Park Leaders Show

In October 2016 we did an episode of the Park Leaders Show about the ProRanger Program at Temple University . In that episode, Brennan McAuley gave us a look at the program from a student's point of view.  Brennan returns to the Park Leaders Show to give us an update on what has happened with him and the ProRanger program since October.  Brennan also gives leaders insight into how you can help a n...

Recently, I had lunch in Seattle with Alan Spears  in Seattle. We talked about the great work the National Parks Conservation Association is doing.  We also talked about the work we have done with Park Leaders.  Then I had a chance meeting with Eric Watilo from Washington State Parks in downtown Seattle.  Being around leaders in parks and conservation reminded me of the important work we are doing...

Back when I was at the Inspiring a New Generation Summit, I met Steve Jones . At the time, Steve was the President of Antioch University New England. He is now has a consulting and speaking firm and recently wrote a book called Nature Based Leadership. Well, since this show is about leadership in Parks, the idea of the book caught me right away. Steve Jones joins the Park Leaders Show explain Natu...

Park visitors on active on social media. Is your park or agency using social media to engage and connect? Or are you just posting bulletins and the new hours your visitor center is open? Many parks and park agencies wonder what the proper way to use social media. In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, KC Procter talks about best practices for using social media to engage with park visitors. KC...

Sue Black, Director of Arizona State Parks , returns to the Park Leaders Show to talk about culture, visitation and the impact of parks on a state.  You can hear her first interview HERE . Director Black offers compelling reasons why parks are important as whole to a state and individual parks to communities. It is not about the park, it is about what happens in the park.  You can't listen to this...

Sue Black, Director of Arizona State Parks , joins the Park Leaders Show to discuss creating a Gold Medal culture in parks.  Arizona State Parks is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Director Black has a goal to win the National Parks and Recreation Association  Gold Medal award this year. Throughout her career, Director Black has set high goals and then found a way to achieve it.   Sue Black has b...

When the Director of Texas State Parks was a guest on the Park Leaders Show, he mentioned the Ambassador Program as one of the great things they were doing in Texas. Tyler Priest, the coordinator of the Ambassador Program, joins the Park Leaders Show to tell us more about the program Director Leisure is so proud of. An Ambassador Program is a way for a park system to introduce younger people to pa...

James Slade grew up in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Now, he is on the front line in Africa working as Operations Manager and ranger with the Zimbabwe International Anti-Poaching Foundation . James will give us an inside look at what it is like to be an anti-poaching ranger, and what the poaching situation is like in Zimbabwe.  Although in a management role, James spends as much time as poss...

Robert Ingram, Cheif of Visitor Protection and Law Enforcement for Washington State Parks, joins the Park Leaders Show to discuss bike patrol in parks.  Cheif Ingram was the driving force behind Washington State Parks bike patrol program. In this interview, he will share how the bike program was formed, how the agency chose the bikes and the decision to keep training in house.  Washington State Pa...

The National Park Service is faced with a $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog.  How did we get here and what can we do about it? John Garder from the National Parks Conservation Association  joins the Park Leaders Show to discuss how the maintenance backlog grew so large and what we can do about it.  The maintenance backlog in the National Park Service is a reflection of what is happening wit...

One of the things I learned at the World Ranger Congress is that parks all over the world have the same problems.  Teemu Laine and Vesa-Matti Hillberg, both park rangers from Finland, join the Park Leaders Show to share their experience at the World Ranger Congress and what they have learned as park rangers.  This is the first episode of the show where "Reindeer herders" were mentioned as a proble...

Brent Leisure, Director of Texas State Parks, returns for another episode of the Park Leaders Show.  This episode is short enough it could have easily been included on the first episode with Director Leisure . This conversation is a separate episode because it needs to be a separate conversation.  We need to support parks at all levels. City and County Parks are an important gateway for exposure t...

Texas is big. If you haven't been to Texas you have seen it on a map. No matter how you look at the state, it is big. The enormous geographic size creates a challenge when it comes to communicating to staff if they are spread across the state. Brent Leisure, Director of Texas State Parks Brent Leisure, Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife , joins the Park Leaders Show to discuss how to communicate...

Joseph Mayambo wants you to know about the National Parks of Gabon . Joseph wants everyone to know about Gabon National Parks.  Gabon has one of the newest National Park Systems in the world.  The World Ranger Congress was a perfect place for Rangers from Gabon to interact and exchange ideas with other Rangers from around the world. Joseph Mayambo and his comrades from Gabon State Parks  spread a...

Adrian Fernandez has an influence on young up and coming leaders in the National Park Service . Adrian is the Manager of the ProRanger Program at Temple University.  The ProRanger Program offers a unique opportunity to 12 candidates each year to gain park ranger experience before they become a ranger. In the classroom, they learn the knowledge they need to know, but the program gets them valued ex...

Historic means something entirely different in the United Kingdom than it does in the United States. Historic in the states is still fairly new compared to some of the historic buildings and landscapes found in the United Kingdom.  Historic Landscape management in the United Kingdom can help parks in other countries understand how to manage landscape with historical significance.  Janine Conner is...

At the World Ranger Congress, Ravis Henry gave a program about the Navajo culture. Rangers from around the world took in his stories and songs about his culture and experience as a ranger.  Ravis has a story that is unique, even among park rangers. Ravis is a ranger at Canyon De Shelly National Monument . Canyo De Shelly is within the Navajo Nation and Ravis grew up in the park.  Ravis joins the P...

Are we facing a dangerous conservation crisis? When the Director of  US Fish & Wildlife Service  says we are facing a conservation crisis, you can believe we have a problem. An article in Field & Stream discussed a speech Director Dan Ashe gave about three issues we are facing in parks and conservation that are moving us towards a crisis.  In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Director Ashen d...

Daisy Martinez founded Trash Free Earth  so her neighborhood park would look better. The idea spread and Trash Free Earth now hosts regular cleanups where a diverse collection of volunteers come together to make  a park look beautiful.  Trash Free Earth has created a patch challenge. People who accomplish all five elements of the challenge receive an exclusive patch.  If a park hosts a cleanup, it...

Shelton Johnson returns to the Park Leaders Show for episode 101. If you missed part 1 of his interview, you can listen to it here . In this episode, Shelton talks about the importance of telling stories. Shelton's Buffalo Soldiers program at Yosemite National Park has brought a story back to life that the world nearly forgot. Shelton also discusses making meaningful connections with people. "The...

Being a park ranger is not usually a job that puts you in the spotlight. But every once in a while, a story gets discovered that needs to be shared with the world. That is what happened to Yosemite National Park Ranger Shelton Johnson .  When he began telling the story of the Buffalo Soldiers experience in Yosemite , people began to notice. The story of theBuffalo Soldiers led to a pivotal role in...

Our parks and Disney World share many commonalities. Often, people save money and vacation time to visit both places. When guests hold a place in such high regard, what obligation do we have to them? Jeff Noel joins the Park Leaders Show to discuss how to create excellence. Jeff Noel spent 30 years at Disney World. The last 15 years at Disney, he taught at the Disney Institue. Over 15 years, Jeff...

Recently, at the World Ranger Congress , a group of female delegates gathered to discuss issues woman face. This led me to consider how the female ranger experience is different than the male ranger experience, especially when it comes to leadership. When it comes to women's leadership, Ann Vertel is someone you want to know. Ann is a 20 year Naval officer, Motivational Psychologist, and leadershi...

Gary Ananian is the founder of the Kern River Conservancy . He is a volunteer who pours his own time and money into protecting a river he loves.  Vandalism and trash got so bad on the Kern River that Gary started camping elsewhere. The lure of the river brought him back, but he was again faced with trash and vandalism. When he discovered there was not a single conservation group dedicated to prote...

After a backpacking trip to Glacier National Park, I passed through the Yaak Valley. I was intrigued by the beauty of the valley. It just felt different than most other places I had visited.  Shortly after my short visit to the Yaak Valley, I discovered a book called The Book of Yaak by Rick Bass . I began devouring Rick Bass' books, and I returned to the Yaak.  Over the years, I hiked many miles...