World Ranger Day
It’s 31 July and we’ve come to say . . .
Thank You Park Rangers on World Ranger Day!
Bill Smith, brother of my Albion College roommate, Rick Smith, sent out an email this past Tuesday, advising that 31 July was World Ranger Day and congratulating Rick and colleagues on that recognition! Here’s Bill’s email: Thank you to Rick, Roger and park rangers everywhere who help protect our planet’s most valuable and scenic treasures as well as the people who visit them. On World Ranger Day, our deepest heartfelt thanks go out to those rangers who gave their lives in service to the public while protecting the earth’s lands, wildlife and natural resources.
I called Rick to congratulate him and advise that, considering the outstanding job park rangers perform, often under difficult circumstances, it seemed to me this recognition should be longer than one day, perhaps 31 days, one day for each of Rick’s 31 years in his distinguished NPS career.
Rick & I first met as incoming freshmen, Albion College Michigan, September 1956, roomed together during our Albion years, and have been friends ever since. After careers in the Peace Corps and in teaching, Rick joined the National Park Service for what became a distinguished thirty-one-year career, starting out in Yellowstone, the photo above taken in Yellowstone when he was around 24/25. Rick completed his NPS career as Acting Superintendent of Yellowstone! As readers of Mary’s & my e-book, The National Park Service Turns One Hundred, know, Rick wrote the Forward for our book and has helped our family become well-travelled in the parks.
The United States was the first nation to set aside lands as a national park, President Ulysses S. Grant signing Yellowstone National Park into law in 1872. In 1916, the United States became the first nation in the world to create a National Park Service to manage the growing number of parks which, in 2018, number 417 locations. Of the approximately 20,000 current U.S. National Park Service employees, approximately one-third are NPS Park Rangers. In addition to helping build our National Park Service, a number of retired rangers have assisted other countries in creating their own protected areas, the nations having officially set aside such areas currently numbering approximately 145.
Regarding the conditions under which these rangers work, many are operating in countries experiencing dangerous conditions, many are poorly paid, and many are poorly supported by their governments. Sadly, many have died during their service to their nation. These men and women dedicate their lives to protecting the land, sea, air, animals, plants, people, culture and history that make up these parks/protected areas—the natural and cultural patrimony of our fragile spaceship planet Earth! They deserve our applause, our gratitude, our setting aside 31 July to honor them, and our visits to the glorious places they serve!