The Ranger Desk

Butterflies, children, and guns. How a terrified child's question about butterflies changed the way I thought about migration and borders.

Why are there no stupid questions to ask a park ranger? Because the biggest questions provide the biggest opportunities to learn.

I quit the national park service for the same reason I became a ranger in the first place: to find and do what makes me happy.

Naturalist gatekeeping can frighten people away from trying new things. Lets encourage beginners to love what we love, not shame them.

This land tells a story: Booker T. Washington National Monument. Stand in the spot where a family of slaves learned that they were free.

Discover where to stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Ten scenic stops and hikes along the parkway's northern section.

Why I became a Wilderness First Responder: how a scary accident taught me that doing your best is always enough.

Learn the twelve must-haves for your wilderness first aid kit, including items not found in a traditional first aid kit.

My white privilege helped me become a park ranger. I feel safe in nature and in national parks when so many others don't.