Current Position: Commissioned Park Ranger
How long have you been with the Nevada Division of State Parks and in what capacity?
I have been working for Nevada Division of State Parks as a Park Ranger for seven years. While in college, I worked seasonally for Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and for Colorado State Parks. I also volunteered over the winter season for the Kansas Parks system, so I could get my foot in the door and get my first seasonal job.
How did you become interested in working as a Park Ranger?
I knew that I wanted to work in the outdoors and I have always had a desire to educate children. I thought by becoming a Park Ranger, I could accomplish those two goals. It also helped that during a career day in high school, a female Park Ranger from a local park brought live snakes and pelts to show the students. From then on, my mind was made up on becoming a Park Ranger.
Describe a typical day at your job.
(If there is no such thing as a typical day, then please tell us about your primary responsibilities and duties.)
There really isn't a typical day working as a park ranger, every day is different. There is a lot of diversity from day to day and you have to be able to wear many different hats. My primary duties consist of fee collection and compliance checks, routine custodial upkeep, working on a variety of maintenance projects, developing and presenting living history and interpretive programs, law enforcement, and coordinating seasonal staff.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
40 hours per week, although this number will increase during high-visitation months and special events.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
The ability to combine my love for working outdoors and educating people of all ages. I really enjoy the fact that I meet new and interesting people from all over the world every day and I learn as much from them as they learn from me.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
My greatest challenge is thinking outside the box to find new and innovative ways to accomplish more with less. By being more efficient, it lets us constantly improve our park and visitor experience.
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
A four-year degree from college in a related field, such as Park Resource Management or Wildlife Management is the educational requirement. It helps to have work experience in the natural resource field and be willing to get your hands dirty.
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
I wish that I had learned more maintenance skills before I entered this field. Most of the skills I have now, were taught to me by people I work with or I had to learn them the hard way by trial and error.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
We have been working on opening up a new facility in our park, which will include a museum and sales outlet. The challenge of this task is that the museum is being placed into a building that is over 130 years old. The building had to be modernized while keeping the appearance of being original with period furniture and artifacts. We are now in the final stages of arranging and planning a grand opening ceremony. It is interesting to see how much hard work and dedication from so many people go into making something like this a reality.
If someone were interested in working as a Park Ranger, what advice could you give them?
Make sure to get a four-year degree, volunteer and/or work seasonally while going to college, take training classes in the maintenance field, and be willing and able to relocate.
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