macko, Rebecca (interviewer); Schnack, Erich (participant)
Project
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Date
2-3-2022
Document Type
Oral History
Duration
61 minutes
Recommended Citation
"Demetrius Lambert-Falconer interview, 03 February 2022" (2022). Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection. Interview 343002.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/crohc000/1447
Transcript
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:00:00] Thank you for agreeing to do this interview. So I’m going to just kick on over into official mode.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:00:05] Okay.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:00:06] February 3rd, 2022, and I am here virtually with Demetrius Lambert Falconer. So I’m going to ask you, Demetrius, is that is your- Can you confirm your full name?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:00:22] That is my government name. Demetrius Lambert-Falconer. Falcon like a bird.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:00:29] All right, so I’m not trying to ask a personal question, but about how old are you?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:00:38] Twenty-five is my unofficial age, but about close to maybe 50ish.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:00:46] Oh, you young’un. So where did you grow up?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:00:52] So I grew up in southern Arkansas, a small town, about 8,000 people called Monticello, Arkansas. So right, like where the delta of the south of the Mississippi river meets the forest land. So the area I grew up in is heavy foresting, company country, loggers, the university, a lot of research on forestry. Birds of the area. So that was my backyard.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:01:25] Oh. So can you tell me about your family growing up?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:01:31] Yeah. So I’m the old- I am the oldest of five. Underneath me there are two sets of twins. And I often say that the world could not have taken two of me. So God sent me here by myself. And again, a very close-knit family. We did a lot of outdoor things and to be perfectly honest with you, I never knew of parks in the realm of conservation. The parts that I knew of were for recreational purposes solely. And when it came to being outdoors, it was just our, like literally we lived in the woods. That’s what we say, we go to the woods. And we grew up exploring the woods. I just never knew until taking a position in St. Louis, Missouri, with the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. I never knew of this thing called National Park Service.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:02:30] So what sort of work did your parents do?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:02:33] So, like my father worked in a federal arsenal making all kind of artillery and safety gear. My mother worked in a factory that made varying types of textiles. And then she was a social- Most of her career was in social work, but she had an education and actual physical education degree and background. My grandfather had a grandfather that was a logger and I had a grandfather, my maternal grandfather, also was a logger, but he made bird houses. And little did I know until much later I would call these little castles in the sky, but they were purple martin houses, the very elaborate ones.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:03:22] So these sound like childhood experiences that led you towards your career path. Were there other childhood experiences that maybe? [crosstalk]
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:03:32] Oh, definitely, yes. But I gotta be honest with you, I didn’t even know this existed, you know, where I’m from and particularly being an African American, you know, they would say, you, you go away from the land, you go away from getting your hands dirty, and you become more educated to become successful. So I didn’t even know coming into parks was a career path. I didn’t know it was optional. And I actually came into the [inaudible] because of my history background growing up gardening. Now what I know is composting, biking, playing outside, fishing, you know, hunting, those type of things. Those were things that were simply a part of the lifestyle. And yes, it has been very beneficial within my career path. It has been also a door for me to help bridge others, particularly in urban communities, into this world of parks.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:04:40] So along that way, was there somebody that was kind of inspiring you, that got you into this parks direction? Or were there, you know, was there anyone special that inspired you in this direction?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:04:53] No, I mean, honestly, it was- It was purely accidental. I mean, just being honest here, it was purely accidental. I went to school. I was in college my freshman year, and my mother said that I needed to go to the school - it was a historically Black college - she said, because I would have career opportunities that I might not have other places. And I didn’t want to go home. Remember I said I was the oldest out of five, I did not want to go home for the summer to babysit. So I said I needed a job. And they said, well, come over in a couple days. And I went. And there were these cool people with these Stetson hats, these Smokey the Bear hats and green and gray and nice shiny buckles and badges. And I’m like, they like, look like pretty cool people. And I began to speak with them, and I really and truly did not know probably much of what they were seeing. But come to found out I had three different job offerings in which my mother was like, I don’t think so, because she was not going to let me go gallivanting all around the United States. Coincidentally, one of those job offerings was from Cuyahoga Valley National Park. [laughs] She kept saying, people from Cuyahoga somewhere in Ohio calling you and you’re not going. And I said, okay. So she let me go to St. Louis, though that was a little closer. That was six hours away from our home. And that’s where it started.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:06:41] So you said growing up, you fished, you played in the woods, you rode your bike, you hunted. Were there other, any other special outdoor activities you do with your family?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:06:54] You know, that’s a really difficult question because you keep saying special and-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:07:00] Or just what outdoor activities did you do with your family? How about that?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:07:03] Yeah, yeah, like anything. Like we, you know, in the country, you know, your four-wheel, you know, ATVs and tractors and like I said, gardening. Tons and tons and lots and lots of gardening. A lot of food preservation skills. You know, we were canning and freezing and all that kind of stuff like that, food preparation and canning, you know, build fires and, you know, cookouts. We did a lot of outdoor cooking, particularly because it’s really hot in the South and you don’t want to get your house, you know, all hot. So you always do a lot of outdoor cooking. It was just what we did, you know. And so I later began to realize when I took my appointment at George Washington Carver’s National Monument with the timeframe there, and they did, there was a chuck wagon cooking program that those skills came in handy there. Later came to Garfield with Cleveland Metropolitan Garfield Park Reservation. And I would do hearth cooking programs there. Again, food preservation. Tons of history, tons of history programs. My family was very big in history of the area. And again, I just thought that was a natural thing. I didn’t know people could get a paycheck for teaching about history. And so now I really, I really don’t think, like most of my family know, like, I can get a paycheck for that. So that’s pretty cool. And so those things all aided in my career path.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:08:44] Okay, and I think you said, but remind me again, what did you say you studied in college?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:08:48] In college I had a social science education degree, so my minor was in African American history. And then I have a master’s in curriculum and instructions with a science emphasis. So I was going to go into the classroom and teach kids social studies and history. And my experience at the Arch allowed me to teach not just kids, I could teach anyone. And at the arch, I had 100 years. Between 1800–1900, I had 100 years to play with. It was like a field trip, a never ending field trip. I did three seasons there. So everything from fur trapping and trading programs to historic fashion shows to animals of the West. It was amazing.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:09:51] So, I’m going to jump just a little bit here. So how do you identify yourself culturally?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:09:58] Culturally, I guess I would say, you know, southern, African American, female, and free-spirited.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:10:10] All right, thank you for adding that one. So how is this important to you?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:10:18] When I talk about culture, when I talk about the outdoors, oftentimes in the parkland, we speak of the outdoors from either a conservation perspective or a leisure perspective. I personally approach the outdoors a little bit more on a spiritual perspective. And I Look at it from the aspect of the land and the earth that supports me, whether it be by way of food, water, air, the land that supports me. I want to do my best every day to teach others how to support the land, how to support our natural resources. And you cannot love and support something that you have no knowledge of. And again, for me, it’s kind of a spiritual thing. It’s not so much education, you know, learning the genus and species of different things, which, that’s awesome too. It’s not necessarily being able to say that I, you know, kayaked, you know, 7,000 miles or something, that’s awesome too. However you choose to immerse yourself into nature is your own personal journey and path. However, in my day-to-day work, whether I’ve been with National Park Service, Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and now Summit Metro Parks, I believe hug a tree, no matter whose tree it is, and get in touch with nature. And that is just a part of our core as people.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:12:13] Wow. So let me ask, how has your African American identity changed over the course? I mean, this is a pretty big transition from rural South to Northeast Ohio. How has your African American identity changed over your life so far?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:12:34] Hmm. That’s a good question. I don’t know. Well, I think change is a tricky word. It often implies you have to, like, completely leave one process in order to enter another one. But I would say a bit of a transition, not a full-fledged change. My core, I mean, I am who I am. As my children often remind me, I’m a little bit urban and now a lot of it, country still, even after being here in the north for almost 22 years. But I think being here in this environment has allowed me to see how other African Americans view nature. It has allowed me to have a better understanding of how systemic policies, practices, and yes, racism has excluded minorities in certain areas. And to be personally honest, I don’t think I would have been. I don’t think I would have been as knowledgeable about those exclusions if I was just in the South because I didn’t realize there were borders and barriers. I didn’t realize we weren’t supposed to go in the woods. I didn’t realize we weren’t supposed to dissect a frog or snake. You know? I didn’t realize people said things like, oh, Black people don’t camp. Like, oh, we don’t? Oh, I didn’t know. Like, I didn’t realize- I didn’t realize I had those, those restrictions. And so it just allowed me to have a better understanding, understand a different perspective of minorities, all minorities in people of African American background and culture don’t identify the same, you know? And so I just think that I have a wider perspective and understanding of how some of the restrictions were put on people. It also allowed me to create programs and pathways to show people how to overcome those barriers, how to remove those restrictions, and how to become exposed again to something that supports us every day. Why wouldn’t we want to be connected?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:15:20] Wow. So let me back up a moment too. You talked about the National Park Service and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. So can you speak to your National Park Service career? Like what’s, where all did you work and what years were you working?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:15:44] So I was extremely fortunate. Again, I went to a historically Black college, University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff in Arkansas. And I was recruited from there. And so I was really 19 when I started my career at the Arch in St. Louis. And I was exposed to other seasonal workers with varying backgrounds, and so I learned on the field, in the field of interpretation. So of course there was a history aspect, but there was the interpretive aspect. I also had the privilege and to work with so many people from so many backgrounds. So I learned so much about varying cultures through that experience and I went back three summers. Three summers. I would literally get out of school on Friday and I would be at work on Monday and people were like, where are you going? And I’m like, I’m going to live. [laughs] And I was able to, like I said, have so many varied experiences. If-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:16:51] Oh, did I just lose you?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:16:53] Oh, are you there?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:16:56] Yes, I’m here.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:16:57] Okay, got it.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:16:58] You said varied experiences and all of a sudden there was a-
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:17:02] Yes, I thought I lost you guys. It was- So I’m back. So I had all these varied experiences, including being there in 1992 when there was a flood.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:17:16] Oh boy.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:17:17] Oh boy. So the programming and the activities exposure totally changed now because you had this, this flood and news crews were camping out on grounds and you saw cars floating down the river and you saw the power of the Mississippi in a very different light. And you always read about the power of the mighty Mississippi and now it was right here in front of you. And so that was life-changing for me too, again, to help me to understand where I fit in as a person, as a human being in nature. And after college, I actually went to work for the telephone company for a little while and that lasted all of six months with enclosed in a building with no windows. So my nature-loving side was really like having a fit. And I accepted a full time position at George Washington Carver’s National Monument, which is in Diamond, Missouri, outside of Joplin. And I was there for three years. So back into the history realm, the boyhood experiences of George Washington Carver, which that programming led me into again, a multitude of experiences, from art and essay contests to food preservation, like I said, chuckwagon programming, natural dyes, really taking it to the earth and looking at how people lived during that time period. And from there I left the National Park Service and came to Ohio.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:19:06] All right.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:19:07] I came to Ohio to Cleveland Metroparks to become a naturalist. And I was like, what does that mean? What is that word? And so I was a naturalist at Garfield Park Nature Center for five years right in the heart of the city, you know, well, technically inner-ring suburb of the city. Much larger population than Diamond, Missouri, for sure. Which the population in Diamond, Missouri was something like 774 people. So very different world. My neighbors in Diamond were, were Angus cattle, longhorn steer, and dairy cows. And then I come to Ohio and I am at Lake Erie and I am right on the Cuyahoga River. And I was at the nature center for like four years. And I went over to the zoo to work in the hospital. So now where I’m talking about local flora and fauna, I go to global and having a better understanding of animals and plants and people of foreign lands and how what’s happening in other places impact us here in Ohio. And then I went to outreach, where I developed two mobile education, kind of nature center on wheels, to travel throughout Cuyahoga County in varying arenas, events, schools, nursing homes, wherever, if you had a parking lot, I could bring you a nature center. And so that was 17 years. And I developed a new Nature Tracks facility in 2015, I believe, or maybe 16. And then I packed my bags and I brought my talents to Summit County, where I’ve lived for a number of years. And my husband is from here, my kids were here. And I came to Summit Metro Parks five years ago as the outreach manager. And now I’m the Chief of Community Engagement here in Summit Metro Parks. So everything from outreach programs and my latest endeavor, which July of last year, I am so proud to say, we opened our third center. This is a nature center in Summit Lake neighborhood right in the city of Akron, right on Summit Lake, where we are engrossed in the souls of the people who are passing through as well as living there, the soils, a lot of, again, gardening and food preservation programs. You see how all of this is coming full circle? The lake where the birding and the fishing and the aquatic experiences from kayaking, canoeing, whatever, is all happening in this footprint. And that brings me to today.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:22:24] Wow. So tell me a little bit more about the Summit Lake project along the Towpath Trail and what. Explain to me your role in this neat project.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:22:38] Well, let me tell you. So there’s this thing called Reimagining the Civic Commons. It’s an initiative and it’s a nationwide initiative in which five cities were selected back in 2016 to participate in this. And I gotta tell you, most of the people were kind of like, we’re not for sure what’s happening and we are definitely building this plane as we’re flying.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:23:02] Oh, boy.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:23:03] So the premise of this facility, this initiative, is to look and see, where are there opportunities to create public spaces for everyone? And I’m like, what? Public spaces for everyone? What a novel idea. And so we were looking in the Towpath. The Towpath brings people from all over the United States, throughout Ohio, and particularly northeastern Ohio. We love our Towpath Trail. It aligns and follows the Cuyahoga River. And it is very dear to us, as you know. And so my journey started with doing a lot of community engagement activities in the Summit Lake community, including a pop up nature center, after school programming, recreational exercise programs - Zumba, reggae, yoga, BalloFlex - all in this community. And then we went into conservation preservation type of programs. So from there, people were learning parks. And again, kind of like I was people who look like me. And to be perfectly honest, many who did not look like me, they just did not have a connection to parks. And this opened the door for their experiences. And so we were packing our bags and gonna leave and people were like, well, where are you going? We kind of like this nature thing, this whole bird watching, this whole fishing and connecting with nature, sitting at the swings. And I’m like, really? So Summit Metro Parks committed to working with the city of Akron, working with Ohio and Erie Canalway, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority and a ton of nonprofit organizations. Let’s go Akron, Students with the Goal, etc., to create a permanent nature center there. So we opened July 1st of 2021.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:25:27] In the middle of a pandemic.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:25:28] In the midst of a pandemic. As a matter of fact, let me tell you, the bid for the interpretive design closed the day after the world shut down. So you can only imagine what kind of fit I was probably having. But we made it and we were still able to interact with people regardless. We were still able to open people have still been able to take part in these activities, yes, we’ve had to modify. But, you know, something my mother used to say that I think is very apropos to just my work in general, you modify and you adjust. Those who can’t modify and adjust, they cease to exist.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:26:11] Yeah.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:26:12] So that’s what we do. We modify and we adjust. And, you know, and that’s what happened with this project. And so many people from so many other cities around the United States. Lexington, San Jose, Memphis, Detroit. We participate in a monthly call kind of asking questions and seeing, you know, best practices. Because at the end of the day, the initiative with reimagining the Civic Commons is to create open spaces, outdoor spaces and opportunities for everyone.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:26:50] Everyone.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:26:51] Everyone. Regardless of your height, your hair color, your preference in vehicles, regardless. Those restrictions that I mentioned earlier, we want to remove those restrictions from anyone who want to connect to the outdoors. Like I said, hug a tree. I don’t care which one you hug. Get to a tree. Hurry up and get there. And that’s what we’re creating with this project. And I’m very happy. And to be perfectly honest, the rest of the park is embracing this initiative, and we’re actually taking these practices that we’ve learned and spreading it throughout our Metropark system.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:27:25] Have there been lessons that you had to learn along the way?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:27:29] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. This is totally like going to school. One of the lessons which every time I say it, it feels ridiculous to say it, but in our park world, we just don’t operate like that. The lesson is simply, listen. Just listen. The public will tell you what they want. The public will help you to figure out what’s needed and even how. So sometimes the vehicle to give them the things that they want. Traditionally, in parts, we’ve listened to the. You know what we used to say, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. And we made our decisions. Made our decisions based on, honestly, the loudest voice in the room.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:28:22] Yes. Okay.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:28:24] And we started to empower people who thought they had no voice, and we simply said, hey, what do you want? And then we didn’t go with our we know all mentality. We step back and say, is this what you’re saying, or is this what you’re saying? Is it this or is it that? Because we quickly realized that if you’re a park professional, we’ve been in the parks as long as I’ve been. We have our own language. You know it, right?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:28:58] The jargon. Yes.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:28:59] Yes, we do. We have our own language. We have our own perspective, and we have our own bias that those are natural things, and it happens with any business. So stop and listen. It’s really that simple. When you do, again, your work will become so much easier. The work will become so much lighter because other hands will join in to help you in the lift, if you include them from the beginning. And that was a major lesson that we learned.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:29:37] Not only does that sound like a lesson learned, that sounds like a success story. Can you tell me about some of the- [fumbling words] if I can talk, some of the successes you’ve had along the way with that.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:29:51] Oh, gosh. Successes. So obviously, I think, you know, success is subjective. It means different people to different, different things to different people. In the park world, we used to say success is when you get a large number of people to participate in a program. Right. So counting bodies was one way of looking at success. [So we have had that. We’ve had a lot of interest in things that, quite honestly, we didn’t know we were going to have a lot of interest in. You know, we have this program called BalloFlex, and it’s not a typical park activity, but what we found was to get people outdoors and in a chair and moving was a great activity. And even through COVID, we were able to transition that program before any of our others virtually. We were able to even train seniors. And I can remember, like, at least yesterday, my staff saying, seniors are not gonna want to do something remotely. That is not what they want to do. Well, they were the first ones to transition. Right. And I must say, they transitioned pretty gracefully, too. It’s pretty hilarious. But seniors were like, we can’t be out. We are a special population. We have to be careful. But we still want to connect with others. We want to socially engage. So we now have drawing programs. We have the BalloFlex program. That program has ran consistently through the pandemic. This morning, there are two bird watching programs that are going on virtually, and BalloFlex is starting up at 12:30, you know. Yeah. So, yes, because I need a little exercise. Right. And so I did pop into both of the bird. The birding programs this morning. And again, two totally different styles, two totally different sets of information, and people are enjoying it from the comforts of their home. So we did figure that out. That was a lesson learned, you know, again, modifying and adjusting. We also learned that, again, like I said, that if we give people the. If we give them the platform to provide information, they’ll do the rest. So people said they wanted to do quilting, so we started a quilting program for children. And then the adults were like, well, why can’t we have one? And it was like, well, who said you can’t have one? Well, we started a quilting program for adults. And then I’m like, hey, this thing is, like, neverending. Well, I started to notice that they were forming this bond and friendship. They started their own quilting guild.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:32:32] Oh wow.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:32:33] With their own paperwork, with their own projects, with their own key to the building, with their own everything. And when the pandemic hit, they actually helped Summit Metro Parks. They sewed our mask for us. They made masks for us when everyone else was trying to get masks and everything. We had our quilting guild, our volunteers and stuff, who jumped in and who helped us with that. But then there was a jewelry making class. They make jewelry out of recycled paper, and it’s phenomenal. And I had never, ever, ever even heard of that before that whole art form. And they continue on today. So those are some of the lessons learned, you know, modifying and adjusting and allowing people to tell you what they want and actually listening to them. And so, like I said, you know, there’s tons of other successes that we’ve had, even changes in policies. One of the schools now can take kids outside. They couldn’t before because of the presence of the lake. It was deemed to be not safe. And so using different techniques and different designs on the property there, you know, it is safe. And now the teachers can bring the kids outdoors and they do little nature explorations. There’s a lot of successes there. So that’s just to name a few.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:34:10] Okay, so which one or what of those successes were? What is Demetrius most proud of?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:34:20] Whoa.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:34:23] Looking back on all your other successes, or work at Cuyahoga or. Excuse me, work in the park Service, Work at Cleveland Metro Parks. What are you most proud of?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:34:38] [laughs] That’s tricky. Let’s see. I have to be honest, I- I don’t know if I have a most proud of moment, but I do- I am elated. I am filled and fulfilled. whenever I see a person who has not been exposed to the outdoors, like, develop this new joy, you know, during the pandemic, out of all of my work experiences during the pandemic, I have a friend group, and I was always the weird one in this friend group. I just didn’t go to the malls a lot. And some of the other activities I didn’t readily participate in. Remember earlier, I told you I was that free spirit? And during the pandemic, people were like, what are we going to do? I was like, we’re going to play in gardens. They were like, who does that? And I’m like, we’re going to do it. And now we have a gardening club in which just last night I received a text from a friend who says, I am starting to plan out my garden for next year, and I’m going to have one where we have a garden club next to the church. And then I said, but I want one in my backyard, too. And so we need to have a meeting so we can decide how we’re going to do this in my backyard. You know, my personal circle of friends are now outdoor enthusiasts. And when I say that from planning, we just had a big tobogganing activity, sledding, things that I do not initiate, things that now they initiate, that is a proud moment for me. You know, they are active in advocacy projects for parks in northeastern Ohio. They’re on boards. And that is a proud moment. That level of stewardship, that level of engagement that started with just some exposure and education and opportunity has gone well beyond anything I could possibly imagine. And I guess, you know, and it’s still infiltrated into my family, so my family doesn’t think I’m just a weird one. Making them cook food outdoors over a fire. Now they’re hope all their friends are doing it, too. Now they’re inviting their friends to the backyard to do it. Or we’re having parties now, our birthday socials. You know, they’ve always been at the parks, but now they’re older, they can initiate those gatherings in the outdoors themselves. So I just see this entire population, and I’m very hopeful that. And honestly, I think I see it now that the outdoors, the barriers, the policies, the restrictions that were there years past are fading away, and there’s more social economic mixing than ever before. And I think I’m proud of that.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:38:08] Wow. And my colleague who you talked to earlier, Erich, is just- He’s like, this is. There’s so much happy here and so much hope here. He says it’s- It’s enough to make you pause and weep for the hope and weep for the- And weep for the happiness. Those tears. Tears of joy, if you will. So.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:38:33] Yeah, I have a lot of those.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:38:38] Do you have- I know Summit Metro Parks does, and we do. And I know Cleveland Metro parks did, we often hire a lot of young folks coming in. So do you have any advice for young people just starting their park career, whether it’s Metro parks, state parks, national parks?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:38:59] Mm hm. Yes, I do. Earlier I mentioned that when I started National Park Service in St. Louis, I was fortunate enough in my seasonal career to come in contact with retired lawyers, retired historians, retired teachers. So many people of varying backgrounds from different parts of the country. And I listened, and I took notes. There was a gentleman who was the head of operations at the Arch. He said, the government gives you a pen, that little black pen, that little national park pen. I love those pens, by the way. I love them. And he said, the government gives you a notepad. He said, take notes on everything. Well, I did, and I took notes, and I listened, and I listen, and I listen. The world teaches us, particularly as an interpreter, that we should be the one always talking. In my career, listening. Someone said, D what’s your magic? Listening. Just listening. My dad used to say, I know you hear me, but are you listening? Mm hm. We all have ears, right? We hear, but are we listening? Take the moment to listen. It is not an easy thing to do.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:40:30] No, it is not.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:40:32] It is not. Because they don’t train us for that. They train us to talk, but learn to listen and take notes. And I guess, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t say that that was simply for someone entering the realm, the profession. I would say, even if you’ve been here for a billion years, someone like me who’s 25, just listen. Just learn to listen. There’s such value. And the experiences of those who’ve been before you, there’s such guidance, particularly in the children who are coming into. They tell you where their thought processes are. They tell you what they want to learn. It’s even tell you oftentimes how. How. How they want to learn. So just listen and take notes. It’s just as simple for me.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:41:42] So, have you seen changes in how parks interpret African American history and experiences?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:41:53] I have. Yes, I have. Yes, I have.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:41:59] Can you speak to that? Can you speak to those
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:42:03] Yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:42:04] Especially if there’s been changes over the years?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:42:08] I can. And I’m gonna try not to start crying, and I’m gonna try not to get too excited all at the same time. Yesterday, I received a call from a colleague from another metropark system here in. In the region, and they looked at something that the park system has been doing for a really long time, and they had questions about it. So, number one, reevaluating the things that we’ve done for years and years and years through a different lens, through a lens of education, through a lens of equity, through a lens of inclusion. And they said, hey, I think I see something that I’m not happy with, but I don’t. I don’t want to make an assumption. And I’m not for sure if I’m viewing this properly. I said, well, if you’re a little bit elated, did a little flip flop when you were reading this, you’re probably on the right path. If you were uncomfortable, you’re probably on the right path. And if this bothered you so much you wanted to pick up the phone to ask questions, you’re probably on the right path of something. So that number one, I’ve seen park districts for years interpret things and look at, you know, and it’s not just with African American histories, with other histories too, other groups, whether it be our indigenous cultures, whether it be our Asian American cultures and programs and practices and things. Just looking at them with a different eye, with an eye of inclusion and equity and diversity is number one. Number two, I think that parts are beginning to understand that when we talk about diversifying the workforce, we have to do a little bit more than talk about it. We’ve talked about, we’ve had tons of meetings and conferences, research graphs, symposiums, workshops, etc. And so now we’re at the point where like the numbers are still the same. And like myself, I did not know of National Park Service. I did not know this thing called a park ranger. Well, okay, well I knew Smokey the Bear because my grandfather, I told you, was a logger. [crosstalk] So Smokey Bear was, it was always protective force, you know, but I didn’t know like that was like a job, like really did that. And so just being in places and making ourselves more visible and providing those frontline introductory experiences that are non threatening. That are welcoming. You know, I was at an interpretive training once and someone was describing their, their summer camp and the children were outdoors and it started to rain and an African American child went and she grabbed an umbrella and that naturalist was offended and told her, don’t be so ridiculous. You’re getting an umbrella. It’s just rain. And there never been an umbrella on their programs before. Well, I can probably bet that that child as well as that parent, were not happy campers and they probably never returned again. And I asked once, how did the presence of that umbrella impact your interpretation in the learning experience for you as the lead of this? It’s like, well, I just didn’t want an umbrella. So learning to look at things a little differently because I can tell you that that child hair done wet, her mother had probably paid a lot of money and then that child was going to have to spend hours of taking her braided hair down that was wet and that was going to be a very uncomfortable experience. And so to the interpreter, it meant nothing. To the child, it meant a lot. So if she had just given her enough grace to hold on to her umbrella just a little bit longer, I promise you, it could have been a beautiful experience for her. But instead, it ended up being a very tragic experience. And so making people more aware. Yes?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:47:25] How heartbreaking, because probably the interpreter had a raincoat, but the child may not have.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:47:32] Mm hm. Yes, that too. [laughs]
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:47:33] Yeah. The child might now be wet and uncomfortable and the hair and the whole. Oh, dear.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:47:39] Yes, yes. So in order for interpreters to understand that, we have to have a level of proximity and exposure to others who are not like us. And if they’re not already hired within our workforce, then we have to find a way to. To get close to. To learn about other cultures and other people. And to be perfectly honest, we need to do it within our workforce. We need to make that effort. Now, I didn’t know about a park ranger, what that meant. I didn’t know. I remember asking the HR person about, what is a naturalist? You know, but they were willing to take the time to educate me. They were willing to look at my resume and say, you have the skill sets to be able to do this? I didn’t know I did because they knew I did. I’m like, what? Who are you talking. I. I remember saying, I can help recruit someone for you. And the lady was like, honey, I’m talking about you. Oh. So proximity, bringing people into the workforce in an authentic manner, making a concerted effort to even have our workforce be integrated, possibly within other organizations, to where, if you have a question, if there’s something that you’re looking at from a different eye, you do have a resource to bounce that off of, to get a second or third opinion to see if there is something. Sometimes it’s minor tweaks, in those minor tweaks within those summer camp experiences, providing those little 25-cent ponchos, put them in the backpack of the park ranger, the naturalist. If a child is getting wet, it starts to rain, they’re uncomfortable, hand them a 25-cent poncho. Just as simple. So those are just a couple of things.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:49:50] Mm. I really want to be respectful of your time, but do you have time for just a couple more questions?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:49:58] Sure, sure.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:50:00] So I’m familiar with you because you have worked with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park with some projects in the past. So how. What projects have you worked with Cuyahoga Valley on? Like programming, listening sections, exhibit review. Can you speak to that?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:50:18] Oh, gosh. I don’t know, Rebecca. Let me think about this. Let’s see. I became- You know, my first trip to Cuyahoga Valley was 1996 when I was at Carver. I came to the EEC for a- You ready for this? This is a trek back in history. Module 101 training.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:50:41] Oh, my. Back when we had modules.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:50:44] Yeah. In the beginning of modules. Oh, gosh, I think I just dated myself right there.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:50:50] I’m right there- I had 1 module 103A and 103B. I’m right there with you.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:50:56] See! So I went through all the module 101s. So I came here and Travis White, I believe, was my instructor. And happy day. So that was my first introduction into northeastern Ohio. And I must give a shout out for the Winking Lizard. I had never had artichoke dip in my life, and I fell in love right then and there. So then I. I went back to Missouri and maintained contact. So when I moved here for Cleveland Metroparks, I had a couple contacts here at Cuyahoga Valley. And off the top of my head, I know that I’ve done some. One or two Black history programs for employees. But I also did some Underground Railroad programs. And we tag teamed quite a bit due to my job in Cleveland with Cleveland Metroparks on scripts, some historical accuracy, some costuming and programming design, that type of element. I also participated, you know, if I’m not mistaken. Did I say this? Am I doing this right? I believe you guys used to do Juneteenth programs at Happy Days.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:52:09] At one point we did a couple. Yes.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:52:11] Yes. And I participate as a reenactor, reenactress there. I think I died on the ledge one day like 10 times in my script. That was pretty hot. That’s why I was like, that was in June. So that was- That was- That was an adventure there, [laughs] with my national park colleagues. Also, I would do in evening, I remember a fall, and after I had one of my children, I remember bringing her in a stroller down by Indigo Lake, and I would push her into the high grasses and the weeds and her cover up with a blanket and then go out and do my scene. And as the audience passed by, I would go back and dig her out of the weeds and play with her until the next train for the Underground Railroad experience came through.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:53:11] Yeah. Pam Machuga’s [crosstalk] program.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:53:14] Yes. So. So there’s been a number of things, like you said, also with some specialty projects and seminars and things I participated in through the year. So it’s been a number of things.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:53:35] So two final questions. What gives you hope?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:53:46] What gives me hope? My spiritual foundation gives me hope even when I don’t see things are not as evident and obvious to me in, in my human, my human sights. My, my spiritual sights says that there is hope and that there’s change. And so, to be perfectly honest, I think I’m seeing some of that. The Summit Lake Nature center is just received an award, a Community Impact award. Yes. Next week, we will receive it. First place in the state of Ohio for Impacting a Community Ohio Parks and Recreation. And then, that particular project is the finalist for what is called the Governor’s Award. When you’re in the trenches and you’re trying to bring exposure and experience and connect people to something, like I said, that supports them, their foundation, something that’s around them, something that’s no charge, something that can help them spiritually, mentally, emotionally. All of the above it’s, it’s taxing. It’s not easy. And you’re learning languages and you. You’re learning how to listen and all of those things, and it wears on you. But then when you get a call, you see that people way beyond you, people you don’t even know are looking at you, and they are seeing the work, and they are curious and they want to do the same thing. They want to replicate the work. You’re like, what? That gives me hope. That gives me hope that this is beyond Akron, Ohio. That the knowledge, the experiences, the opportunities, the connections to the land, the preservation of it, obviously, the education about what sustains us, that is way beyond Akron, Ohio. That is what gives me hope.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:56:19] Wow. Is there anything else you want to tell us?
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:56:32] I want to tell you- [crosstalk] I know. I want to tell you- I want to tell you to stay focused. I want to tell you not to be sidetracked in your work. And that in parks, we see the seasons, right? We see things that change, we see transformation, we see evolution. And all of those things are inevitable with or without us. But while we’re here, our part in this, stay focused, stay diligent, and just keep moving. Maybe little movements, but just keep moving. Whatever you do, just keep moving. And I think if you just keep moving and you just stay focused, we will get to that place where those restrictions and those policies and those practices that have excluded for so long will just dissipate. They’ll be gone. So cheers to the future.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:57:58] Yes. Demetrius, it has been an absolute delight. I want to thank you for this time very much. My face may start hurting from smiling so much. Muscle cramp from nodding my head and just like, preach it, preach it. Just so you know, just a funny little note to end on. I, too, have been a transplant from the south for a little over 22 years. Not quite as far south as maybe Missouri, but kindred state, kindred commonwealth, from Kentucky across the Ohio River.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:58:49] Oh, yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:58:52] Yeah. And then I married something local, and so here we are. So thank you for the laugh. Thank you for this interview. I or Erich will get in touch with you because we will have some. We do have an interview consent form that we’ll need from you.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:59:09] Okay.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:59:10] So we’ll send it to you digitally, and then we would. If you have a favorite picture of yourself that you would be willing to share- I always like to ask people for a picture rather than taking a picture, because people always have the picture they would rather have rather than the one that was caught on the fly that doesn’t show the best side. So if you have one that you would rather be used. If you wouldn’t mind sending that. So we have a face to attach to this lovely interview.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:59:40] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Do you have a preference in what that picture looks like?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:59:49] This can be a headshot. It can be a picture of you in action, working with a group. It can be what you prefer.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [00:59:57] Okay. All right. All right. I will. Thank you for your time and thank you for you guys catching up with me.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:00:06] Yes, thank you. If we have any questions or if you have any questions for us, you know how to reach us. So please do reach out.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [01:00:14] Okay, I will.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:00:15] Here at Summit Lake. Let us know.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [01:00:18] Oh, sure. Oh, thank you. All right. Thank you so much, you guys. Say that again.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:00:26] Keep on quilting, I’m a quilter, so.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [01:00:28] Okay, so I’m a fake quilter. I just love it. I study it, and I just had the most beautiful gift come to the Nature Realm about two weeks ago. It is a quilt of one of our volunteers, our beloved volunteers who just passed away a couple weeks ago. And it is of all of the hiking spree T shirts through the years. So, you know, I was.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:00:52] That’s a beautiful one.
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [01:00:55] I was a week in Wanda. Yes. So we’re going to feature it. You’re exactly right. So. So you keep going. Keep quilting there, and hopefully we’ll run across each other soon.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:01:06] All right, take care and stay [crosstalk].
Demetrius Lambert-Falconer [01:01:08] You’re welcome. Yes, you too. Bye-bye.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:01:11] Bye.
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