What it’s like to be a park ranger

Choices is so pleased to welcome Rosanne McHenry and her new book, Tales From a Rogue Ranger, while she’s on her WOW! Women on Writing tour.  Rosanne has also written a very interesting blog post for us about how to succeed at a job you never wanted. I’m sure a lot of us need her advice on that.

Here’s Rosanne.

How to Succeed at a Job You Never Wanted

by Rosanne McHenry

 

One day I was minding my own business, working as a park ranger at Folsom Lake, California, and the next moment I was drafted to work at the Auburn State Recreation Area as the Whitewater Rafting Program Manager.

I never asked for this job.

I didn’t want it.

I balked at it.

I was mandated to do it anyway.

How do I get into these situations, I wondered?  I figured it was my punishment for being hard-working and conscientious.

This all began when my co-worker Jess took on the responsibility to impose safety controls on the American River whitewater rafting industry. Many of the commercial rafting companies were engaged in grossly unsafe activities. People were getting seriously injured in boating accidents.

I’d hate that job, I thought to myself. It looked miserable. Jess was buried in paperwork with stacks of permits falling all over the floor. His office was a former broom closet. He always looked stressed. Then one day he announced he was promoting to a new location and leaving our district. He had recommended ME to assume his duties! I fiercely objected, but the next thing I knew I was being summoned to the Chief Ranger’s office. They had already determined I was to take over the job.

I needed to think fast. I knew that resistance was futile. How could I succeed at this job I knew I would hate? I decided to ask for The Moon since I had nothing to lose.

“You were chosen for this job,” they told me. “Name your recommendations, and we’ll consider them.”

“This program needs to move to the Auburn Ranger Station,” I said. “I need my own office. I want a staff, two vehicles, a patrol raft and boat trailer so I can get out on the river and observe what’s going on. I need a four day work week because I’ll be working ten-hour days. I’ll also need a promotion to field supervisor status.”

There, I thought. They’ll never agree to all these terms, and they’ll choose someone else for the job.

“We agree with you.”

Whaaat?

“We agree. You start in two weeks.”

Oh Jeez! What the heck just happened? I wondered. But there was no turning back. I had made my demands, and they were met.

“Alright,” I replied confidently, even though my heart was pounding.

Two weeks later found myself in a beautiful office looking out into the forest. I had my own staff, two trucks, one raft, and a boating trailer.  I had a promotion, and total autonomy to do the job the way I saw fit.  I was a program manager and I reported directly to the District Superintendent. Over the next year I built the program into an award-winning success.  The experience taught me more than I ever imagined.  When I promoted out of there the following summer, everyone wanted the job: the job I never wanted and had learned to love.

***

 Book Summary

Tales From a Rogue Ranger is full of stories that speak to the comedy and tragedy of being a park ranger: a job that is nothing like you might imagine.  Set against the stunning backdrop of California’s American River Canyon, this is an engaging and wildly unusual read about the untamed life of a woman ranger.  From a miner riding a mule to a young man lost in the system, these tales show the kaleidoscope of characters a park ranger encounters, giving the reader a fascinating look into a true ranger experience. Readers will laugh out loud, cry tears of sadness, and feel the greatest joy as they revel in this amazing book!

Publisher: Book Baby

Print length: 239 pages

Purchase a copy of Tales From a Rogue Ranger on

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Rogue-Ranger-Book-Trip/dp/B0CWSV7J2G

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-from-a-rogue-ranger-rosanne-s-mchenry/1145038291?ean=9798350936056

Kobu: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/tales-from-a-rogue-ranger

You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208913582-tales-from-a-rogue-ranger

 

About the Author

Rosanne S. McHenry has worked as both a U.S. National Park Ranger and a California State Park Ranger. Her ranger experiences include the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Mount Rainier National Park, the Auburn State Recreation Area, Folsom Lake, Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, and Death Valley National Park, among others.

In her latest book, Tales From a Rogue Ranger, McHenry shares her experiences about the rough and tumble life of a patrol ranger near Auburn, California. A park ranger’s job is nothing like you might imagine! Set against the stunning backdrop of California’s American River Canyon, this is an engaging and wildly unusual read about the untamed life of a woman ranger.

McHenry, who also wrote Trip Tales: From Family Camping to Life as a Ranger, currently lives and works in Auburn, California, with her husband.  The beautiful American River Canyon is adjacent to their home in the Sierra Nevada Foothills.

You can follow the author at:

Website: https://triptalesbook.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066900574228

Instagram: @askrangerrose https://www.instagram.com/AskRangerRose/

Comments

  1. So many of us have extra work just dumped on us. Glad to see Rosanne not only got the promotion she deserved for her new job but they she turned it into a job everyone wanted!

  2. Madeline – Thanks so much for featuring my new book in your lovely blog. So Appreciated! I loved telling the story about how I became the Whitewater Rafting Program Manager at the Auburn State Recreation Area in California. The Job I Never Wanted and Learned to Love! What an adventure it was, and what fun stories to tell!

    Much thanks for getting this out to your readers, who I hope will enjoy the book.

    With Sincere Thanks,
    Rosanne S. McHenry
    AKA Ranger Rose
    Happy Trails!

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