Park Leaders Show : Park Ranger | National Park | State Park | Leadership

County Parks play a vital role in the grand scheme of parks. A County Park system usually manages parks that range from urban to wilderness. County Parks are often a stepping stone between City Parks and a family making the leap to recreating in State or National Parks. Mary Ann Bonnell, Visitor Services Supervisor with Jefferson County Open Space Mary Ann Bonnell has experience in City Parks, State Parks, and non-profit organizations. Mary Ann is proud of her role with Jefferson County Open Space and the quality of life County Parks offer in her Colorado home. In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, we examine the role of County Parks. Mary Ann also discusses urban wildlife and wildlife education. Through education, urban wildlife can connect people to the bigger natural world.

This week is a short episode to provide updates on what is going on with Park Leaders. Thank you for the great feedback about the episode with Betty Soskin. It was a delight to interview her, and I am pleased you liked it as well. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, you don't want to miss it. I have some upcoming trips. Perhaps we can meet up? I will be in Dallas in early August, and Asheville, NC in October. If you live nearby, and would like me to visit your park, get in touch. Or, if you would like to set up a speaking engagement, it would be fantastic to give a presentation about parks for you. The People of Parks Project is going away soon. If you have not had a chance to lend your voice, you can do so here. Would you like to be a contributor for Park Leaders? I have two opportunities for you. First, I am going to start including articles on the website. If you would like to contribute an article about parks, get in touch. I could use your help. Second, I want to include stories from Park Range

This episode of the Park Leaders Show felt like I was talking to history. Betty Soskin is the oldest park ranger in the United States. Betty is 93 years old. Betty Soskin, Oldest Park Ranger. Photo by NPS Yes, that is impressive. But even more impressive is Betty did not become a park ranger until she was 85 years old. Talking with Betty, I got the feeling she did not necessarily become a park ranger, she became part of the narrative of Rosie the Riveter National Historic Park, and that involved wearing a park ranger uniform. "Whatever I do, they call rangering. But I would be doing it anyway because it is the only thing I know." Betty Soskin first collected national attention when she was furloughed during the government shutdown. When asked what the government should do to end the shutdown, Betty replied, "I am not wise enough to tell them what to do, except to get out of my way." The government shutdown was an obstacle to Betty's telling her story and getting important work done. Betty tackles each day w

Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World, returns to the Park Leaders Show to talk about how parks can create magic. Previously, Lee has been on the Park Leaders Show to talk about what parks can learn from Disney and nine customer service rules. Since the last time Lee joined us, he has published a new podcast, Creating Disney Magic. Creating Disney Magic is a short, weekly podcast focused on leadership, management and customer service. You can find Creating Disney Magic on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, TuneIn Radio, Spreaker, or on Lee's Website. Lee also discussed his new book, Time Management Magic. This book will transform the way you approach time management and help you move from surviving to thriving. Lee also tells us how parks can create magic. He offers advice on how parks can communicate through the entire organization, focus on customers, and deliver a great experience for employees and visitors. Parks can get more done with a better attitude. Better producti

When I was a park ranger, the former director of our agency used to preach the concept of the well-rounded ranger.  I believe his message was that our agency needed to train rangers for more than law enforcement. He wanted us to think in terms of service, and not enforcement. If focusing on service is what he meant, he was correct. But the concept of a well-rounded park ranger is hurting parks. Sure, there are people like Tom Betts at Bandelier National Monument who can do everything. Tom is true a well-rounded ranger. But I was not. And chances are that you are not either. And that is OK. It is a benefit to your park that you are not well rounded.  Not being well rounded means you are strong in some areas that can be a tremendous help to your park. It also means you have weaknesses. There are some things you are not good at. That is OK. In fact, a good park manager knows how to consider the strengths and weaknesses to assemble a great team. Now, I expect park rangers to know enough to solve problems and get

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular National Park in the United States. People come from all over the eastern half of the country to visit the Smoky Mountains and drive visitation higher than park service icons such as Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. The key to operating Great Smoky Mountains is not necessarily the visitors who come from other places, the key is connecting to the community. Cassius Cash, Superintendent of Great Smokey Mountain National Park The importance of connecting a park to the local community is exactly why Cassius Cash is the perfect fit for Park Superintendent. New to his role at Great Smoky Mountains, Cassius brings his concept of Listen - Learn - Build and is intent on connecting to the local community. Cassius come to Great Smoky Mountains from Boston, where he served as the Superintendent as Boston National Historic Park and Boston African American National Historic Site. In Boston, Cassius used stories to rebrand the park and built impactful connections in t

I am on a mission to get parks to start podcasting. Podcasting is a way parks can serve visitors in a new and unique way. To explore the idea of podcasting in parks, I went straight to one of the best podcasters around. Jeff Brown is the host of the Read to Lead podcast. Read to Lead is recognized as one of the best-produced podcasts. Not only does Jeff Brown have the best voice in podcasting, he is a true professional. Jeff spent 26 years in the radio business and now brings his experience for training radio talent to helping people develop quality podcasts. In this episode, Jeff coaches us through having a professional on-air presence and how to create a quality show. Jeff also discusses how parks can use podcasts to serve park visitors. Podcasting holds so much potential for parks to connect to visitors in a manner not available in any other way. Consider what this could mean for your park. You can provide interpretation to more people. You can build a loyal following of people waiting for new content by s

Amanda Llanes returns to the Park Leaders Show to talk about her first season as a seasonal law enforcement ranger with the National Park Service. At the time of her first interview, Amanda was a cadet in the law enforcement academy. Now, she has been a seasonal ranger for one year. Amanda talks about her experience, what she looks forward to in her next seasonal assignment and her career ambitions. This interview with Amanda is the second part of a look at seasonal park rangers with the National Park Service. You can listen to the first episode here. If you enjoy the Park Leaders Show, would you consider leaving a review on iTunes? You can find the show here.

On the Park Leaders Show, I often talk to leaders in the National Park Service. Chief Interpreters, Chief Rangers and Park Superintendents have all been guests on the show. The one thing they all have in common is they all started as seasonal park rangers. That means the future leaders of the National Park Service are seasonal rangers right now. Kaitlyn Kunce, Seasonal Park Ranger with the National Park Service In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, I talk with Kaitlyn Kunce, and we take a look at the life of a seasonal park ranger. At the time of our interview, Kaitlyn is a seasonal park ranger at Mesa Verde National Park. Soon, she will be moving to a seasonal assignment at Yellowstone National Park. Moving often and applying for jobs every few months is one of the challenges seasonal park rangers. The goal of most seasonal park rangers is to get a permanent position with the National Park Service. Competition for permanent positions can be tough, and seasonal rangers look for ways to learn new skills

If you have listened to the Park Leaders Show for a while, you know Jack Hartt was a mentor of mine while I was a park ranger. It was my conversations with Jack early in my career which led me to believe that you would enjoy hearing similar conversations with leaders from all over the country. Talking with people from parks is important, but if we are really going to change the landscape of leadership in parks and recreation, we need to step outside of parks too. In this episode, we reach outside the world of parks again and talk with Ray Edwards. Not only is Ray a successful entrepreneur, but he is also a strong supporter of parks. Just like Jack Hartt taught me so much about the business of parks, Ray Edwards has taught me about the business of business. I am so much better at what I do because of Ray Edwards. Ray explains what park systems, individual parks, or park employees can do to foster an entrepreneurial spirit. Ray is the host of The Ray Edwards Show and author of Writing Riches. Ray recommends Wor

After publishing an episode of the Park Leaders Show every week for 52 weeks, the microphone gets turned around. Jared Easley, host of Starve the Doubts, interviews Jody Maberry, the host of the Park Leaders Show. The usual host of the show answers questions about his career and what Park Leaders is all about.. Jared Easley helped Park Leaders get started by helping the host get started in podcasting. He was the obvious choice to be a guest host of this special episode of the Park Leaders Show. You can subscribe to the Park Leaders Show on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.

For several summers, with the help of a group of tremendous volunteers, I ran a summer concert series at a park I worked at. We delighted park visitors with between six and nine concerts each summer. Concerts are a great way to bring new visitors to the park, provide more to regular visitors, and bridge a connection between the park and the community. Hosting the concert series, I got to meet many great musicians. Often, they would eat dinner with my family and spend the night at our house. One musician, Dana Lyons, caught my attention because of his devotion to parks and wild places. Dana Lyons is best known for his song Cows With Guns, but his heart is found in songs with a message. In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Dana and I talk about how to put on a great concert in a park, but we also go much deeper than that. The song, Cows with Guns, was so popular, Dana is still best know today for the song. But it is a small piece of a large, beautiful body of work. How do you handle yourself, and your care

Jack Hartt is deliberate about the experience people have at Deception Pass State Park. He feels a park experience should feel "Park-Like". Most parks have trees and trails, but it is the experience of the park that brings people back year after year. In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Jack Hartt verbally walks us through a park and, area by area, explains what it takes to make a park look and feel like a park. Whether it is park entrance, restrooms, or park signs, Jack Hartt explains how parks that care can deliver an experience to delight park visitors. Jack Hartt is now on Twitter. Visit him here and say Hello. To learn more about Jack Hartt's background, listen to episode 6 of the Park Leaders Show. Jack is the author of five books, including A Day in the Park with Ranger Jack.

Jeff Goins returns to the Park Leaders Show to discuss his new book, The Art of Work. The Art of Work is a proven path to discovering what you were meant to do. It is about finding your calling and being who you were meant to be. The book is wonderful. In my opinion, the best work Jeff Goins has done so far. But I admit, I have a personal connection to this book. I was fortunate enough to have my story, the story of becoming a park ranger and then walking away to something else, is part of this book. In this interview, Jeff and I talk about how the story of a park ranger fit into the bigger story of a book about finding your calling. On the surface, you may think a story about becoming a park ranger is about finding a dream job and a calling. It is bigger than that. Being a park ranger is piece of a full life that led me towards work I was meant to do, including Park Leaders. The story is told beautifully by Jeff Goins and I want you to read it. Believe me, this is a great book. You don't want to miss the off

As a young leader, one of the best ways to build yourself is to learn from established leaders. Someone has already made the mistakes you are going to make, wrestled with the decisions you struggle with, and found the success you are looking for. Bob Krumenaker is one of those established leaders you should get to know.  Bob has over 30 years with the National Park Service and currently serves as the Superintendent of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Bob shares his path through the National Park Service and many of the lessons he has learned. Bob is one of the key members of the Association of National Park Rangers working on the 2016 World Ranger Congress, which will be in Estes Park, Colorado. Bob recently served a temporary assignment as the superintendent of Everglades National Park. He shares the challenges and opportunity of leaving your home park to serve at a different park on a temporary assignment. Temporary assignments can be a tremendous opportunity for

Outdoor recreation is not immune from the growing trend of technology. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all a part of recreation for many people. A new digital platform, Campstake, is focusing on the digital side of recreation. Brandon Painter, co-founder of Campstake, joins the Park Leaders Show to talk about how the digital side of outdoor recreation can benefit parks. If you are reading this in email, CLICK HERE to listen to this episode. The team at Campstake hosts one of the fastest growing Twitter Chats focused on outdoor recreation. #CampChat takes place every Tuesday at 9 PM EST. You can find out more about Campstake on their website, or by  visiting them on Twitter or Facebook. You can also contact Brandon Painter directly at brandon (at) campstake.com.

If you have ever worked a night shift in a park, you have experienced the beauty of night sky. Away from lights, campfires, and digital screens, a night sky is one of the true wonders of many parks. Not many people get to experience a truly wondrous night sky, but Chad Moore looks at night skies for a living. Chad is the Program Manager for the National Park Service Night Sky Team. Even if you are not with the National Park Service, the work of the Night Sky Team has great value for your park. Parks have an opportunity, perhaps even an obligation, to protect night skies. Chad and I will talk about his work with night skies, why the National Park Service has a night sky team, and how individual parks can improve their night skies. After talking with Chad I considered what have been my most memorable night skies. The two that come to mind are the overwhelming stars at Natural Bridges in Utah. With so many stars, a night sky is anything but dark. I also thought about the first time I saw the northern lights on a

A common theme from the People of Parks Project has been a frustration with communication between leadership, admin staff, and staff in the field. When I hear the same thing come up often I know we need to lean into it a little bit more. I know this isn't a problem I could properly address on my own, so I called in the help of some friends. Joining me for a special panel discussion episode of the Park Leaders Show are: Ray Bivens- Director of Delaware State Parks, Eric Watilo- Region Manager with Washington State Parks, and Sarah Milbourne-  Park Manager with Maryland State Parks. Each member of this panel was selected to give the panel three layers of park management to offer insight on how to improve communication. Ray, Eric, and Sarah have also been previous guests on the Park Leaders Show, so I understood they would each offer valuable ideas for you and your park. You can help shape future episodes of the Park Leaders Show by participating in the People of Parks Project. By answering a couple of short que

When I was young my father always had pigeons as pets. I spent plenty of time around his feathered friends. Perhaps that is where my interest in the passenger pigeon came from. I used to imagine what it must have been like to see the sky go dark when a flock of passenger pigeons flew overhead. When I saw Ben Novak's TEDx Talk about bringing the passenger pigeon back from extinction, I know I had to talk to him. Ben Novak grew up exploring Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The connection he made with the park when he was young led to his current work to revive the passenger pigeon. Ben's story is a wonderful story about building a connection to parks. By exploring his favorite National Park he fell in love with what was around him. Consider the impact it may have twenty years from now when you help a kid connect to the park. Perhaps my favorite thing about Ben is that he chose himself to do this work. He raised his hand and declared he would be the one to devote his life to bringing a beautiful bird back to ou

Jeff Goins has made his living with the support of a tribe.  The loyal following to his popular blog led to a successful self published book, You Are a Writer. Now, Jeff is make a living as a writer. His success has come from building a tribe. Jeff even teaches other writers how to build a tribe in his course Tribe Writers. Jeff Goins joins the Park Leaders Show to discuss how a park can use the tribe concept to build a following of supporters. The idea of a tribe is essential a conversational way of marketing. It allows supporters of your park to be a part of the park, even when they are not at the park. Jeff has an unexpected connection to parks. As an 18 year old he had a summer job at a park in Illinois. He shares about his experience working in a park and the lessons he learned that have stuck with him to this day. Through his stories, he highlights how you can turn a simple task like "get me a spade" into a learning opportunity. You will enjoy these books by Jeff Goins: The In-Between and Wrecked. If yo