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 […]
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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 […]
Making Park Visitors Feel Like Insiders
Phil Gaines, Director of South Carolina State Parks, returns to the Park Leaders Show to follow up on his first interview. In this second interview, Phil talks about the Ultimate Outside program. The Ultimate Outsider program turns visitors into insiders by getting them into all 47 State Parks in South Carolina. Phil Gaines knows once […]
Why Your Park is the Most Important Park
When I began my career as a park ranger at Riverside State Park, Jack Hartt would often tell me how lucky he was to the park manager. He convinced me Riverside was the best park in Washington State. I believed him. I followed his lead and proclaimed there was not a better park in the state. Then, […]
Connecting to Wild Places Through Local Parks
When you think of City Parks, what comes to mind? I imagine you don’t think of 29,000 acres and 5,000 individual properties in a single City Park System. That is how much property New York city Parks is responsible for. In an environment that makes me think of skyscrapers and concrete, NYC Parks account for […]
Saving the Hetch Hetchy with Robert Hanna
December 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of John Muir. Muir passed away on December 24th, 1914. His last fight was to save the Hetch Hetchy valley. If you are not familiar with John Muir and the Hetch Hetchy Valley, I am going to spoil the story for you. The valley is under water. […]