Career Profiles of Park Ranger and Job Opportunities

Multifarious jobs are performed by a Park Ranger and it includes management of parks, sites with historical value and heritage, recreational areas, and such other common properties. Most of them also wear a specified uniform for easy identification.

Park Ranger Duties

Basic duties of a park ranger are as follows.

Supervision and management of conservation of the parks, whether national, state, local or any other federally managed areas resembling the parks.
They carry out tasks that are associated with forests as well as the structural fire controls.
Protection of the common property is another important job for the ranger.
Collection as well as dissemination of all natural, scientific, or historical information to proper quarters.
Protection of objects demonstrating art and culture.
Enforcement of rules and regulations in the park area, investigation of complaints and taking care of violations; and
Protection of all natural resources.
Other Tasks

Tasks that are not specifically included but performed by the Park Ranger includes –

Operating camp grounds;
Assigning sites and replenishment of firewood;
Performing safety inspections;
Providing information to visitors; and
Carrying out safety inspections.
However exact tasks assigned and duties and responsibility of the Park Manager will depend on his or her grade, size of the park handled and the specific requirements of the place.

Pronounced Duties of Park Ranger

Pronounced duties of park ranger is protection of the park from the people and people from the park as well as protection of people from the people.

Qualifications, Experience and Job Prospects

Study of career profiles of park rangers reveals that –

A bachelor’s degree in environmental science or field of wildlife is required.
No one is usually hired full time but only seasonally at first;
Candidates can join the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program or SLETP that started in 1977;
In school career the aspirant should take biology, history, English and computer science;
Biology, archeology, geology, and history or natural sciences will be ideal at the college levels.
Temporary seasonal works should be performed that gives good experience and also makes the candidate eligible for the job of Park Ranger.
Best job opportunities are available for those who have at least three years of parks experience including skills in the law enforcement, management, conservation, and communication sectors. In such cases candidate can become Park Ranger even without a formal four years degree certificate.