Current Position: Chief Ranger
How long have you been with Virginia State Parks and in what capacity?
I have been with the Virginia State Park system for six years, one summer season as a Park Naturalist Interpreter and 5 ½ years as a Chief Ranger.
How did you become involved in working as a Chief Ranger?
I took the Interpreter position while I was finishing my master’s degree and enjoyed working in the park so much that I applied for a full time position.
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 daily duties cover a wide range of tasks. I spend some of my day patrolling the park to meet with park guests and to check the grounds. Other outdoor duties include mowing, trail maintenance, tree removal and road maintenance. I spend part of my day working on administrative tasks such as payroll and bill processing. My favorite portion of my job is working with other staff to plan and present interpretive programs including eagle tours, owl prowls and other children’s programs. Other duties include resource management, volunteer coordination and event planning. Annual events at Caledon include the Haunted Trail, the Art & Wine Festival, and a Deer Herd Management Hunt. In addition to these duties I am also a law enforcement officer for the park system.
Working for Virginia State Parks has afforded me numerous opportunities for personal growth. Beyond my duties at my park I am an agency canoe and kayak instructor, I serve on our OSHA and Children & Nature working groups, and I am a chapter advisor for the Virginia Master Naturalist program. Overall each day brings a wide variety of tasks that help keep my job fresh and interesting.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
40-50 hours.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I really enjoy working on interpretive programs. Each year we plan and offer a wide variety of programs and events for the public. I am involved with all stages of the programs include planning, promoting, presenting some, and evaluating. I like working with the public during these programs and really get a lot of satisfaction when they enjoy what we have put together for them. Seeing a child have that "aha!" moment during a program is really the best part of my job.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
The wide variety of tasks associated with operating a park means that planning what you will work on each day is a challenge. You need to stay flexible.
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
A college degree is helpful. I have a master’s degree in Forest Ecology. Having experience in groundskeeping, building maintenance and equipment operation is also helpful. DCR has provided me with much of my training including sending me to law enforcement academy.
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
There are times when I wish that I had a stronger background in building and equipment maintenance. Maintaining the facilities and equipment is a surprisingly large portion of how our time is spent.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
Recently I have been building trails in the park. I am currently working on a wheelchair accessible trail that will include a native wildflower sense garden and arboretum. The garden is designed to stimulate all of a guest’s senses and the trail will provide an opportunity for guests to explore a small portion of our forest.
If someone were interested in working in your position, what advice could you give them?
My best advice would be to be flexible. Being a Chief Ranger requires that you can switch from one task to another often with little warning. The variety of duties helps keep the job interesting.
Please share any further thoughts you may have about working in the state park system:
Virginia State Parks are a great place to work. Over the last 6 years I have made great friends both with fellow staff members and with guests and volunteers at the park. One of the benefits of working for state parks is that I live on site. Living at the park gives me a great opportunity to share my love of the forest with my daughter and I get to watch her grow up connected to the nature around us.
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