More than rangers - Organization and job diversity in the modern Park Service.

Not everyone has the advantage of growing up as a park brat, but that doesn't mean that a life in the Park Service is out of reach. We talk with people all the time who are convinced that it's their dream job, but there's just no way that they could do it. They don't think they could compete, they don't think they could relocate, and most of all they don't think their skills are applicable to the service.

The reality is that the NPS is a complex organization, with thousands of different jobs and duties. The Rangers that visitors see are the public face of the Park Service, but for ever Ranger you see there are 5-10 support staff working to ensure that everything goes smoothly in the background.

Many of the contributors to this blog are members of the support staff. We operate in jobs that the public is never going to see, doing things that people don't associate with the National Parks. We don't wear uniforms, or give programs to teach people about the parks, but we bleed green and grey just the same. Our talents aren't suited to interacting with visitors day after day, but we still work hard to ensure that the parks remain safe, functional, and preserved for future generations to enjoy.

If you're interested in becoming part of the Park Service, but don't want to become a "Ranger", then it might help to have a brief overview of the organization of NPS.

NPS Employment within a park, monument, region, etc. breaks down into 5 main "Divisions", each with designated duties related to the Park Service mission.

Administration: The admin staff of parks handles things like payroll, budget, human resources, Information Technology, and purchasing. Other departments, such as Concessions and OPAC (office of planning and compliance), usually also end up as a subset of this division.

Facility Maintenance (also known as "Design and Engineering"): The maintenance staff works to cover everything from building and housing maintenance to trail construction and waste management. In most NPS locations this is actually the largest portion of the staff.

Science & Resource Management (also known as "Natural\Cultural Resources"): S&RM functions as the academic side of the Park Service. Staff who work for S&RM include Biologists, Botanists, Zoologists, Archaeologists, Paleontologists, Hydrologists, Geologists, and every other kind of "ologist" you could imagine. They work in tasks as varied of their specialties, with duties ranging from active research to historic preservation.  

Interpretation: These are the Rangers that people think of when they imagine the National Park Service. Flat hats with green and grey uniforms giving programs or guiding events in the park. Interpretation staff make up half of the "Ranger" title. They offer presentations and programs, provide visitor information, and cover all kinds of other work designed to help people learn about, and enjoy their National Parks.

Visitor and Resource Protection: V&RP includes the primary other "Ranger" type. Law Enforcement Rangers. This division also includes programs like Backcountry Management, Fee Collection, Wildland and Structural firefighting, Emergency Services, and campground staff.

Once upon a time in the Park Service a "Ranger" was expected to be everything for a park. The law enforcement, the scientist, the interpreter, and the maintenance staff. These days the requirements of each job have become compartmentalized, because you can't expect every employee to be a federally credentialed law enforcement officer while also having a degree in Botany and knowledge on how to work a bulldozer. Because of this the Park Service family is incredibly varied in skill set, and just because you can't track a deer through the woods or give a Ranger Program to a crowd doesn't mean that's not a place where your skills can be put to use.

So, if you think that you'd rather have a Bison for a neighbor than an apartment building, or you feel like you'd rather be paid in sunrises than cold hard cash, consider taking a look joining the NPS family. You'll kick yourself every time you see your paycheck, and you'll wonder why you signed up for 150-mile grocery runs, but every time you get to step out and enjoy the beauty around you you'll understand that it was the best bad decision you ever made.

~CBD

Postcards from Alaska - Entry #1

Editor’s note: This is the start of a running series from a first time NPS employee chronicling her first Park Service job at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.

Jas here!
So, I made it to Glacier Bay Alaska. First things first, it is beautiful and I feel like one of the luckiest people in the world right now. Mountains, REAL Mountains! Not saying that the part of Georgia I come from is flat, but it isn't exactly mountainy either. I wouldn't call Stone Mountain a real mountain; it's more of a hill.

Anyways, where I am situated is pretty much a glacial plain sandwich. The plain being the meat between the majestic mountains and the open sea. Interestingly enough, I haven't seen any glaciers yet, but I'll work on that.

Bear Claw Mountain

Mountain valley road from the plane

The ocean from the plane

Different colors in the ocean water

Post office

The flight to Glacier Bay from Juneau was amazing. The water was so many different shades of blue and green that it was beyond fascinating. On the way over here I was so nervous about all the unknowns about coming to a place I had never been and the fact that I had never met any of the people I would be working for, and interning with, in person yet. Now that I have gotten a lot of it out of the way I realize it wasn't really that hard it was just a matter of facing everything head on and moving forward from there. I feel like a lot of things in the next 6 months are going to be like that. I'm really looking forward to it.

Everyone that I met has been super nice! I'm not so sure about the whole limited Internet thing yet. I met my partner Allisha, the other SCA intern, and she was really nice. We both bonded over complaining about the Internet but I'm sure we'll figure it out, there are several places we can go to get access.

The Fjord Flying service plane I took

So, what we are doing here for the Student Conservation Association right now is working with maintenance. I haven't been told very much, but I do know that for the first week most of what I'm going to be doing is training and paperwork. Our day starts at 7 AM and I'm really looking forward to it.

One of the first things I will be doing is a bear safety class, which I can only imagine has to do with not getting eaten, mauled, or whatever else bears do. From what I have learned in a the brief time I have been here is that you get to see them often. The lovely lady, Allison, that picked me up said she has seen them licking her red Vespa before!* On a related note, when I first met my roommate, he gave me a bottle of bear mace. I would have to say that is the best welcoming gift ever!

Welcoming gift of bear mace

For all of you that are were concerned about mosquitoes, I am happy to say that it had been a dry year and that there won't be very many. Apparently, they don't have ticks in the park. Well, they have ticks but they are more like deer ticks and couldn't care less about humans. I was told, however, that as a trade off the park had lot of biting gnats and horseflies. To be honest, I haven't seen much wildlife yet. I saw some crows in the trees outside my apartment window and what I can only assume are puffins of sorts. Allison told me that I would probably run into some local porcupines sooner or later, as they have trails next to the roads. Since I have arrived in town I have learned quite a few terms. While I can't remember all of them right now, my favorite so far is Swamp Donkey, which is code for moose.**

I also heard from my roommate’s girlfriend that the whales were starting to come into the park. As a result, for the first time ever they were recorded singing around this time of year. Normally, they don't sing until the end of the season when they go back to Hawaii to mate. Another fun tidbit I learned about the whales around here today was that they only eat when they come up here and then when they leave they don't generally eat anything till they get back the next year. I couldn't imagine not eating for almost a year! I got to my new apartment and I have to say it's way nicer than the dorms that I had in college. The one I am in is a 4 person apartment with shared living space, two bathrooms, and separate rooms. We get free laundry, which is awesome and almost too good to be true.  It is fully furnished and even has a mini TV, which I am now convinced has a smaller screen than my laptop. On the flip side, my laptop can't play VHS or DVDs! My room looks out into a cove and the view is stunning I'm looking forward to looking out every day. I asked my roommate what time the sun went down and it isn't till 8:30 and it doesn't get actually dark till 10:30.*** Btw there is snow outside my apartment which isn't exactly exciting for most people but back in Georgia any snow is exciting.****

They even gave us two fridges, though I honestly don't think we will need considering that most of the food can only be bought at two very expensive stores in the town of Gustavus. I have decided that having stuff mailed to me is probably more efficient than buying stuff in town. The only thing with having stuff mailed to me is I haven't yet figured out how many days it takes for it to get here. The post office said three days and I can vouch and say nope that is not correct, I sent a package 3 days ago and it's still not here.

Until next time!
*Note to self: Do not wear red unless you want bear licks. **Note to self: Start compiling a list of random terms you learn at the park. ***Note to reader: I'm pretty sure I just felt an earthquake already, unless it was the fridge, who knows, I'll have to ask* *I asked- no one else felt it. I mean I could have sworn the ground was shaking. I may be going crazy though who knows! ****Note to reader: Except during Snowpocalypse because no one can drive and everyone thinks they are going to die unless they buy milk and bread.