Hi, I’m George Heinz and I’m a park ranger here in Yellowstone National Park. Working in Yellowstone is an amazing experience. Everyday, when I get out of bed, I realize how fortunate I am. I also realize we can follow our dreams.

I started working in Yellowstone in 1978. That summer, when I was driving along the Yellowstone River, just north of the park, I was told that, “If you drink from the Yellowstone, you’ll always come back.” Now, I’m not telling anyone to drink from the river. If you do, filter your water.

It took me years to realize that drinking from the Yellowstone did not mean drinking from the river. It means slowing down enough to take in some of this place’s beauty and majesty, or maybe just learning some of the sounds and smells of the park.     

When Yellowstone became the world’s first national park, it was because of the thermal features. Today, there are many things that make Yellowstone worthy of protection. Here, you’ll find one of the largest lakes above 7,000 feet in North America and the only continually free roaming herd of bison in the lower 48. You can see grizzly bears and wolves. And that’s just the short list.

As park rangers, our job is to protect this pristine habitat for future generations, and I’m proud of that.

To learn more about Inside Yellowstone, visit Ranger Beth Taylor’s introduction. And then, let’s go drink from this incredible place.