Hey Ranger!

Experience the inside world of what it means to be a park guide at Montezuma Castle / Tuzigoot and Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

[heyranger]

[heyranger]

How Coral Grows | Diorama | PBS Digital Studios

How does coral grow? Set out on an underwater adventure to the scene below the waves around Andros Island - one of the largest barrier reefs in the world - w...

Not to overload on AMNHNYC, but this series is awesome and I just wanted to share all the episodes. So here is number 3. 

[amnhnyc]

It may be too chilly for bird-watching in Central Park, but just across the street the Museum offers warm, indoor bird-spotting in its varied dioramas.

In this video, accompany Exhibition Associate and bird expert Stephen C. Quinn on a bird-watching tour.

[heyranger]

Oh AMNHNYC! How you steal my heart all the time. One day will I not only visit you, but I will work in your blessed halls. I can't explain how awesome it is to see the varied uses you have come up with for the dioramas. 

[heyranger]

I was scolded by a child.

While on a rove around the trail at MOCA, I was also trying to capture some candid photographs of my feathered friends. I was squatting off the trail to capture some sparrows when I heard the voice of a small child ask her parents why I wasn't on the trail. The parents tried to explain that I worked there and I didn't have to be on the trail. The little girl did not understand and just kept saying I needed to stay on the trail. I obliged. I guess it serves as an important reminder that when visitors are walking the trail it may be better to follow the same guidlines and rules that they must adhere to. 

[heyranger]

Flighty Company: Walking for the birds at Montezuma Well - Camp Verde Bugle - Camp Verde, Arizona

News and Information in Yavapai County including Verde Valley, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Jerome, Arizona, AZ

Check it out! The hard-hitting Bugle did an article on the bird walks I do at the Well. 

[heyranger]

I was asked that becuase I was leading bird walks if I would take some photographs of birds for Montezuma's Castle's website. Here are ten that I have taken so far. It is proving a bit of a challenge due to the camera I have. I have a pretty nice digital (Olympus pen) but I bought the smaller camera body so larger lenses can't be hooked up without a lens adapter. Well try taking pictures of birds with manual focus. It gets a little frustrating but I am getting better. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can get a couple more species. 

side note: there are no saguaros at MOCA so the Red-Tail was actually taken at Organ Pipe. There is a nesting Red-Tail pari at the castle, but I have yet to capture them yet. Finger's crossed. 

[gworge]

[heyranger]

Give me nature over people.

I'll admit, working at TUZI is not the most exciting thing ever. Somedays is can get pretty slow, but nature is all around you and if you walk around there is something to keep your attention. One day I was out and about on the trail and I saw movement on the field, or the tailings cap, which turned out to be a deer. I sat there and watched it for a minute, like a park ranger. As I was standing there a visitor looked at me and stated "working hard, uh". I just said "yep" back. I'm sorry you're jealous of my job, but nobody likes their job questioned, so keep moving asshole. But as I sat there, watching this deer another popped into my vision and they started chasing each other as if they were playing tag. As I watched this interaction unfold, it brought a slight smile to my face. No one else around me noticed. Then I heard the typical teenager "this place is boring" and the mom shouting at him. I just stared at the deer. Nature not people is why I got into this job. 

[heyranger]

Ranger Duties!

The day after Christmas was a busy time for the monuments, which is a welcomed change. Some days I was afraid of falling asleep at the desk due to lack of visitation! I was assigned the CA shift at the castle, which meant I delivered all three of the interpretive programs. Between the three I spoke to around 120 people. Not bad for the day. Double (or more) than the number of people since I began my detail here in the beginning of November. 

[heyranger]

PBS Diorama

DIORAMA is for science nerds, backyard explorers, animal enthusiasts and urban naturalists. It's a series of digital shorts from the wondrous halls of The Am...

I think this series is fantastic and a great piece of interpretation. If only the National Park Service could produce something along this lines. 

[heyranger]

Look who is the newest member of the social media club! Click the link:

http://www.nps.gov/moca/parknews/meet-the-social-media-team.htm

If you want to see what I post check out the facebook pages for Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National monument. 

[heyranger]

Back in the day the park service was much more creative with their signs. This is a 60s era sign basically telling people to leave the rocks where they found them. How how phrases fall out of vogue. Who even knows what a rock hound is now day? 

*For those of you don't, it is someone who really likes rocks. I'm assuming that a pebble puppy is the child version. 

[heyranger]

Check out this spiffy lady taking in the display cases at the Tuzigoot museum. Circa late 60s.

[heyranger]

I am going to be leading a bird walk twice a month at the Well starting in January. It is a two hour program, so for the first little bit of each walk I am going to focus on one or two species. I'm hoping this will bolster up identification skills and give something new to learn for visitors (locals) that come to every walk. 

The first week will focus on the differences between the Wren's that live in Arizona. We will commonly see three of the Wren's (the Cactus Wren lives further south) at the monuments. I have highlighted  two identification markers on each species to help with identification. 

All of the work was done on publisher, which is a same because it is a little limiting. I tried to convince the park to install photoshop on some of the computers but got a resounding no. Bah humbug. As an interpreter having basic design tools would be very helpful. 

[heyranger]

[heyranger]

National Park Designations

Type of Designation Total Designations National Battlefields 11 National Battlefield Parks 4 National Battlefield Site 1 National Military Parks 9 National Historical Parks 46 National Historic Sites 78 International Historic Sites 1 National Lakeshores 4 National Memorials 29 National Monuments 78 National Parks 59 National Parkways 4 National Preserves 18 National Reserves 2 National Recreation Areas 18 National Rivers 5 National Wild and Scenic Rivers & Riverways 10 National Scenic Trails 3 National Seashores 10 Other Designations 11 Total Units 401

* I have been to 43/137(you can only visit 136) National Parks and Monuments. I am a little disappointed by this number because I am not even half way! I guess I need to do some traveling. 

[heyranger]

John James Audubon - Red Tail Hawks

One of my favorites.