21/09/20

Greg Higby, Park Manager for Nene Park Trust 

The question I get asked a lot is "Why did you want to become a Park Ranger?" 

Being in the great outdoors has always been my passion, whether it was when playing in the garden as a child, camping with my parents or friends, or looking for the best tree to climb - which I would always find and fall out off! These experiences were combined with my parents taking me to visit National Trust sites and Country Parks across the country and seeing Park Rangers in their smart uniforms being what I called 'nature gods of the wilderness and masters of historic information'. From a very early age, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, it was always a Park Ranger.

One of my discoveries has been that most people who work outside, visited Country Parks or had a passion for nature as a child, therefore establishing that awe and inspiration at an early age. This has confirmed my own experience. 

Like most people I had a lot of misconceptions of what it would be like to work as a Park Ranger at Ferry Meadows. I had visions of sitting by the lakes watching the fish swim, by while eating my lunch - or leading guided walks and working with wildlife, etc.  What I found was that there is so much more to the role. Being a Park Ranger is an extremely diverse job that involves both protecting our wonderful Park and its wildlife and also the people who visit. 

What Park Rangers really do

A Park ranger is there to provide information to Park visitors, both practical information such as directions - and educational information about the Park in the form of a guided walk or talk.

Other daily tasks include keeping the Park clean and litter-free, general Park maintenance, conservation, making sure our Park visitors are safe and helping with any emergency or medical needs. This might include helping with cuts and grazes or dealing with a heart attack, firefighting, and even search and rescue for lost children. 

Watch this space! More Park Ranger stories coming up

Want to know more about what it takes to become a Ranger? You’re in luck! This post is the first in a series of blog posts about the ins-and-outs of being a Park Ranger at Nene Park.