Alan Spears is the Cultural Resources Director for the National Parks Conservation Association. Alan Spears and I had the opportunity to sit down together and talk about cultural resources at the Ranger Rendezvous, the annual conference of the Association of National Park Rangers. Alan got his start in the outdoors chasing frogs at Fort Dupont […]
Parks First with Cam Sholly
Cam Sholly joins the Park Leaders Show to offer a look at the National Park Service from a Region perspective. Cam is the Region Director for the Midwest Region of the National Park Service. In this episode, Cam explains how the Region offices offer support to parks throughout the region by putting Parks First. Cam […]
GeoTours and Geocaching with Jenn Seva
Geocaching has been a popular outdoor activity for 15 years. It is in your park, or near your park. People will travel for miles to find a Geocache. Now, GeoTours can help parks create a deliberate, curated experience for visitors. A GeoTour is a collection of geocaches that take people on a tour of a specific […]
Australian Parks with Pete Cleary
The Park Leaders Show goes international. In this episode, I talk with Pete Cleary, a park ranger at Philip Island Nature Parks in Australia. We examine the unique characteristics about Philip Island, as well as the common traits of parks and park rangers in different countries throughout the world. Ranger Cleary explains the concept of […]
Theodore Roosevelt and Parks with Clay Jenkinson
After a tremendous performance as Theodore Roosevelt, Clay Jenkinson returns to the Park Leaders Show to talk about Theodore Roosevelt and parks. If you haven’t yet listened to the episode with Clay in character as Theodore Roosevelt, Click here to listen. You will want to hear that episode first. In this episode, Clay discusses Theodore […]
Why We Need Parks with Theodore Roosevelt
President Theodore Roosevelt was a pivotal figure in the early days of the National Park Service. The National Park Service as we know it would not exist without Theodore Roosevelt. Clay Jenkinson portrays President Roosevelt in this episode of the Park Leaders Show. Clay allows us to step back into time and talk with the […]
Taking Great Park Photographs with David Molnar
When I was a new park ranger, I noticed the Park Manager, Jack Hartt, would carry a camera in his pocket. I saw him take photos of trees, bugs, turkey, park rangers, and even vehicle accidents and vandalism. Carrying a camera with you makes sense, right? Park rangers spend their days in the most beautiful […]
Being Community Leaders with Donald Forgione
Donald Forgione, Director of Florida State Parks, returns to the Park Leaders Show. In this episode, we discuss how Florida State Parks connects with communities of color. Director Forgione also talks about how park rangers should be seen as leaders in the community outside of the park. Florida State Parks is proactive in seeking […]
From Park Ranger to Parks Director with Donald Forgione
Donald Forgione began his career as a Park Ranger with Florida State Parks. Over time, Ranger Forgione became Director Forgione. As Director of Florida State Parks, Donald Forgione considers himself to be a ranger first. In fact, he signs off on email correspondence with “Ranger First” as a reminder to himself, and others, that he […]
Are We Leaving Out Millennials?
Are we leaving out Millennials from the park experience? I recently read an article in Outside Magazine questioning if the outdoor industry has a Millennial problem. This article from Outside magazine touches on many issues relevant to parks and recreation. In the Northwest, in particular, recreation can be more about the jacket you wear while […]