By Zach Schwasman, ’11
Moving to Colorado was a big step for me. Leaving my white pines and maples for blue spruce and cottonwoods took some getting used to. But my experiences at Paul Smith’s College helped me settle in nicely with the human community, as well as the natural community. This is a state where wildlife, recreation, and forest management are happening on a scale different from your experiences back East. Seeing this all happen, and working with many agencies and NGOs, is an incredibly eye opening experience.
When you walk across that stage to get your PSC diploma, my best advice is to understand that your learning is just getting started.
Working as a State Park Ranger is an amazing experience. People always ask “What do you do?” After answering that question on and off duty I’ve refined the response down to: “Protecting the wild from people, people from the wild, and people from themselves.” Every day is different, in an outdoor office that spans thousands of acres. If for some reason you do get stuck in a pattern, the seasons will change and so will your calls and objectives. Whether it be a wildfire, OHV accident, boating contacts, hunting contacts, or medical calls, each one is different and you will walk away from each having learned something new about yourself and the public you serve.
The messages you send with each contact can travel through the community very quickly so it is crucial that you are professional and have accurate information. The message that I want to send to all you students is an important one that will help you understand the tasks at hand, going into your careers. Nationwide we are experiencing a second generational boom in outdoor recreation activities. People are wanting get outside and get away from technology and that is awesome. However, that same technology is contributing to the degradation of some of America’s finest treasures and I am referring specifically to social media outlets.
People are getting outside without having the proper training and education in regards to outdoor and wilderness etiquette. They see it online and want it, but go in with little to no preparation. To get that coveted insta-famous status, and “the shot,” some folks will take risks and ignore signage. Take selfies with a bull elk in late September? Replicate that camp fire shot you saw online at your county park with no fire ring during a fire ban? Channel your inner Laird Hamilton and paddle board down a river with no PFD? What could possibly go wrong?!
Its risky behaviors like these that create the bad headlines for public lands. The last thing I want to see is another stretch of private river closed, or parcel of land posted, due to poor decision making by visitors. Oh, and hey on top of that, most public lands and parks are experiencing increases of up to 40 percent in their annual visitation, while their budgets have declined by that same amount. These are the trends some of you will face as you start your careers. Are you ready for the challenge?
Zach Schwasman
