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 […]
How to Make a Park “Park-Like”
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 […]
The Art of Work with Jeff Goins
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, […]
Lessons from 30 Years in the National Park Service
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 […]
The Digital Side of Recreation
Outdoor recreation is not immune to 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, a co-founder of Campstake, joins the Park Leaders Show to talk about how the digital side […]
The Value of a Night Sky to a Park
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 […]
Communication in Parks Panel Discussion
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 […]
Bringing Back the Passenger Pigeon
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 […]
Building a Tribe of Supporters for Your Park
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 making a living as a writer. His success has come from building a tribe. Jeff even teaches other writers how to build a tribe in […]
Connecting People to Parks Through Writing
Park Rangers are great storytellers. Sean Smith, former National Park Ranger, used the storytelling gift to write a series of thrillers with a park ranger as the hero. In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Sean talks about how his time as a ranger led to writing Unleashing Colter’s Hell and Lost Cause. Sean tells us why […]