Transcript
“…the importance of folks serving multiple roles, multiple hats, the volunteers, the Rangers, the staff. The parks just like just as we find in local government. Nobody is properly funded to do what we're called to do in these spaces and places. And, so, it's the idea that that you might have a ranger who's hired to do one thing but has an assortment of collateral duties that are not part of the official job description who go above and beyond every day in order to further the mission of the park.
It's just, it's inspirational.
My son has already accumulated about 400 hours of volunteer time himself at the age of 4 and 5. We are serving as volunteers, and I am conducting interviews with park rangers and volunteers at these four locations and at parks within a roughly 150 mile radius of each one.
The goal of the project is to do a deep dive and get a deep understanding of the motivation and the impact of volunteers in the national parks, which is something that has not been done. And the same with the volunteers. They recognize, many of the volunteers recognize that Parks are under-resourced, rangers are overworked. There's not enough people to go around. If we as individuals don't approach, people and approach conversations, dialogue, relationships with that. idea in mind
then we're missing out, we're not growing.
📍 If a national park site disappears, if the national seashore ceased to exist, if these lands are not protected, if these histories are not told, if the culture is not communicated, the diverse cultures that make up the country, if they're not communicated and interpreted to broad audiences, then we lose a big part of who we are, a big part of our national story and the story that will be told for generations to come. every interaction is an opportunity for learning. That was a big learning moment,
To be that in the midst of all the chaos around society, that you have that moment where you see what is possible with strangers, it changes one's viewpoint.
📍 I was sitting in my apartment in Los Angeles, watching C SPAN, Douglas Wilder, former Virginia governor, Richmond mayor was speaking. he made a statement that has stuck with me and guided, my, approach to much of, government work community work and society work, which is.
Public services rent for our time on earth. I don't and I don't know that he originated that.
He may have taken it from somebody else. but I heard it from him, so I'll give him the credit on that. that guys it's a guide.
What's admirable about folks in government at all levels is that they are guided by this idea, right? That, pay doesn't match what the skill set is pay doesn't match the passion that is required to show up every day and sometimes trying circumstances, but yet the Folks show up.
James Michener, the historical fiction writer, has another saying that I always enjoy,,\ the greatest temptation in life and the ultimate goal of life is to confuse dreams with reality. The permanent defeat in life comes when dreams are surrendered to reality.
So such an important idea at these moments of change. So I suppose I'll close with that. And I hope that we'll have the opportunity for really exploring and looking at these relationships, looking at the possible dreams, looking at the possible pathways and asking what do we need to get there?
What rules need to change? What systems need to change? What relationships do we need to build in order to get to that place that we think is a better place?
[Created by Nancy J Hess | Music by Joseph Hess}
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