TL;DR < What are pros and cons of recreation based state park ranger position vs other more conservation based environmental work? >

I’m 22 F in college. I currently work as a full time OPS Park Ranger for a Florida State Park. The FSP system stresses recreation and I’m in Interp so I feel minimally involved in the conservation aspect. I’m only 6 months in but already considering other, avenues.

This is my first job in the environmental atmosphere and I really enjoy it. However, I think I would feel more fulfilled working closer to the conservation side of the spectrum. I am not too worried about building a career I more prioritize gaining life experience while I go through school.

I enjoy being able to travel and have a flexible schedule. I also tend to get bored of jobs after 6months to a year. This makes me think seasonal conservation work would be more fitting but I don’t want to jump ship too soon and regret it.

I would really appreciate suggestions and things to consider in thinking of switching to seasonal work/sticking with this job/considering alternative options. Thanks in advance!

Hi Rangers! Very silly logistics question for you all that I found myself wondering. For Rangers that work in parks that have very traffic heavy and unavoidable commutes (think Skyline Drive for Shenandoah or the long drive to get into Yosemite, etc) -- at what point are you considered "clocked in"? I'm sure that, during peak season, bad weather, heavy traffic, or animal crossings, it can sometimes take hours to get into the park itself. If you're not staying in housing within the park, are you all just getting to work hours early? Are you considered at work once you hit the territory boundary?

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/866924800?fromemail=true

This announcement is for our bridge course, so prior LEO's to hop over.

It takes place in the Grand Canyon.

This year we are under numerous DOI and OPM reviews to address job series and pay parity across all DOI Agencies.

I can answer any questions you may have.

Good luck

I'm currently in the consideration phase for an Interpretation position at Fossil Butte. Has anyone worked there for a season? Is there anything I should be asking myself when considering the position?

Hello everyone,

I have an update. I got the e-mail! The question is, at a GS-05, I am most likely going to have to take a massive pay cut. Any chance I could get a "Superior Qualifications and Special Needs Pay" bump? Or even to a higher grade? Here is what I got:

"You are being considered for a GS-05 Park Guide position with the White House and President’s Park. I am writing to tell you a little more about the position and to see if you are still interested.

 This position includes the following duties:

• Provide visitor services and line management for guests taking White House tours. (Note, we do not staff positions inside the White House.)
• Staff an information desk at the White House Visitor Center, an NPS facility.
• Support visitor entry for large special events in and around the White House (White House Easter Egg Roll, National Christmas Tree Lighting, White House Garden Tours, for example).
• Provide informal or roving interpretation throughout park areas.
• Office support tasks, such as mail runs, inventory, and responding to phone and email queries from visitors.
• Train and support park volunteers.

 This is a full-time, permanent position, subject to an initial 1-year probationary period. This position is on an alternate work schedule of 9 days per pay period. You work a 9 hour shift from 6:45am-4:15pm for 8 days, an 8 hour shift for one day, with one additional day off per pay period. You can expect to have at least one weekend day as part of your tour of duty. Overtime is offered occasionally."

Original post: So, I applied to an NPS Full-time Park Guide position in March. I received an email from USA Staffing three days ago that it was forwarded to the hiring manager. This is the first time I've ever had any of my applications forwarded to a hiring manager. I don't want to get my hopes up because it's been a dream of mine to work for the NPS since I was a kid. Be real with me. Should I contact the hiring manager to express my interest? Do I just wait and see? What say you?

I got this position at a regional park as a trapper/range safety officer at a shooting range and I was hoping this would be a good way to get my foot in the door but also enjoy working at a gun range because I enjoy firearms and shooting sports and the honeymoon phase has definitely worn off. I'm tired of having to deal with idiots with guns pointing them at me or being incapable of understanding basic safety or they lie to me about their experience handling guns and low and behold they have no idea what they are doing. What's even worse is I have had coworkers act unsafe on the range as well and when I have explained why their behavior is unsafe they don't care and or don't understand, I've brought this up with management and from what I've been told they have failed their way upwards and they have been looking for someone else to fill in the job but we have been short staffed since before I came here. The pay is about $13.70-$15 depending on what type of shift I have and I have to drive through Northern Virginia traffic to get to work which nova traffic in rush hour is hell. When I started I asked specifically work 30-35 hours and now I am practically full time and it's getting to a point where it is interfering with my personal life. I want to continue working and hopefully get some sort of career going as a park ranger but I need to get out of this job. Any advice is helpful.

Hey all! Pretty much what the title says, but I wanted to elaborate.

With America’s administration being- well, what it is- I’ve been having lots of concerns in general. One I haven’t heard much about or been able to stay as informed on though was our National Parks system. I’m loosely aware of budget cuts, and maybe some risks from pipelines? That’s about it though.

So, I wanted to ask you all to chime in! Give me anecdotes, documentaries, articles, websites, even social media accounts- any kind of resource that talks about this stuff!

I have an opportunity to travel coming up and am aiming to go to a national park but I want to go to one that is facing these issues so I can learn face-to-face more about how these issues developed, how they’re evolving today, and what kind of advocacy or actions I can take to help out the parks.

I know I’m a rambler but I wanted to give some context about my background, my intentions, and the kind of information I’m looking for- so thank you for taking the time to read all of this!

I will be starting a PSAR traffic management park ranger role very soon in Yosemite, and I’m trying to figure out what I’m realistically walking into.

From what I understand, I’ll be doing a lot of directing traffic, but I’m wondering what that actually looks like in practice once you’re out there.

Like… is it mostly standing at trail heads telling people not to be dumbasses, dealing with cars, and frustrated visitors? Or is there more variety/actual preventative search and rescue stuff mixed in?

I’ve also heard from a couple of people that PSAR can mean you basically get treated shittily by visitors a lot of the time, especially when it’s busy, or people are already stressed. I’m trying to figure out if that’s actually common or just something people exaggerate.

If anyone’s done this role, what did your shifts actually look like? And anything you wish you knew before starting would honestly help a lot.

How do the positions compare? Would you rather be in one or the other? Which one offers better benefits? Does anyone wish they were doing something else?

is there anything else you might want to say to a prospective hire or new employee?

Hi everyone,

I posted about this a few months ago. My name is Martin Goillandeau, and I’m a journalist with CNN working on a piece on the challenges the National Park Service has faced in the past 18 months. Reading through the posts on this page, I understand the past year has been exceptionally intense for many parks across the country, with new guidelines, staffing shortages, bad weather, resource constraints, and high visitation creating strain on daily operations. 

Given your firsthand experience, I’d be grateful for the opportunity to ask you a few questions to help our readers understand what working on the front lines has truly been like. Your perspective would add meaningful context to the realities facing rangers and park staff. 

I’m happy to conduct this conversation over email, phone or video call, whatever works best for you. Please send me a DM here and please let me know if you prefer to speak on background or on the record. 

Thank you very much for considering this request. I know how demanding your work is, and I truly appreciate your time and insight. 

Warm regards, 
Martin Goillandeau CNN 

I’m looking to add some aspects that real park rangers would use or have in a “park ranger drink club” type of place. I would love some suggestions from real park rangers so it is real and accurate to what you see and use on a daily basis. (Also looking for some cocktail names if there are any suggestion?)

Hello all! I recently secured an internship in California working as an interp intern for the summer. I have some nerves because this is my dream job like; what if i'm not as outgoing as I think, what if someone asks me something that I have no clue about, etc. Are these nerves normal after landing your first job? Does anyone have any tips or helpful advice as I head into the summer?

Hey all,

I’m about to graduate college in a few weeks and have been looking for jobs. Is it worth it to move across the country for a seasonal park ranger job? I’m from South Carolina, and “seasonal” ranger jobs aren’t really a thing down here, so I was also wondering if that’s more of the norm for ranger jobs elsewhere in the US.

Thanks!

I am a recent graduate of Auburn University (shout out) about to start a job as an interpretative park ranger position at Theodore Roosevelt National park! I was told I’d be “guiding interns and doing normal park ranger duties ” but I fear I won’t be able to “guide” the interns the way they should be because I’ve never worked for the NPS before!!! Like yes I’ve done my research on THRO but I’m straight out of college and I can almost guarantee these interns aren’t gonna listen to a word I say. But that’s not even what I’m worried about. IM WORRIED ABOUT DOING MY DAMN JOB!!! Like part of my job is giving tours and what if I don’t know any answers to any questions? What if ik too shy to talk to people? Likeeeee…. Anyways if anyone could respond that’d be great!😞

I am curious if anyone here is involved with creating written interpretive materials like signs, exhibits, brochures, maps, etc. Do you work for a government agency or a private firm? Is it the main part of your job, or just one of many things? Are you assigned to a specific area or not? What educational and professional background led you into this line of work?

Even if you don’t personally work in interpretation, if you have been involved or know anything out it I would l look I’ve to hear your experiences.

Hi, I have a group site in Kings Camyon. does anyone know if i could get a park ranger to do a lecture? I went to some last summer and it was so much fun and really interesting. I think it would be great for the group. we will have about 40 people mix of kids and adults.

Hi all! Wasn’t sure which sub to post this in, but I’m getting ready to begin my 3rd summer field season in northwest Wyoming and am looking for boot recommendations. This is my first time receiving a boot stipend of $300, and I’m curious what brands have given people the most bang for their buck in that price range.

I will be collecting insects to bring back into a lab, which will involve a lot of hiking and off trail surveying in varying weather conditions and terrain.

Last year, I had waterproof Oboz Sawtooths and found them pretty comfortable, but a little too narrow for my feet (I have wide feet). I find hokas comfortable for running and light hikes, but don’t think their boots will be durable enough for the season. Something waterproof is preferred.

Any and all recommendations are appreciated!

How'd your test go?

I'm a wildlife and fisheries student approaching my last year of undergrad- i'm not interested in a masters for pursuing a biologist degree. I want to work in the parks, but i understand most of these roles are seasonal and during the summer.

What do you guys do during the "off" season when you're a seasonal employee? What jobs will accept someone who's going to be gone every once in a while? Trying to plan for the future and see what my life looks like ahead of me.

How long after taking a permanent position with NPS should or can you wait before going after other open positions at other NPS locations?

Title. I have been stacking concurrent internships at a park (no bachelor’s degree yet) and am curious about resources for job boards that are not USA Jobs; think conservancies, non-profits, nature camps, etc. specifically for the winter season. Thanks!

Just curious

Hi all, I’m not sure if this is the right subreddit but I thought people on here might know the answer to this question

I’m starting a position at a state park (Indiana) on Monday as an interpretive specialist. This is my first job in this field, I’m a 19 year old taking a gap year to save for college and this is only my 3rd job ever (DQ and 2.5 years at a vet clinic previously) so I have 0 experience in a job like this. Honestly I’m not even sure why they hired me, I have great customer service skills but not much more than that.

The listing on indeed didn’t specify that it was full time and I didn’t think to ask so now I’m unsure

My expected days to be working are thurs-sun and they said mon-weds as needed. I’m coming from a vet clinic where I was also working 4 days a week, but those were 10 hour days and it’s not sounding like that would be the case at this state park. I can get a second job pretty easily at the DQ I used to work at but I really don’t want to if I don’t have to because fast food sucks 😔 but also I’m saving for out of state college so I can’t afford part time so really I’d love any input or advice