Who are National Park Service Rangers?

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What do they do?

Park Ranger David Winchester interprets the "Big House" for Secretary of the Interior Gayle Norton.

The National Park Service and park rangers have a very special job. Park Rangers care for and protect more than 380 national parks, monuments, memorials, preserves, historic sites, seashores and other areas across the United States.

The mission of The National Park Service is to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

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The core values of the National Park service are:

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Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

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Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

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Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

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Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

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Shared Stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

What does it mean to be a ranger? That is a pretty hard question because there are so many different kinds of rangers. All park rangers protect and preserve natural and cultural resources, but they accomplish these tasks in many different ways. Some rangers fight fires and keep nature safe, others teach about the past. Some study and protect animals or plants. Some maintain structures and roads. All rangers help keep the parks clean. Rangers rescue people, find lost kids, and help make sure everyone is safe. One of the most important parts of being a park ranger is to help everyone understand and appreciate our national treasures so people like you will be willing to care about and care for these wonderful places.



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	Review Questions for this topic: What kinds of jobs would you like to do if you were a park ranger? Can you list some of the National Park Service areas you've visited or would like to visit? Need help finding a park? Click here to do a geographic search.


Author: Denise Shultz	Last Update: Wednesday November 02, 2005

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