Current Position: Park Interpreter II
How long have you been with the Nevada Division of State Parks and in what capacity?
I have been with Nevada State Parks since December 2004. I began my career as a Park Interpreter I, and after my first full year I was promoted to a Park interpreter II.
How did you become interested in working as a Park Interpreter?
I noticed the job announcement on the Nevada State website and saw that one of the requirements was to have a Bachelor’s in History, which I earned in 2001 from York College of Pennsylvania. I also had experience with native plants of Southern Nevada by working as an Americorps volunteer for 2+ years at a native plant nursery in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. In addition, for one summer I conducted first person interpretation at a historical county park in Syracuse, NY. These experiences led to my interest in becoming a Park Interpreter.
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.)
My primary duties include:
- Staffing the Visitor Center.
- Planning, scheduling, and coordinating programs/events for the year.
- Conducting tours and hikes.
- Paperwork.
- Conducting historical and environmental research.
- Training and scheduling volunteers.
- Picking up litter!
- And many more.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
40 hours, sometimes more!
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy meeting park guests that come from all over the country and the world. I also enjoy working with the park’s volunteers, being outdoors, leading hikes, and conducting programs/events for the public.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
Paperwork! When you like being outdoors, you generally don’t want to spend a lot of time in your office doing paperwork. It’s part of the job, though!
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
A bachelor’s degree is required in history, environmental studies, parks and recreation, or a related field. You must be able to work with volunteers, coordinate programs, conduct programs, schedule programs, conduct tours, etc. Being a people person is very beneficial and practically required.
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
When I started my job, I had no training in coordinating and planning events/activities. I was thrown into the fire right away, so I had to learn very quickly how to coordinate and plan events/activities on my own. Now it just comes naturally to me.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
- Modernizing and taking over the volunteer training classes.
- Taking over the scheduling of volunteers for their monthly shifts.
- Conducting historical research on the previous owners of the Park.
- Writing a new Interpretive Plan for the Park.
- Planning and coordinating events and activities in the Park.
If someone were interested in working as a Park Interpreter, what advice could you give them?
You should have a love for history and the environment. You should also be people oriented and able to deal with difficult people and situations.
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