As a recent college graduate, I've found myself in a sort of limbo between the blissful ignorance of youth and integration into society as a functioning adult. Amidst the quandary of my place in the world, I've found working at the Palisades Interstate Park to be one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable experiences of my life! As an Interpretive Ranger, I've learned a great deal of information regarding the rich and extensive history of the Palisades from the forming of the cliffs themselves hundreds of millions of years ago to the thriving communities both atop the cliffs and along the shoreline. I often say that I genuinely seem to learn something new every day. I find a strong sense of pride and appreciation in sharing park history and other miscellaneous facts. I rarely find myself uninterested at work, whether I'm hiking the trails, speaking with visitors, tending to the garden at the historic Kearney House, or freshening up an information booth. Working as a Ranger has also given me a glimpse into what I might like my future career to look like. The PIP has given me two very fulfilling summers thus far; I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say "I love my job!" and mean it wholeheartedly.

I have absolutely loved working at the Palisades Interstate Park these past couple summers. Ever since I’ve been a kid I’ve come to this park, especially the Alpine Picnic Area, both to hike and to enjoy the different programs put on at the Kearney house. Now I get to work here, which has been a rewarding experience. One aspect of working here that has been rewarding is that it has helped me develop my skills at public speaking. Before working here I had a difficult time with public speaking, but by interacting with small groups of park visitors every day I have grown in confidence and ability. Now I am much more comfortable talking to larger groups of people. Besides helping me develop important public speaking skills, working at the park has also given me the opportunity to learn more local history and then educate park visitors about it. I enjoy this because I love learning about history and working here has given me the opportunity to learn a lot more about local history and the people that used to live in the area. Overall working as an Interpretive Ranger has been a fun and rewarding experience where I got to learn a lot about the history of the park and I have been able to interact with many park visitors, both to offer hiking advice and also to educate them about local history.

For the past two summers I have been an Interpretive Ranger within the Palisades Interstate Park. Over this time I have expanded my knowledge of the area in many ways. As a history teacher during the school year, serving as an Interpretative Ranger has allowed me to learn more of the area and I am able to bring that back into the classroom. The connections I am able to share with my students about how history occurred right in their backyard are invaluable. Many of my students already know about the Revolutionary War history of the area, but through learning more as an Interpretative Ranger I have been able to help them understand the civilian history of the area as well. Not only have I been able to expand my knowledge base and parlay that into helping my students learn more about their local history, but I have been able to explore the amazing ruins throughout the park. Not only does the park have incredible monuments, but they also contain spectacular ruins that date from the early 1900s. These ruins provide visitors a great opportunity to experience history on a whole different level.

Since joining the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey, I’ve gained so much experience with putting myself out there socially. In this position, you have to work with people as a team, get to know them, and even get to know the public that comes to hang out at the park. It definitely puts you in a situation where you talk to the public.

This is a great first job for me. It’s getting me the experience and hands on learning that will be so useful to me when I get older and get more jobs and eventually choose my career. I love working outside and being around nature. I always have and it is so cool that I am outside almost 24/7 when working, seeing beautiful sites and more. My favorite thing is working on the garden we have next to the Kearney House. We tend to it, planting, weeding, and even picking fresh veggies or fruits that are ready for us to take home and eat.

I have had a very productive summer. I have been trying to keep busy every single day. I have interacted with many people since the first weekend and I already know that there are going to be more days like this. Each day, we all have something to work on whether it is in the office, gardening, preserving history, or ranging. The best part of the job is that I am working with a great crew where we get the job done together. At the same time, I see how rangers play a role in the park. We have helped decrease the number of lost and injured hikers. This shows how dedicated we are all to this job and we have a positive impact.

My experience working for the Palisades Interstate Park as an Interpretative Ranger has been filled with enriching and charitable time for the park and everyone who comes to visit. As someone who transferred from trail crew, I felt a bit out of place for the first few weeks. I didn’t know exactly how to interact with the public, how to guide newcomers through the trails, or how to interpret signs and maps. As I spent some time with more experienced coworkers, I started to get used to interacting with more people and helping hikers enjoy their experience in the park. Seeing visitors getting excited to explore the park while listening to our hiking advice is great. Being able to help people have a better day overall in their time in the park is a heartwarming feeling and good for the soul. On top of being able to make peoples' days, we’re able to do some work around the park such as tour guides, cleaning and preserving historical sites, and general aid to keep the park in its lively and clean state. My job is full of hiking and hard work in the sun, but it’s also about making the visitors of the park enjoy their experience here.

I've spent most of my life at this park, both as an employee and as a visitor. Throughout the years I've worked on or hiked through every trail. Despite knowing the trails so well and having many stories from work I still learn more about this park every day. There is so much history hidden in plain sight and background knowledge to all the old ruins I've spent countless hours exploring. It's surprising that I can still find so much to learn. Before this year I used to only work on weekdays on the hiking trails so I didn't get to experience the craziness of the weekends with how many people flood into the park. Working as an interpretive Ranger interacting with the public more directly has given me a new perspective. It made me realize how the work I have been participating in through the park over the years has benefited many more people than I originally thought. I'm excited to see how the park grows and evolves in the future.

I have a unique situation because I live in a park and work for it too. I get to interact with many people on a daily basis. After I turned 16, I got the opportunity to work as an Assistant Interpretative Ranger. This job builds my social interaction skills so I can use them in my future. It helps me with having more patience and compassion for people and how to stay calm in those situations.

I am very familiar with the area, as I have been around for my whole life. If an emergency were to happen, I would know who to call for it to be dispatched. If someone ever needs directions, I know where to lead them. This instance occurs either when I am working or when I am at home. It is not a problem to lend a hand, and I am happy to do so!