Alum speaks to ENV 100 students about life as a park ranger

Amos Almy (UC 2013) spoke with students in the ENV 100 course by Skype about his experience as a seasonal interpretive ranger with the National Park Service. Over the course of the 40 minute presentation, Amos shared observations about his work in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park during the 2014 and 2015 summers as well as his current assignment at Mt. Rainier National Park. The theme of the discussion with students centered on the role of nature recreation in developing environmental awareness, with students having read Peter Kareiva’s 2008 academic paper about a decline in nature-based recreation. Offering a comparative perspective based on his experiences in the two parks, students learned about the diverse demographics that characterize visits to the national park system. Students also developed a greater appreciation of the environmental challenges facing not just education in the parks, but the stewardship of these special public lands.