Park Leaders Show

"The general public is not impressed with how much you know. They're impressed with how much you've inspired them to know more about the places they visit." Key Moments 02:04 Creating Park Experiences for New Visitors 07:10 The Challenge of Information Overload in the Digital Era 10:35 Historical Communication and Public Engagement 16:02 Inspire Learning through Augmented Reality Historical Storyt...

"We have to do more things with younger people to make sure they know what a cool industry we are and that there are so many different job opportunities that aren't just front line."  Key Moments 04:35 Tourism Synergy and Collaboration 08:37 Empowering Youth to Make a Positive Impact  14:50 Revitalizing Urban Parks and Workforce Development. 19:03 Building Partnerships for Environmental Conservati...

 "A good new part director has a vision. And and if you want to make a difference and leave your mark, you have to have vision of where you want to take your agency in the next year, in the next 3 years, and in the next 5 years." Key Moments 06:53 Recognize the need to act as leader. 11:39 Watch what you say, people are listening. 13:38 Build on core values, ethics, and vision. 18:28 New directors...

"Go sit on a rock in your favorite spot somewhere and do a very serious self-assessment. What am I good at? What am I not good at? What do I like to do? What do I don't like to do? And if you don't want to be out there in the lead, if you don't want to be out there taking some risk, if you don't want to get up in front of audiences, don't put yourself in that position." Key Moments 01:45 Starting...

"People can't fall in love with your park if they're lost." Key Moments 03:49 Law enforcement rangers use interpretation to influence. 07:05 Expanding park interpretive products for diverse experiences. 09:56 Framework for visitor experience in parks and its application across different contexts. 13:53 Problem-solving strategies for adaptation. 19:08 ROI of interpretive programs for park rangers....

"Part of the narrative that we find ourselves in is talking about creating areas that are protected for people, not from people." Key Moments 02:57 Conservation and Community Participation 05:29 Rethinking Conservation Strategies 14:57 Conservation Training in Latin America 17:22 International Conservation Collaboration 22:05 Importance of Nature on Human Health 23:54 Global Tourism Program Facili...

"If you're going to be really good at it, you're passionate about it. You believe that you're doing something that's bigger than just collecting a paycheck." Key Moments 02:05 Inspiration for a Career in Park Rangers 06:13 Evolving Qualifications for Park Rangers 08:39 The Importance of Passion in Career Choices 21:38 Evolution of Park Rangers and Park Management 31:44 Job Application Strategies a...

"Sometimes we forget, or perhaps even take for granted, the significant role that we may be we may be playing in this legacy that we call parks." Episode HIghlights 01:07 Significance of national parks and our role in preserving parks. 04:53 Organic Act of 1916 shaped National Park Service. 06:49 Lack of agreement among states led to individual state park systems. 10:05 Need to actively preserve a...

"If you offer something specific, not only are you offering to help, but that shows that you see them as a person and that you're recognizing their specific needs rather than just generalized to the general population." Episode Highlights 03:39 Creating a podcast about parks and the opportunities that come from it. 09:02 Recommendations can be reliable and chance encounters facilitate connections....

"those little tidbits of information really help park and conservation leaders be better in their jobs, be better stewards of the resources, and just be better community leaders." – Chris Lee Episode Highlights [00:02:21] Importance of local parks and conservation efforts. [00:03:53] Parks offer a strong community presence and finding solace in nature. [00:08:01] Park rangers connect people to exp...

"When your mother was not setting expectation properly and yet was keeping you accountable, it felt unfair. You remember that. So take those learnings and apply them in the workforce..." – Valerie Cockerell The skills and experiences of motherhood translate into essential and effective leadership skills. Valerie Cockerell started to find similarities between the challenges of managing a park to th...

"... they don't have to make conservation their top priority. So you combine those 2, and they are really doing some innovative things around camping." The increasing demand for camping in natural parks has impacted the future of camping. Companies are taking notice and working to proactively prepare for this growing interest. During this conversation, Donald Forgione joins to talk about camping t...

"What you're doing is making a difference not only for this generation, but if you do it right, it's making a difference for future generations." Phil Gaines and I had the chance to record an episode together while attending the 2023 State Park Director's Conference at the Mormon State Historic Site in Genoa, Nevada. It was the perfect opportunity to discuss our experiences at the conference, with...

  Capacity is a big challenge for this generation, especially post-pandemic. We need to rethink how we get people into these special places while preserving their natural beauty and ensuring a meaningful and enjoyable experience. - Phil Gaines As national park attendance continues to increase, managing visitor numbers has become crucial. The pressure is on park officials to accommodate the influx,...

"The more interaction you have with nature, the healthier you are mentally and physically." - Dan Biederman Dan Biederman is an expert in urban redevelopment, who discovered a profound love for the outdoors at a young age. He dreamed of becoming a forest ranger, but lacked the scientific background. Instead, he found himself as a systems consultant in the heart of midtown Manhattan. A chance encou...

  "I really wanted to tell the truth behind the beautiful scenery." In a world of rugged landscapes and unpredictable elements, park rangers and first responders face challenges that test their limits. Sometimes that work can include critical tasks such as searching for missing hikers. Andrea Lankford is a former National Park Service ranger who joins to share her insights on the importance of fir...

"The exposure that assistant managers have to total park operations is tremendous." Managing a park isn't a one-person job. It's a combination of efforts from different individuals with the role of the assistant park manager quite significant. Phil Gaines and I explore the hidden challenges and crucial responsibilities they have. An assistant park manager has to understand how that park operates a...

  "Focus on common objectives and goals, you can get to where you want to be without being divisive." When people first enter the world of park management, they don't expect to be involved in politics. Yet, as time goes on it's not uncommon to find yourself at the center of political discussions on issues like land use and resource management. It is important to focus on governance rather than per...

"The customer is rarely right, but they're always the customer." Phil Gaines joins to discuss the surge in misbehavior among park visitors after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are a number of factors that could have caused this increase. One is the increase in new visitors who were not familiar with the park's rules and regulations. Like many places, there also seemed to be a lack of cu...

In this episode of the Park Leaders Show I am joined by Donald Forgione, retired director of Florida state parks. Now I also get to welcome him as the host of the podcast, Tailgate Talks. Donald's diverse skillset made him a valuable asset among park professionals. As he shared his experiences and knowledge with others, he discovered a common thread among park rangers: they all possessed a deep se...

"If you educate and train your employees on the very front end, it makes for so much better summer season." Spring is here and the parks are already starting to get busy with visitors. That is why it is important that you get your park ready for summer well in advance of their arrival. Part of taking the time to get the park ready includes making sure all the employees are trained and educated for...

"Leadership is hard because it's a gray decision. It's not a black and white decision. You have to take a breath, take two steps back, and figure out what the objective is and why the resource is being protected in order to make the right decision." - Phil Gaines Phil Gaines recently attended the California Parks training conference. He joins this episode to share what he learned there as well as...

On this episode of the Park Leaders Show, guest co-host, Phil Gaines, returns to discuss the ways parks can manage seasonal staff shortages. While park careers have their perks, the challenge of filling them is increasing in today's climate. As Phil explains, recruiters are not only struggling to compete with other industry compensations but also to confirm interest from a remote audience. Since m...

On this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Jody welcomes guest Daniel Selmi to discuss the rise of environmental law. Dan is a retired Professor at Loyola Law School and joins the show to discuss his new book, "Dawn at Mineral King Valley". A Disney aficionado, Selmi discusses the inspiration behind the book and unpacks Disney's struggle to build a ski resort in what is now Sequoia National Park. A...

On this episode of Park Leaders Show Donald Forgione joins to discuss some of the biggest issues in parks in 2023. Resources www.parkleaders.com https://parkleaders.com/about/ Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/theparkleaders/