Part of a series of articles titled Women of the National Park Service.
Article • Women of the National Park Service
Women of the National Park Service: Working with the Public
There are many jobs in the National Park Service which work directly with the public. Here you can find out about some of the women who do this work as park rangers, law enforcement, visitor use professionals, bus drivers, and interpreters.
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Interpretive RangerSonia TaianiWhy does Sonia use a Slinky toy to explain changing shorelines at Fire Island National Seashore? Find out here.
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Visitor Use Management SpecialistSusan McPartlandSusan helps plan visitor experiences at parks. Sometimes, plans need updates; and sometimes new areas of parks are open to visitors.
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Bus DriverSue VioletteSue drives the Island Explorer bus at Acadia. Read about her favorite interaction with park visitors.
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Public Affairs SpecialistSally MayberrySally works closely with the press to share out information about parks and programs with the public.
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Chief RangerLeslie ReynoldsLeslie works to keep park employees and visitors safe. Read about all the different types of work that go into this job.
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Wildlife VeterinarianMichelle VerantEven though much of Michelle's work is done behind the scenes, she also works with the public teaching them about wild animals -- like bats!
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Friends of Acadia Summit StewardAlanna McDonoughSummit Stewards spend almost a thousand hours on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia every year working with the public.
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Law Enforcement RangerErin RustErin is a veteran who found meaningful work after her service as a Law Enforcement Ranger at Dry Tortugas.
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Museum CuratorsTheresa Langford and Meagan HuffWorking mostly behind the scenes managing museum collections at Fort Vancouver, Theresa and Meagan also share their work with the public.
More Women of the NPS Who Work with the Public
Showing results 1-10 of 10
- Type: Person
Listen to an oral history interview with Judy Alderson, who worked for the NPS in Alaska beginning in the early 1980s.
- Independence National Historical Park
Sara Falch, Park Ranger, Independence National Historical Park
- Type: Article
- Locations: Independence National Historical Park
Sara Falch is a Park Ranger. She works at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. Watch the video to learn about her career in the National Park Service.
- Independence National Historical Park
Sara Karpinski, Park Ranger, Independence National Historical Park
- Type: Article
- Locations: Independence National Historical Park
Sara Karpinski is a Park Ranger at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. This park includes Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Watch the video to learn about her career in the National Park Service.
- Acadia National Park
Therese Picard, Chief Ranger for Law Enforcement, Acadia National Park
- Type: Article
- Locations: Acadia National Park
Therese Picard is the Chief Ranger for Law Enforcement at Acadia National Park in Maine. Watch the video to learn about her career in the National Park Service. Recorded during the 2020 centennial of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women's access to the ballot, one of the things Therese talks about is how the suffragists inspire her in her work.
- Type: Article
Every March we recognize Women's History Month. This year we celebrated with a video of some NPS women encouraging future female conservationists to keep going. Things might get tough, but we're here for you and we believe in you. You go girl!
- Yosemite National Park
Women of Yosemite: The Concessioners
- Type: Article
- Locations: Yosemite National Park
Women have played an important—though often hidden—part in Yosemite. In the 1800s, women were expected to play a traditional role in the private world of the family and the home. With the birth of the railroad and as the Gold Rush drew people to California in the late 1800s, pioneering women found ways to broaden traditional roles. Learn about the women concessioners at Yosemite.
- Yosemite National Park
Women of Yosemite: The Employees
- Type: Article
- Locations: Yosemite National Park
Women have played an important—though often hidden—part in Yosemite. In the 1800s, women were expected to play a traditional role in the private world of the family and the home. With the birth of the railroad and as the Gold Rush drew people to California in the late 1800s, pioneering women found ways to broaden traditional roles. Read about the early women who worked as NPS employees at Yosemite.
- Denver Service Center
Protecting Our Heritage - Balancing past and present needs as a cultural resource specialist.
- Type: Article
- Offices: Denver Service Center
Hillary is excited about learning more about the vast stories and resources we have here in the United States and being part of these teams that are working on recognizing stories and resources that have not yet had the recognition they deserve.
- Everglades National Park
Yvette Cano: Director of Education at Everglades National Park
- Type: Article
- Locations: Everglades National Park
Ranger Yvette Cano, the Director of Education at Everglades National Park, shares her journey to the National Park Service, how her cultural background has influenced her work, and what she finds most rewarding about her job.
- Type: Article
- Offices: Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division
Female scientists with the National Park Service Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD) gathered in a round-table discussion to reflect on the leaders in their lives whose guidance inspired them to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects that led them to the work they do today with the National Park Service.
Last updated: June 18, 2020