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Daisy Martinez founded Trash Free Earth so her neighborhood park would look better. The idea spread and Trash Free Earth now hosts regular cleanups where a diverse collection of volunteers come together to make  a park look beautiful. Trash Free Earth has created a patch challenge. People who accomplish all five elements of the challenge receive an […]

Shelton Johnson returns to the Park Leaders Show for episode 101. If you missed part 1 of his interview, you can listen to it here. In this episode, Shelton talks about the importance of telling stories. Shelton’s Buffalo Soldiers program at Yosemite National Park has brought a story back to life that the world nearly […]

Being a park ranger is not usually a job that puts you in the spotlight. But every once in a while, a story gets discovered that needs to be shared with the world. That is what happened to Ranger Shelton Johnson. When he began telling the story of the Buffalo Soldiers experience in Yosemite, people began […]

Our parks and Disney World share many commonalities. Often, people save money and vacation time to visit both places. When guests hold a place in such high regard, what obligation do we have to them? Jeff Noel joins the Park Leaders Show to discuss how to create excellence. Jeff Noel spent 30 years at Disney World. […]

Recently, at the World Ranger Congress, a group of female delegates gathered to discuss issues woman face. This led me to consider how the female ranger experience is different than the male ranger experience, especially when it comes to leadership. When it comes to women’s leadership, Ann Vertel is someone you want to know. Ann is […]

Gary Ananian is the founder of the Kern River Conservancy. He is a volunteer who pours his own time and money into protecting a river he loves. Vandalism and trash got so bad on the Kern River that Gary started camping elsewhere. The lure of the river brought him back, but he was again faced […]

After a backpacking trip to Glacier National Park, I passed through the Yaak Valley. I was intrigued by the beauty of the valley. It just felt different than most other places I had visited. Shortly after my short visit to the Yaak Valley, I discovered a book called The Book of Yaak by Rick Bass. I […]

Even in an urban setting, there is wilderness all around. Birds, bugs, plants are not just getting by, but thriving living in a city. Most people never notice. Most people quickly move from one place to another without looking up or down to see the life around them. Or, wildlife is so common it goes […]

Armando Quintero spent 22 years with the National Park Service. Now, Armando is the Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at The University of California, Merced. When Armando left his career as parks, he knew his background would allow him to be an advocate for parks from the outside. Experience from the inside […]

Matt Carroll did not follow a typical path to becoming a Superintendent with the National Park Service. During a full career with the Air Force, Matt picked up all the skills he would need to be a Park Superintendent; management, budgets, leadership, operations and more. He also volunteered with the National Park Service for many […]