20060521 What Is a Nice Day?

Over the past week my definition of what constitutes a nice day has changed. Sun is no longer a requirement. I only want temperatures above 35 and no rain or sleet. The second half of today has been nice. If only I could take advantage wiithout guilt.

You might gather from the previous postings that life as a ranger-naturalist is all glitz and glamour, adventure and opportunity. I only wish. Visitors often proclaim that I have the best job in the world. "How do I become a park ranger like you?"

Three requirements for being a successful seasonal ranger naturalist: 1) You must love the place where you work. 2) You must love to share that place with people who come to visit. 3) You must be willing to take a vow of poverty. Most folks fall off the bandwagon after number 2.

The Brooks Camp naturalists, especially those like me here for a first season, are in crunch time. The area opens to the public on June 1. We begin programs a week later. The visitors expect that we know a little something about this place and are able to communicate that knowledge. The National Park Service demands that we facilitate the visitor's meaningful stay.

Thus, while today is an official day off, I have been studying. I need to know about brown bears, sockeye salmon, prehistoric cultures, volcanoes, glaciers, and more. I'll be presenting programs on bear safety, the 1912 eruption of Novarupta [the largest of the 20th century; Pinatubo 2nd], the use of this area by different cultures over time, the significance of local place names, and more.

It's the 'and more' that gets you. If I speak long and rapidly, visitors do not have time to ask questions that might reveal holes in my tapestry of knowledge. But darn it, I always run out of wind. For a ranger, a day with too many I-don't-knows is never a nice day.