Recent Essays
National park vs national historical park or national monument--what's the difference? As a former park ranger, they're all real parks to me.
I searched for a park to call home for over nine years while working as a national park ranger. What I found wasn't what I expected.
The Trump Administration has announced plans to dismantle the US Forest Service. Here’s why that should matter to national park supporters.
Those of us who support national parks say that we are protecting them, but I often think that they are doing just as much to protect us.
Times are hard for America's national park rangers; they've been hard for years. So what made that job worthwhile for me, even in hard times?
"Does anyone want to hear what I have to say?" or "Can I really make an impact?" are the wrong questions. Here are the right ones.
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The Klondike Gold Rush brought the first major influx of migrants from the US into Alaska, all of them seeking gold.
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Popular Essays
Interested in US national parks? What about living a wild life? Get started with these popular essays.
Want more? Peruse an archive of All Essays.
National parks shouldn't be given to states, but Trump's budget would do just that. Here's why it's wrong (and what he really wants).
Here are five ways you can support national parks. America's national parks are under threat like never before, but there are ways to help.
"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" The line is not a call to action, but a call to inaction. A call to be free.
Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage is celebrated in America's national parks. Here are three such parks, and links to many more.
Learn what an interpretive theme is and what it isn't. A theme is not a topic. A theme is the glue that binds the topics together.
An interpretive park ranger conveys a park's story. Every park has a story, a reason that it was protected and staffed with park rangers.
Stephanie McCullough
As a former US national park ranger with a master’s degree in environmental education and interpretation, Stephanie (she/her) created the Ranger Desk to share her passion for national parks and the natural world.