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Job Title: Park Ranger
Type of Company: I work for a 450-acre passive recreation park run by the county I live in.
Education: AS, Biology, Catawba Valley Community College (Hickory, NC)
Previous Experience: I worked for eight years in the furniture industry before being laid off. I decided to go back to school to learn about the thing I love most, Nature!
Job Tasks: My primary job is to answer questions from park patrons both by telephone and in person. I give directions on how to get to the park, take reservations for picnic shelters and meeting rooms, and issue dog permits to dog owners. I empty trash from cans throughout the park and clean the restrooms as needed. I also patrol our 12 miles of trail for fallen trees and to make sure that patrons are obeying the rules. I have to constantly ask folks to stay out of the river because we are just below a hydro-electric dam and the water can rise five to six feet in a matter of minutes.
My favorite part of the job is inventorying the flora and fauna of the park. We are currently photographing all of our wildflowers for a comprehensive list of all of our trees, shrubs, vines, and wildflowers. We also catch and band songbirds (in mist nets) and hummingbirds (in a wire cage). One of our hummingbirds was recaptured last year in Texas! It made almost an 1,100 mile journey in 12 days. We have also recently installed a drift fence and coverboard program to do inventories on frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, and snakes. It has been quite successful and we have added four new species to the park list so far.
Another thing I like to do is lead guided walks to talk about the flowers and animals we have here.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: The best part of my job is that I get to be outside every day and breathe fresh air instead of being cooped up in an office! I get to do a variety of job functions, so I never get bored. The worst thing, I suppose, is having to constantly remind people that we do not allow swimming and wading and that all dogs must remain on a leash while they are here.
Job Tips: The first piece of advice I would offer is to follow your heart. Don't go into this profession if you do not have a profound love of nature. Do what you love and you will be happy in life. Secondly I would say, even if you have to get a student loan to get your college degree, DO IT. And don't stop at your associates degree; get your bachelor's! Lastly, I would advise you to have patience with people. No one thinks that the rules apply to them. You have to be the "voice in their ear" and remind them what the rules are.
Additional Thoughts: I think the most important personal quality needed to be a park ranger is being able to talk to people. Being able to explain why a certain area of the park is closed during certain seasons, or trying to tell someone directions how to get here, or just letting folks know what to look for while they are on their daily hike is an essential part of the job. I know a great deal of our patrons by name now and they know mine. I've learned that through being personable and talking with them, they increase their knowledge about the "nature" of the park while learning to love it as much as we do.
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