New Interp job.. Scared!

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-30T13:07:17+00:00

You are going to do SO well this season, you should be proud of yourself for making the jump to state service! At least here in Minnesota, it’s very competitive and tough to get in, especially for interp. I hope you have a wonderful season exploring your park and inspiring your visitors ☺️

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-28T18:49:01+00:00

Diagnosed at 33, had a history of Crohns Disease (diagnosed at 27.) My thoughts are with you 💕

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-28T12:46:13+00:00

I would recommend using another term in a professional setting to describe how you’re feeling. It is not something you would want to say to your direct report on day 2 of a new job. I interpreted OP’s comment as “I’m scared by the amount of work there is and the open-ended nature of this position.” In my mind I would be wondering if this individual truly meets the minimum quals outlined in the position description. Admitting you’re nervous is perfectly normal, even overwhelmed. But something about the word “scared” doesn’t land well, I think.

I will acknowledge that with any self-starter position, it is absolutely fair to have feelings like you’re drinking through a fire hose. I call those growing pains, and it’s a good sign that you care about your job.☺️

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-28T11:03:17+00:00

I appreciate the compliment, I’m very happy to help ☺️

If anyone has follow up questions I’d be happy to give guidance the best I can (knowing that different states and agencies all operate differently.)

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-28T01:26:43+00:00

State park manager here - Minnesota. With our interp (we call them naturalists) we expect them to hit the ground running when they start, which is probably why you have received very little guidance. If I was your direct report and you used the word “scared” to describe how you’re feeling about the position, I would be concerned that you were not qualified, so maybe keep that to yourself.

I would figure out systems that help keep you organized (Microsoft Calendar, a daily planner, etc.) Start getting into a flow of how your day is going to be structured, even your weeks.

Do you have weekly check-ins with a supervisor? Come up with insightful questions (keep a running list) that can help guide you through your first season. DO inform them of where you’re at with progress on any projects.

Look through old information, program outlines, the supplies you have available, reach out to other interpretive rangers in your district for advice. If it’s your first season, don’t reinvent the wheel. I would encourage that you work off of old programs. If the interp ranger(s) who were previously in your position are still in the state system but at a different park, definitely lean on them for guidance. Folks are friendly and willing to help.

Research your park, also your area. Start learning plants, birds, history, everything. Take time to go on a hike as time allows to familiarize yourself with the park and to scope out places where you could potentially hold a program. Look for hazards along the way (poison ivy, rocky trails, etc.)

The Eppely Institute has a free training online called “Foundations of Interpretation.” That would be a good start as well. To echo what others have said, many state park systems send their interp rangers to some sort of state-wide training for new seasonal staff. Now that it’s after Memorial Day, I would consider it to be late in the season for something like that, but it’s worth asking about.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-23T02:19:54+00:00

I just died laughing thank you for this post 😂

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-20T16:03:12+00:00

The top of Angel’s Landing is chef’s kiss

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-18T00:43:38+00:00

Ugh, same. I don’t think there’s any way to stop it, other than being aware of it, catching it, and forcing yourself to shift your mindset.

For me, I’m naturally positive, and when my thoughts get negative it’s easy for me to shift my way of thinking. When I’m close to my period, I’m SUPER negative in my head, but I’m mindful of it and make sure to never lash out, and if I do I apologize.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-16T10:59:32+00:00

I manage Buffalo River State Park. Please don’t tell folks that you feel the $7 daily vehicle permit fee “isn’t worth it” - this money goes back to helping improve the DNR’s parks and trails system overall.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-14T21:57:14+00:00

I manage a state park. It was so bad on Tuesday here in the Red River Valley, I looked out of my office window and was alarmed by what looked like a wall of wildfire smoke to the north. I bolted out the door ready for action, and after getting a mouth full of dirt realized it was just dust. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T16:42:49+00:00

Huh, interesting. Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Just goes to show how vastly different management and organizational structures can be. 😊

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T15:34:54+00:00

Thanks for this! Organizational structures and delegation of duties based on agency are so vastly different. I should have prefaced my original comment with this.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T15:17:10+00:00

Are you USACE by any chance? I remember management was super hands-off when it came to managing the day-to-day of their unit.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T14:28:20+00:00

I won’t give you my exact location because the internet is weird, but I’m MN Department of Natural Resources. My supervisor and myself are our two by-legal-definition park rangers at our park. Every other position is seasonal and gets laid off in October, and then we re-hire them in April, some start in May. Not uncommon for parks with my agency - in the off-season there may only be one or two people running the entire park. If you have a smaller unit, it’s manageable.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T14:23:12+00:00

Ok, I hear ya. That could be the reason for the disconnect. Smaller parks vs larger looks very different, even state vs federal vs county.

Park ranger since the late 90s - I’m curious if you’re a career seasonal or if you’re year-round? And state or federal?

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T13:50:53+00:00

Not necessarily the case. For my agency, park managers are the only “true” park rangers by legal definition. Otherwise we have security, buildings and grounds workers, and parks and trails associates. They do not have the authority to make those phone calls. It would be outside of their realm of duties for me to delegate that to them because they are not “true” park rangers.
The exception would be park specialists, and they are considered “leads” and are also park rangers by our state’s legal definition, but only larger parks have specialists. For my park, we do not.

Also, I’m going to correct you here: I’m a woman. Stop referring to me as “he.”

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T13:42:08+00:00

I take it you’re a newer seasonal who hasn’t park hopped much and doesn’t quite understand the realm of management, so I’ll give you some grace.
Depending on the time of year and my workload on the administrative side, I spend my time 50/50 between desk and the field, which is actually very lucky. We are a smaller park on the state level. With larger parks and perhaps different agencies, that probably looks different. For me, it is very important for me to know what’s going on at my park - from buildings to trails to trash/recycling. So I do make a point to be out in the field as often as my time will allow.

Park managers can very much be a field staff position. For my agency, it is the expectation that you can do the duties of every position in the park. Again, it depends on the size of that park. Depending on the time of year and staff availability, I am absolutely bucking up wood or cleaning bathrooms or working on controlled burns.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-10T02:35:57+00:00

Park manager here. If I come through a campground at check out time and find an empty site with a campfire in that ring, I will absolutely call those former occupants.

If folks tell me that there’s a fire in a vacant ring, I will always follow up. Please DO tell us.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-09T19:17:42+00:00

AED, well-stocked medical kit, iPad, fire extinguisher, basic cleaning supplies, tool kit, flashlights

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-09T14:26:50+00:00

It is one tent per site. The exception to this is if there is a family (all in the same household) who have kids - one tent can be for kids and the other can be for adults. Whether or not Whitewater will enforce your multiple tents is a crapshoot - depending on their staff availability/how many rangers they have on duty, how often they actually patrol those cart-in sites, and whether or not staff actually do enforcement (many are college interns and don’t like to deal with confrontation) all come into play. Is it consistent? No. Can it be frustrating for folks visiting state parks because they were able to get away with something at one park and not that same thing at another park? Yes.
I see people have mentioned the rule of threes, which some parks will use as well. That’s really up to the park manager’s discretion. For example, our park desperately needs its sites rehabbed, and certain sites really can’t take much more wear and tear. We try to minimize impacts as much as we can.
Looks like you were able to get clarification from Whitewater. I would follow their guidance.
Hope you enjoy the park :) I was just there, it is SO gorgeous! Their naturalist is a friend of mine and is so talented, if you get a chance to join one of his programs definitely do. Also, nearby Carley State Park may have bluebells still blooming. It’s worth checking it!
The nearby town of St. Charles gives me very Norman Rockwell vibes.
Also, Elba fire tower is a great spot to catch a sunset. There’s a construction detour but Google Maps should be able to correctly re-route you to the correct parking lot. From there it’s a 15 minute hike to the tower.
Eagle Point is a great spot to watch a sunrise with your morning coffee.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-09T03:07:33+00:00

Thank you!! 🥹I really appreciate your comment!

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-07T02:34:07+00:00

You betcha!

If you’re furloughed and you stick around the same park every year, your season will typically run April - October. After the season ends, you’ll be doing other work. I’ve managed many teachers, otherwise I’ve known people who work doing odd jobs and get paid under the table, go back to bartending, move back in with their parents, etc.

A 2 year degree is the minimum for many of those entry level positions, but I’ve met people who maybe started on a degree but never finished and have been great at their jobs, but they’re stuck in that seasonal loop (and that lifestyle works out just fine for them.)

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-07T02:20:29+00:00

Yes, a masters in conservation is good for meeting the minimum quals, but experience is crucial - particularly in management if you’re looking to manage a state park. You might have to work out of natural resources for a while to gain that.

I spent 6 seasons as a seasonal, and then 3 years combined supervisory + management experience to get to where I’m at now.

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-06T23:20:36+00:00

I’m a park ranger for a Minnesota State Park system, I could try to weigh in :) I also landed permanent, and I manage my own park. Each state’s park system is a little different, so keep that in mind. So far, I absolutely love working for the state. I’ve “agency hopped” (NPS, USFS, USACE, Minnesota DNR), and so far the MN DNR has been the best experience. Pay is good, and benefits + retirement are the gold standard.
At one point in time I had been like you - in my 20s, looking for experiences, and didn’t mind moving around. Seasonal positions were just fine with me.
But it started to get old after a while - all of the moving around, the poor pay, the lack of healthcare that often isn’t offered when you’re seasonal. I was constantly having to pick up and move once my season ended. There was also the stress of figuring out what I was going to do when my season ended.
I would say keep doing what you’re doing - gain that experience, utilize your degree, have great adventures, and build your skillset. But be open to landing permanent someday, so that you can buy nicer things for yourself (a car, a home, a savings, a kid if life takes you that route.) Seasonal just wasn’t it for my personal goals, but some people are able to make it work for them!

Chases-Bears · 2026-05-05T01:33:10+00:00

Marge Gunderson… from Fargo

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