After 37 years with South Carolina State Parks, Phil Gaines retired as Director. As Phil did during his entire career, he used his last day to lead by example. 

On August 2, 2018, exactly 13 years after becoming Director of South Carolina State Parks, and exactly 37 years after starting his career as a park ranger, Phil Gaines ended his career the same way it began. 

Director Gaines returned to Kings Mountain State Park, the place where he began his career and put on the uniform, transforming back to Ranger Phil. Ranger Phil spent the day cleaning bathrooms, picking up trash, and using a weedeater. 

Phil said he did this on his last day for two reasons. First, so his career would go full circle. Second, to show there are no unimportant jobs in parks. 

On this episode, Phil talks about his final day with parks as well as the changed he has seen in parks during the 37 years he has spent serving visitors to South Carolina parks. 

Throughout his career, Phil Gaines has been an example of leadership and an inspiration to rangers on how to serve. He leaves with this one final example of how we can serve each other and serve guests to our parks. 

The day after his last day, Ranger Phil did what you expected a Park Ranger to do...he went backpacking. 

Podcasts with Park Rangers is a podcast featuring conversations with Park Rangers from National Parks around the country. 

Lucas and Sarah Villa-Kainec are the hosts of the podcast Podcasts with Park Rangers.  

We sat down together at a picnic table in Fort Worden State Park. In this episode, we discuss their podcast, traveling across the country, and the rangers they have met. 

There are a few podcasts about parks now, but what makes this podcast a little different is they focus on the park rangers rather than focus on the resource. Their conversations highlight the incredible storytelling of park rangers. Podcasts with Park Rangers also shows park rangers are people and not just a resource. 

Eben Sypitkowski is the Director of Baxter State Park in Maine. 

Baxter State Park is a unique park. Baxter is a state park in name, but not park of Maine State Parks. The park started as a gift in land and resources from Governor Baxter.

Two more ways Baxter is a unique park; it is completely self-funded.  This removes the park from the usual politics and worry of receiving funds from the state general fund. Second, the park places a priority on wilderness over recreation. 

Eben was recently appointed to Director after being a forester and most recently Resource Manager. Eben discusses the transition from forester to the director. He explains his listening tour to understand the culture of the entire park and get to know the staff. 

Eben has a passion for the place he now has the privilege to manage. Passion for place also inspires the rest of the staff of Baxter State Park. This same passion fuels many of us in parks.