What does the life of a US park ranger involve? What are the

>"Do you have a permit, buddy?"

>>850747
That or preventing retards from starting forest fires because they don't know how to do anything outdoors

>>850743
Why don't you ask the Parks service?

>>850743
What park is that m8

>>850743
It is mainly Law Enforcement in the Larger Parks
Some place you can still be a guide/caretaker
Most of the larger parks have old people and women working the toll booth, visitor's center and tour shit
The rest are mainly Law Enforcement
They deal with Drugs, ETOH, Thefts, Vandalism, Assaults, Robberies, Car Jacking, Suicide, Missing Persons, Injured Persons, Murder, Rape, Child Abduction, Child Abuse, Poaching you name it, anything that happens in any big city happens in major National Parks
My Dad was a Ranger in Yosemite for 30 years, I grew up in the park, you name it, it happened, Yosemite even has a jail
People can't leave the bullshit at home for a just a couple of days, fucking sucks

My brother works at a large National Park, and has told me he mostly writes traffic tickets and kicks homeless people out the more remote restrooms/buildings. Does not seem that great.

You are required to be a bully who uses violence against law abiding citizens. You can't have morals, be environmentaly conscious or not a racist. Bonus points for niggers, cripples, women and border hoppers

I suppose it COULD be part time or seasonal, but most people are clamoring for the full time gigs so they don't miss out out on all of those sweet, sweet government benefits:
>pay at twice the rate of the private sector
>government pensions
>able to use the full power of the government to wreck people's lives if they piss you off
>all those people you hated in high school now HAVE to do what you say
>can now complain that nobody cares how underfunded all of the hardworking civil servants are
>jobs usually easy as fuck

>>850743

DESIGNATED

>>850755
I would service her forest if u know what I mean

>>851003
No I don't.

>>851006
Ask ur mum xD

Preventing Californians and people from jersey from trying to pet bull elk and grizzlies

File: 1472756508645.jpg (196KB, 869x958px) Image search: [Google]

196KB, 869x958px

>>850743
Asking people if they have permits.
Telling people to fuck off.
Telling people to put out there fire.
Fining people for open alchohol/guns/whatever the park bans
Busting hippies with drugs.


I dont pay attention to regulations or anything, I camp on private property, in parks, wherever. I just walk off into the woods and make an incognito camp where nobody could ever find it.
Ive never been found, even when I light a fire because I dig a dakota pit.
If you do decide to get in,
LEE ME ALON

>>850866
> murder, rape, abduction

Jesus. Any stories?

>>850743
Most ranger jobs are seasonal. What kind do you want to be? There's interpretation, maintanence, fees, natural resources, and law enforcement.

>>850958
Butthurt citizen detected. I'm going to have to fine you because your permit doesn't allow you to be that anally devastated at once

>>851003

That doesn't make any sense. You don't service forests. You aren't ready to be a park ranger. I doubt you even know the rule of 3s

>>851090
I know the 4 S's from that Rolling Stones song.

>>851083
Interpretation as in?

What does natural resources involve? I was thinking something like maintaining trails, keeping an inventory of wildlife/plant life and perhaps help with some research on that front, finding alternative trails etc

Not interested in admin and law enforcement.

>>851253
Interpretation are the people who walk people around the park telling them about different areas, history of the park, the wildlife, answer questions at the visitor center, etc. It can involve different things depending on the park, for example at the Everglades, there are interpretation rangers that take people on kayaking trips.

Natural Resources are the people who take care of and document the fish, wildlife, plants, archaeological sites, soil, geology, etc of the park. You could be trapping and tracking animals, doing habitat restoration, fighting invasive weeds, documenting arch sites, etc.

For trails, that is generally split between maintenance and natural resources I believe in smaller parks. Larger parks probably have dedicated trails rangers.

Also, depending on the park, there can also be specialized rangers. One of the parks I worked at had specialties for climbing rangers. Some other parks have guide rangers that do mountaineering and/or white water rafting trips, back country rangers who patrol the trails on foot or horseback, and search and rescue.

At smaller parks, many rangers get the chance to do a wide range of things. For instance, I climbed and was on the SAR team, did trail work, worked in fees during our busiest time of the year, caught and tracked bats, did some archaeology, and led a few interpretive walks, even though my main job was invasive weed control.

>>851061
I know Vasya is the madman, but artyom is wearing a track suit AND a leather jacket.

>>850743
Sucking Bigfoot' cock
Ability to deep throat
Full time, year round only

File: 1352483624773.jpg (13KB, 320x240px) Image search: [Google]

13KB, 320x240px

>>850796
>Why don't you ask the Parks service?

>asking government employees how they actually spend their time.

File: image.jpg (3MB, 3250x2444px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 3250x2444px

>>852684
Let's see, last ranger job I had, I woke up at 6 am, got to work at 7. Checked my email and go all my stuff together, was out in the field by around 7:30 or 8 depending on what office work I needed to get done, hiked up and down steep inclines with 40lb sprayer packs on my back spraying weeds till about 4:30, went back to the office to drop everything off and clean it up, then went home, took a shower, and made a fire out back behind my apartment and drank beer with my coworkers.

This was my view every afternoon.

It was pretty awesome.

>>851328
How does one get to work for the Natural Resources division?

>>852904
Undergrad minimum in something related, masters preferred.

Or, if you're a veteran, it seems like being aware that freshman biology courses exists seems to count. For the rest of us, you better be an outstanding candidate and be very determined to get entry level temporary federal jobs (I apply for around 200 a year).

>>852907

As a former Interp Ranger, this pretty much sums it up. Apply to the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, USGS, and state conservation groups as well.

>>852907
>>852936
What are some good /out/ jobs that don't require college

>>851090

>Shoot
>Shovel
>Shut up

Or are they different from the three S's of endangered species/niggers trying to date my daughter?

>>850743

>eat nothing
>lift nothing
>break rocks with head repeatedly

>>854923

Ignore this, I thought I was replying to a thread on /fit/, still not sure how exactly I fucked that up.

>>850743
>What are the requirements for the job?
wit grit and balls of hard oak

>>852907
What are my chances if I have a biology major and I am a veteran

>>855740
Pretty good, but you should know that you'll be looked down upon like a "diversity hire" unless you actually work hard.

>>855748
sounds good thanks for the heads up. I will work my ass off

>>854859
digging ditching or climbing trees

>>852936
I am a current Geography student
Goal is something where I'd be able to travel places and work and travel more. You seem knowledgable, have any ideas?

That's my optimistic goal, reasonable goal is a park ranger, game warden, or anything degree related not im a cubicle

>>856278

Ok, here we go.

I have a degree in Cultural Anthro and Geography, so I understand exactly where you are coming from. People, places, their interactions over time and space, all that good stuff. I had the same goals, and I more or less achieved them with varying results.

Back in early 2010 I began applying to positions in the NPS after working on my thesis focusing on intentional communities and eco villages. I got to travel and live out of a van, but that's a different story. I began by applying to EVERY job that USAjobs.gov has to offer in the way of NPS jobs. If I could do it again I would expand that to USGS, Forest Service, BLM, and even to non-naturalist branches becuase once you work for the government it is a lot easier to transfer to another branch than apply straight up.

And here is a bonus before I go into the whole process of hiring, join a uniformed service. I wish I had done this for many reasons and it would have made the NPS a career move instead of a 4 year adventure that I ultimately had to leave for lack of permanent work.

Join the Coast Guard, I worked for the NPS in Northern Michigan and the USCG is really pretty sweet. You are either into rescue or drug busting. Rescue is way more my thing. You get to go all over the world, you can be a pilot, you can travel to either coast and you are in very little danger compared to say the FUCKING ARMY. You actually do good for the US and tend to be posted places that aren't in the middle of NOWHERE. And with a degree you can be an officer and not a grunt so you can do cool shit on the bridge. Consider this, really consider it because if I could go back I would do that.

>>856307

cont.

Now the reason I am pushing you into a uniformed service branch is this. Uncle Sam really takes care of his guys (sorta), and how this works is when you go to USAjobs.gov you have to fill out a nightmare of forms (lol federal government), and you need to fill them out to the MAX. Every last fucking thing, because the people looking at these forms aren't at the parks, they are in HR a thousand miles away from the place you want to be. Now you did that, you spend an hour maxing out your questionnaire (and save that shit as you go, timing out sucks) you fill some bullshit self evaluation, and you MAX that fucker out too. 5/5 because anything less and you lose points and you go straight to the bottom of the POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION pile. Now, in that line of questions you will be asked about your military service, and if you have none that's a set back. I've seen kids with Environmental Science degrees get back the burner to some fuck with 4 years in Fort Worth doing diesel mechanic work. You'll get dudes who served during the 80's cold war build up who did shit and now are looking for a easy retirement gig and they will snatch that shit right out from under you. This is a problem with their hiring and everyone knows it.

>>856309

cont.

You need to apply to EVERY single listing irrespective of pay grade, location, and quality of the park. This is another major hurdle people don't understand. People want to work in Yellowstone, Glacier, Big Bend, Yosemite, etc but you know what, EVERYONE wants that. You need to apply to every single job, and there are two high turnover categories. 1) Boring middle of nowhere i.e. Death Valley or Herbert Hoover's birth house or 2) Super busy overwhelming spots like Ellis Island, Independence Hall, or anything in Washington D.C. where you are going to get ground down by shitty tourists. You need to do this, you need to get a job anywhere to get in the system and for the NPS this is the gateway. I got lucky and got a great job as a Cave Tour Guide in the Black Hills almost by accident because someone else backed out last minute and I said I would travel the 1600 miles with about a month's notice. You will have to do that, you will have to drop everything and just go. Now that's awesome, its adventure, its a chance to really stretch your legs and get out and see America so fucking do it. You will work summers, you will come into a resource and work from May to September but as soon as the summer starts to turn you should, like the mighty bear, be ready for the winter. If you are west get yourself a ski job, they are plentiful and easy to get though the pay sucks. Forget getting a winter gig, those are pure gold. Apply, but don't put your hope into landing one.

>>856310

cont.

The Bad.

And this isn't super bad, just the reality that I had, You will struggle to find permanent work, it will be a battle and you will have to take many many positions before you get a full time position. I was in the middle of the "great recession" and had to deal with the government shutting down both congress and the national parks. A lot of already sought after jobs dried up and I decided to turn myself to greener pastures. You will also always be on the move, which is fun for a while but for me always showing up for one summer, making friends and then leaving cold a few months later got old fast. You were always a stranger, a ghost, and that isn't me. I need a place to call home, a place that calls to me where I can settle and roam from. I am not made to be like the wind no matter how much I romanticized it.

That being said I do have many friends who have perm positions. People who lived in Alaska, who send me pictures of rowing down the Grand Canyon, who have seen the desert bloom in early spring and live in the best places the continent has to offer. I was able to travel the American west and gain access to things normal people don't get to see. It was amazing and I do not regret it.

>>856311


So to recap

* apply to every single job that comes up for every in every single department, consider state parks as well, there are many that as amazing resources in themselves i.e. Adirondak (NY) or Custer (SD) State Park
* don't be afraid to travel out to the middle of nowhere for a 10 dollar job
* reach out to every superintendent, you need to make your name and face known so IF your resume floats to them they recognize the name
* look at uniformed service either Coast Guard or NOAA, both are solid choices where you do good for people and give a lifetime of experiences, or may even become careers
* LIE, LIE, LIE on that god damn form, it never ever comes back to you and you just need an interview, thats all you ever need in life is to actually get in front of the person who makes the call (protip there)

It's hard out there, everyone wants those jobs, there are lots of vets and lots of old folks who want a "fun" retirement. You need to work extra hard to stand out and make yourself known. With skill and luck you can make it and turn it into something that you can do for years. At the very least, if you're like me, you'll find that travel can be fun but not a lifetime occupation you still gain a bunch of knowledge and an appreciate for the outdoors that lasts a lifetime. Lots of people I know are impressed and always shocked about what I tell them. Its an almost mythical thing, a Park Ranger, and just putting that on a resume will earn you huge points at future interviews. Most people can't even imagine doing some of the stuff I did, and I'm not even that insane of a guy!

To preserve and protect! I am always proud of my time with the grey and green!

>>850743
you look for the corpse of those who got lost.

>>856310
>Forget getting a winter gig, those are pure gold.

This, it feels weird to apply for winter jobs that you're never going to get because it feels like the NPS is saying, "Right, right, right, you did all this really technical, physical labor for us all summer but we don't think you would be a good fit for telling the 3 visitors we get in the winter where the bathroom is."

>>856310
Did you work at Jewel or Wind? Do you know someone by the name of Rene?

>>856321

Jewel. Rene Ohms? Yeah she was lead cartographer when I was there. Real badass, but then again most of the caving crew are. Caving is one hell ass intense venture that most people can't even wrap their heads around, but its SO COOL!

>>856323

Actually, I shouldn't say "lead" cartographer. I don't think that was her official title but she was definitely badass as fuck.

>>856323
She was my boss at Devils Tower. Badass caver and a badass boss. She took me into Jewel a few times. It's an amazing place.

>>850866
Why do you capitalize like an autist

/out/: a place where losers pretend they have a govt job. so many keks its amazing

>>856328

That's awesome to hear! Yeah the cave is an amazing resource that is constantly overlooked but if you spend the time it's just as amazing as anything on the surface.

The coolest part of the whole story is about the Conns, Herb and Jan. I got to meet them both right before Herb passed away. The shit they did in the 60's is unbelievable, all the mapping and exploration with only carbide lamps and minimal support on the surface is almost too much to believe. This of course was back in the day when people could be expected to just go out in the wild places and be responsible for their own safety and not need someone to hold their hands.

Rene is cool as hell, and a lot of the other people there are too. What did you do for DETO?

>>856434
Invasive plants and bats. Yeah, I really do miss them and part of me regrets not going back this year.

Jan is still a badass, she's like in her 80's I think and she still lives by herself in a cabin in the woods, splits firewood, and takes care of the place.

>>856396
4chan: a place where losers pretend

File: image.jpg (98KB, 960x960px) Image search: [Google]

98KB, 960x960px

>>856396
Here I am putting turtle eggs into an artificial nest I made while wearing an NPS uniform last summer before I got the Devils Tower job.

File: image.jpg (178KB, 1152x864px) Image search: [Google]

178KB, 1152x864px

>>856521
Here's me trying to wrangle a prairie dog into a container so we can knock it out and take blood.

What are the best kinds of winter hiking boots for these kinds of cold weather forest jobs? I mean the ones where you hike all day.

>>856555
Insulated and waterproof. Try Sorel or Vasque, I've always had good luck with those. Also get some comfy wool socks and underwear.

>>856307
>>856309
if you don't mind me asking, are you still working with the nps and following this park ranger path?

>>856590

Nope. After the government shut down I decided this wasn't a path I could follow. I didn't want to end up like many other rangers I knew who were 35, working seasonal jobs, and never actually growing up. It works for some, but for me that wasn't a thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Never having secure work? Never living in a place for more than 6 months? Always sharing a house with people I didn't know? It's like college. Its awesome and fun and interesting but after a while I just want to have my own shit and not have to share with people I don't know. Maybe thats just me, but its how I felt.

The other thing is that I am from CT, so there are almost ZERO park lands near me that are hiring to do things I wanted to do. A lot of people I knew are from the west where they have massive parks and lots of land. They are only a few hours from home and understand the people and the landscape. For me it grew tiring. I'm used to cities, boreal forests, I worked a lot in restaurants (where is where I ultimately returned) and like varied cuisine. I like small, managed landscapes. Small farms, rolling hills, sea side towns. The American west is wonderful and grand, it is expansive and dramatic but in the end its not who I am or where I felt comfortable. I know a lot of people who traveled west and the people and landscape just didn't fit so they returned.

It just didn't become what I wanted it to become, or moreover, I wasn't who I thought I was.

That being said I learned an amazing amount of who I was, what I can do, where I want to be and where I am from. I want a small plot of land in New England, not a mountain top in Montana.

>>856314
Hey man, i'm the guy that originally asked the questions, I just wanted to say thank you so much.
You gave me a ton of info, all screenshotted for future reference and didn't just bullshit and sugar coat it.

My main issue with people in college so far is thst they'll answer one question out of multiple with the least effort possible. It doesn't help anyone to do thst. I really appreciate that you put so much into the comments. I have a lot to think about, the coast guard actually doesn't sound that bad! And not getting a full time position doesn't sound great, I'd hate to be stressed every 6 months with a job search. I have seen some people who are hotshots for the BLM or something in the summer and beer brewers in the winter. But I think maybe something GIS related wouldn't be bad. Are there GIS opprotunities as a contractor/telecommuter? My advisor at UofL is complete shit, even though the program is good. Thanks for the help!!!!

>>856307

>working on my thesis focusing on intentional communities and eco villages.

You sound like a typical brain dead government slug. Thank Kek that you lacked the gumption to stick with it

>>856590
I'm still working at it. I might have a term position (it's a much longer temporary position with better benefits) in Alaska with the Inventory and Monitoring division of the Southwestern Alaska Network doing data analysis and GIS. I won't get much field time, but I would get to live in Anchorage and there's plenty of cool places to explore up there.

>>856879
I should also add that they recently enacted a new law called the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act that allows you to apply for internal job postings and acts as a special hiring authority if you do temp work for either the Department of the Interior or the USDA Forest Service for a total of 2 years without more than a 2 year gap in between jobs. In theory it should help people break the temporary job cycle and get permanent positions, but we'll see.

>>852763
god damn im jelly
6 years in the army finally on my last year and ive been dyeing to go that route for two years now. i really hope to fuck i can get a job in the parks.

>>854924
it really kinda fits in a hilarious way.
like imagine the guy in OP's picture doing all those things after the photo was taken

>>856830

lol thx bro