Park ranger appreciation: Red Rock Canyon event promotes education, conservation

From inside a visitor center with a view of the vibrant hues of Red Rock Canyon, Bureau of Land Management Park Ranger Justin O’Dell said it’s often overlooked that outside of the U.S., the threat of dying on the job persists for rangers.

On Wednesday, rangers, nonprofits and community members gathered at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area Visitor Center to recognize World Ranger Day, a celebration of the work park rangers do and an opportunity to remember park rangers who have lost their lives.

A moment of silence

At noon, the murmurs of visitors as they stopped by tables to learn about the canyon, its wildlife and its rangers came to a halt as the Bureau of Land Management led a moment of silence for rangers who died in the line of duty.

“We do lose a lot of rangers,” O’Dell explained, but fewer in the U.S. In parks spanning Africa and Asia, he said, park rangers have to confront poachers, rebels and non-state actors.

O’Dell said it’s an issue that gets overlooked. “It’s a threat that we don’t really face as much here,” he said.

While he feels a sense of connection to the global community of rangers, he said, events such as World Ranger Day allow specific parks and organizations to take the spotlight off themselves and place it on the broader work being done rangers around the world.

Behind the scenes

While visitors to state and national parks may see a ranger when paying for their pass at the entrance point, O’Dell said there’s much more to the job that people don’t see.

He said it is important to recognize the diverse jobs that rangers do and encourage people to think about the fact that the first conception they have of a ranger might not be the only one.

O’Dell explained that much of the job happens away from the trails, conducting research and protecting the ecology of the park.

Lindsey Judd, a member of the conservation education department of the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said many visitors don’t even know that game wardens also roam public lands protecting wildlife.

The law enforcement officers make sure that visitors follow rules and regulations intended to protect wildlife, Judd, 30, explained. She said she felt it was important to show up at World Ranger Day to bring attention to the job, which often involves solo patrols of parks carrying heavy equipment.

A focus on conservation

The conservation work done by rangers is important, said Layel Camargo and Julia Velasquez, both of Northern California. It was a coincidence that they stepped into the visitor center on World Ranger Day, they said.

“We are also land protectors,” said Camargo, 35. They take care of a 900-acre forest in Northern California.

Velasquez, 36, said she was happy to see an educational video playing in the video center informing people about the conservation work being done by Native people in collaboration with the rangers.

As people engaged with the educational opportunities at the World Ranger Day event, Velasquez said she hopes they will “take that with them, not just on these lands.”

Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @estelleatkinsonreports on Instagram and @estellelilym on Twitter.