Oh, Ranger!

When I turned eight years old, my life changed forever. That's when I attended my first Ranger program at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. On the tour the Ranger stopped the group and shut off all of the lights. It was in this complete cave darkness that I saw the light. I knew I was going to be a ranger. That ranger inspired a personal connection between me and the resource. It is a connection that lives on to this day.

Now it's my job. As an Interpretive Park Ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park, I am charged with protecting the park, which I do in a very unique way. I don't write tickets or carry a gun; I protect the park by inspiring people. I encourage visitors to reach beyond the information and stimulate a personal connection to the park resources. My responsibility is rooted in the National Park Service mission: "…to conserve the scenery …provide for the enjoyment of the same…unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Conserve and enjoy the scenery and leave it unimpaired for future generations? That is the great dilemma, the balancing act that park rangers are charged with performing. 

While exploring Bryce Canyon, take the opportunity to find that personal connection. What does Bryce Canyon mean to you? Perhaps you will hear the call of the National Park spirit as you experience the geology and history of this amazing place of Hoodoos and high plateaus. Listen for the echoes of the past and remember that, while we are here to enjoy it today, we must preserve and protect it for future generations.