Oh, Ranger!

"In the end we conserve only what we love, We will love only what we understand, We will understand only what we are taught."—Baba Dioum

When I introduce myself to visitors, I am often asked, "How many languages do you speak?" A misconception, National Park Service Interpreters might happen to speak a foreign language, but the title refers to something else. Interpreters speak for the things that cannot speak for themselves.

When I was 10 years old, I wanted to be a park ranger; I also wanted to be an actress. Being an interpreter at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area fulfills both childhood fantasies. My career allows me to present the stories of the park in an engaging, and theatrical way.

My first job for the Forest Service in Wyoming was a seasonal position on the Grizzly Bear Mortality Prevention Team and I was destined to move back to California and work for the State Parks at Anza Borrego. Glen Canyon NRA hired me permanently in 1992 and I have moved "up the ladder" to my present supervisory role. Most recently I was the Acting Superintendent of nearby Navajo National Monument for four months.

As the Downlake District Interpreter I work in the historic Mecca of Lees Ferry, the spiritual and geologic majesty of Rainbow Bridge, and the Carl Hayden Visitor Center at the Glen Canyon Dam.

It is a great honor to speak for the park's natural and cultural resources. The stories of Glen Canyon's ecosystem, as well as its' rich human legacy, offers an ever-changing and provocative drama. Living my dream is a tremendous responsibility and my life work.