On this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Phil Francis joins Jody and Phil Gaines to discuss working with support groups.

A retired superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Francis explains how friends groups can help maintain accountability among park rangers and leaders. For instance, through networking, advocacy, and project development, friends groups can call on experienced members to speak for resources and park mission whether it involves testifying before Congress or writing letters to editors.

As Francis elaborates, the goal of friends groups is to resolve local and political issues, manage state and federal projects, and cultivate relationships. If a national park wants to prioritize this endeavor, park managers must not only understand nonprofit requirements but understand the budgets and social value behind their projects.

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Ben Novak, the lead scientist of the biotechnology nonprofit Revive & Restore, joins the show to discuss his historic breakthrough.

A conservation activist, Ben shares the story of Elizabeth Ann, a black-footed ferret, recently cloned as part of a project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Revive & Restore, and the San Diego Zoo. With a passion for saving endangered species, Ben plans to reintroduce similar species to their habitats through artificial insemination as a genetic rescue model.

Having spearheading this scientific milestone, Ben hopes the pandemic can be a wake-up call for the next generation to take risks with their goals. Like him in his early career, emerging leaders may encounter negative feedback in their quest for positive change; however, this doesn’t mean they should give up. Instead, Ben charges young people to stay the course as fresh ideas, like the bioethics of cloning and preservation, become more culturally accepted.

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In this episode of the Park Leaders Show, Matt Holloway, a former ranger at Glacier National park, and his 11-year-old daughter, Harper, joins the show to discuss their epic hiking adventure.

After hiking 160 miles of the Pacific Northwest Trail Reroute in 19 days, Matt and Harper share their motivations and takeaways from the experience. While part of their inspiration was to deter hunter activism, the primary objective was to raise conservation awareness for grizzly bears. By hiking the trail, Matt and Harper hope their ground truth observations can help park rangers consider rerouting the trail in a way that will preserve grizzly bear habitation.

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Phil Gaines, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks, returns to discuss how COVID-19 is impacting park visitation and user groups.

While the pandemic has reduced the number of new visitors in national parks, there are still some encouraging trends for park rangers. For instance, while bottom-line attendance may be down, certain demographics like women, youth, and seniors are making more frequent trips to parks.

As Phil explains, though more time is needed to monitor these trends, such patterns are worth statistical analysis as new markets often lead to new activities. Additionally, when you consider disruptive innovations and social media, the stage is set for new crazes to emerge. Like mountain biking, geocaching, and Instagram hotspots the past decade, there will be new rages at some point; hence, why rangers should not be discouraged about temporary retention and focus more on the voice of their audience.

Resources:

One of Us: https://www.amazon.com/One-Us-Biologists-Among-Bears/dp/1525548514

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Phil Gaines, the semi-regular guest host, returns to discuss annual performance reviews.

While some employers view annual reviews as obligations, the truth is these evaluations are critical to an organization's success. As Phil explains, the best annual performance reviews involve checkmarks throughout the year to maintain consistency. To evaluate performance correctly, supervisors should gauge progress on monthly to quarterly intervals using surveys or 1:1 meetings. Furthermore, annual performance reviews should not only distinguish performance issues versus disciplinary issues but promote open dialogue dedicated to vocational growth.  

However you approach performance evaluation, remember to distribute feedback and encourage learning opportunities regularly. In this way, you will motivate your team members to accomplish their goals with maximum efficiency.

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