Barrie Gilbert, a bear biologist and author of ‘One of Us: A Biologist’s Walk Among Bears’, joins the show to discuss his research and resources. Having survived a near-fatal attack by a bear in 1977 In Yellowstone Park, Gilbert has devoted his career to wildlife discovery. For over four decades, Gilbert’s scientific inquiries have inspired […]
Use Winter to Prepare Your Park for Summer
In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Phil Gaines, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks, returns to discuss how parks can maximize their winter seasons. For most parks, tourism is high in the summer, low in the winter. As visitation decreases during the cold months, the opportunities for special projects increase. The question […]
How to Discover the Culture at Your Park
Phil Gaines, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks, returns to discuss strong park culture. While some say culture is how you do things, the truth is discovering culture goes much deeper. For instance, when a new park ranger obtains a new role, they instantly inherit a culture. In some cases, the culture may be […]
Passing Stories to the Next Generation
Rick Bass, an acclaimed author, and resident of the beautiful Yaak Valley in Montana discuss challenges affecting national parks and the importance of sharing experiences. From climate change to conservation conflicts, Rick explains why we should pass stories of environmental struggles to future generations. In his mind, the obligation to preserve history and raise awareness […]
Should You Be a Well Rounded Ranger?
Phil Gaines, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks, returns to discuss what it means to be a well-rounded ranger. As Phil explains, the expectations for rangers have evolved considerably in recent decades. During the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, the idea was a ranger should know how to build homes and service plumbing and electrical […]
Discussing Funny Park Visitor Reviews
In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Phil Gaines, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks, returns to discuss the funnier side of visitor reviews. While some low-star reviews are unwarranted, as Jody and Phil explain, they can also provide a unique perspective. Sometimes, a new visitor question or a trite online review can […]
Do Interpretive Services Provide a Return
Today on the ‘Park Leaders Show’, Phil Gaines, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks, returns to discuss the value of interpretive services. As Phil notes, many parks are applying budget cuts to interpretive services and discontinuing in-person programming due to COVID-19; however, while the physical returns have dwindled, the online returns have been surprisingly […]
Understanding Park Priorities
On today’s episode of the ‘Park Leaders Show’, Cam Sholly, Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, joins the show to discuss prioritizing park responsibilities. Of these umbrella priorities, Cam explains five in particular: workforce development, strengthening ecosystems and cultural resources, resource accessibility and park experience, investing in infrastructures, and building coalitions and partnerships. In all endeavors, […]
Making Parks More Inclusive
On this episode of The Park Leaders Show, Reggie Williams, ex-NFL linebacker, former Disney executive, and social reformer joins us to discuss how inclusion should look in state parks. When we talk about popular tourist attractions, we often think inclusion is exclusive to participants after they’ve engaged. Popular among park leaders is the idea once […]
Experience Your Park as a Visitor
Today, on the ‘Park Leaders Show’, Phil Gaines returns to discuss new takes on the park visitor experience. Per recent travels, Phil unpacks some lessons learned having toured local parks as a visitor. One principle he stresses is good leaders view the park experience through the eyes of the visitor. To facilitate a positive environment, […]