Split Days Off

Every so often, most park employees will experience split days off for different reasons. In the winter, my normal days off are Friday and Saturday (during the summer, I usually take Thursday and Friday off, with the occasional Saturday). This week I'm doing two First Day Hikes on January 1; one at 10 a.m. at Dayton State Park and another at 1 p.m. at Washoe Lake State Park. My husband works for wildlife and has to work this Saturday because it's a busy hunting day (we live at a Wildlife Management Area) and he "gets" to test birds for bird flu...so I decided to take Thursday and Sunday off instead.

My cat, Oatmeal, has a bladder infection and an accessed tooth, so we spent the morning at the vet. She goes back next week to get the tooth pulled, then she'll be good as new!

This is my husband Dave at work (from a couple years ago). He manages water levels in ponds for nesting birds and also for hunting season. After hunting season comes fishing season, when we can get out into the ponds a lot more often. They also maintain the dirt roads throughout the management area, test birds for bird flu, do a lot of maintenance throughout the area, and meet with partnering agencies, like state parks!

Dream Job

I hear this all the time: "You have my dream job!" or "I wish I'd gone into this field." We do have great jobs! Park Interpreters are outside a lot, leading hikes or tours, presenting interpretive programs, talking to park visitors, etc, but it's not like that 24-7. I'm hoping to show what this job really is...in a fun way, and I'm going to *try* posting daily through 2016.

Guided hike, June 2015

 

I've been an interpretive park ranger for state parks for 11 years now, full time. I also put in six seasons as a seasonal ranger aid while I was in college, and I volunteered for a couple winters before that. I worked for Utah State Parks for seven years full time, and I've been with Nevada State Parks for over four years now. Interpretation is only part of the job description: collecting fees, cleaning restrooms and showers, cleaning campsites, training and supervising seasonal ranger aids, maintaining an online social media presence (Facebook), and fee deposits...and...paperwork! We also do trail maintenance (with chainsaws!), write grants, attend trainings....there really are no typical days when you work at a state park!

Sign Installation

There are currently seven Park Interpreters with Nevada State Parks, and even more rangers who do interpretation when its not their main job description. Park Supervisors, Law Enforcement Rangers, Maintenance staff, and volunteers all do at least some form of interpretation! I'll talk more about what interpretation is and what we do in future posts :)

My friend Sarah, with Utah State Parks put this together. It's pretty much perfect!