My Park Story: Taryn Preston

Taryn working with park horse Snoopy at Thedore Roosevelt National Park in 2003.

Taryn Preston/ NPS

What was your pathway to the National Park Service (NPS) ?

I am from Glendive, Montana and I grew up going to Theodore Roosevelt National Park as a kid, as it was only 60 miles away. My grandma, mom and sister would make yearly trips to Medora, ND and I always wanted to go into the park to do a trail ride and look for bison. I never imagined that I would get the opportunity to work there for 12 years.

What interested you in the National Park Service?

I always knew I wanted to work outside and do something with plants and animals. It wasn’t until college that I realized biology careers existed with the national parks so I jumped at the chance to apply and got my first seasonal bio tech position at Theodore Roosevelt NP in 2000 on the park’s weed spraying crew.

What do you do for NPS?

I am currently the Natural Resource Program Manager at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Every day is a new opportunity to work on projects involving all aspects of natural resource management including vegetation management, grazing, wildlife monitoring, paleontology, research permit coordination and so much more.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

Hoping that I am making some sort of positive difference for the plants and animals, protecting public land, and making sure everything that I get to see and experience is around for others to enjoy in the future.

Paleo survey at Glen Canyon. Who left those tracks behind?

Taryn Preston/NPS

What advice do you have for youth and young adults thinking about a career at NPS?

I work a lot with youth crews and its very rewarding to teach them new skills, give them positive resource management experiences and maybe inspire someone to join me. My advice would be to brave, take a chance on every opportunity to learn something new, find something that you love and then make a career out of it.

What are your hobbies?

I love to travel around the country and the world. Every trip revolves around visiting national parks in every country we go to.

Do you remember the first park you visited?

Theodore Roosevelt National Park – I remember going to the visitor center at the south unit with my family and waiting for a tour of Theodore Roosevelt’s cabin. The interpreter told us to wait by the petrified stump so we went outside and wandered around all over but could not find the stump. It turned out to be a giant stump in the middle of the visitor center. Every time I went by it while I worked there, I was reminded of that day.

What is your background? College? Study?

I have a bachelor’s degree in biology from Dickinson State University in North Dakota.

Any favorite or funny memories of the job?

Some of my favorite memories were working on bison roundups at Theodore Roosevelt. It was always an all-park effort and a very streamlined process to work the bison in a safe and efficient manner. It was great to work with people from every division towards a common goal. As I was the data collector, I always had a front row view of every bison, including taking hair samples and putting on tags, so I can say I have pet a bison!

In 2007 I met my future husband at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. He was hired on as a law enforcement ranger and I was a biologist, so we were introduced at work. We share a lot of the same hobbies and a love for National Parks and traveling. We eventually got married in the park in 2010.

Bison were invited to the wedding but never sent in their RSVPs.

Taryn Preston/NPS