Park Ranger - National Park Service
Writing | Social Media | Environmental Ed.
The National Park Service hires creative professionals to lead interactive, ACE (audience-centered) communications about park recreation, history, ecology, scientific research, and more. Yes, I still have the famous flat hat.
From in-person programs to web and social content, my focus was figuring out how to best cultivate positive, safe, and fulfilling experiences for visitors of all backgrounds, interests, and abilities.
This page serves as a repository for the public work I’ve contributed to the National Park Service. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am not acting as an authorized spokesperson for the National Park Service.
Seasonal Work
The NPS has primarily two hiring seasons for employees. This means that about every six months, applicants compete for specific appointments at parks across the country. I worked at four unique parks, each with its own unique story.
Why should the NPS hire creatives?
Interpretive park rangers serve as the professional communicators of the NPS. They rely on creative skills to best connect with park visitors, both in-person and online.
I loved working with U.S. cultural heritage and environmental conservation. I learned fascinating things and met wonderful people daily—because that was simply part of the job.
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May 2019 - September 2019
Located in Kotzebue, a village in Northwest Alaska on the Arctic Ocean. Programs focused primarily on children’s science education, ages 5+
During the season, I got to know the incredible community and Inupiaq culture.
My work served as a solid foundation for what programs beyond the school setting can do to encourage scientific discovery in children of all ages and abilities. I miss working with the curious and enthusiastic kids!
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April 2019 - September 2019
Located in Northwestern Michigan with miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and breathtaking sand dunes deposited by glaciers thousands of years ago.
My fellow interpretive rangers and I offered diverse programming—from school science field trips to campfire-lit talks in the campground and guided hikes.
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December 2019 - March 2020
Urban national park near San Francisco, California. Spectacular historical and cultural sites with relatively easy access by the surrounding communities.
Rangers host weekly programs at the visitor center, the 170-year-old lighthouse, the WWII-era battery fort, and the Cold War-era missile defense site.
This is also where I was when COVID-19 first hit… yep.
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May 2020 - September 2020
Located on the borders of Montana and Wyoming and known as the world’s first national park. Offers premier wildlife-watching and awesome geologic features.
My job during the 2020 season was a little bit different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early March 2020, the park closed to visitors and canceled many public-facing jobs (including mine).
One door closed but another opened: the Wildlife Monitoring Crew was short one assistant. So, rather than share park science with visitors, I spent the summer helping to collect that data.
I supported the team with breeding bird surveys, raptor nest monitoring (Bald eagle, Golden eagle, Osprey, Peregrine falcon), and Common loon and Trumpeter swan surveys.
NPS Blog: Notes From 800 Feet
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Kobuk Valley from the Sky: First-Time Flier
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Interpretive Rangers Visit the Great Sand Dunes
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Photos from the Brown Bear Survey
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Autumn Flight in the Mountains
