Association of National Park Rangers

Association of National Park Rangers

Hey there! My name is Brennan McAuley from Cohort 5 in the ProRanger Program. I am back in school working to finish my senior year as a criminal justice major at Temple University.  I recently had a great NPS experience. Keep reading to hear about it and to see some pictures!

I joined the Association of National Park Rangers (ANPR). I was awarded a membership in the form of a Bill Supernaugh Memorial Scholarship. This Scholarship provided me with a year membership, and the chance to go to their annual conference known as Ranger Rendezvous.

To learn more about what is included in an ANPR membership click here.

To learn more about what was covered in the conference click here.

The conference took place in Estes Park Colorado, just outside of Rocky Mountains National Park. The week was full of training opportunities, panel discussions, fun, networking, along with first-hand exposure to the incredible resources or the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Can you spot the graffiti? 

Guiding Line Rope Rescue Course

I hit the ground hiking. My first day in Colorado was dedicated to an all-day search and rescue practice referred to as “Guiding Line Rope rescue”.  This would be used in an area where there is a steep incline and rough terrain (which is very common in the Rocky Mountains).  A combination of protection rangers and climbing rangers instructed the course. This was great because I got to learn about the various day to day problems that a protection ranger might encounter in the park.

Panel Discussions

One of my favorite part about the weeks was learning about and discussing very timely topics within the National Park Service.

Some of my favorite topics included:

·      Increasing visitation & associated problems

·      How to manage/eradicate exotic species

·      Pride Outside which focused on increasing diversity of all kinds in our parks

·      Superintendents panel which focused on leadership and management of parks

·      Office of American Indian Affairs (OAIA), a newly formed branch focused on building strong relationships between the NPS and members of Indian tribes.

Some special speakers included:

·      Sue Masica, Intermountain Regional Director

·      Darla Sidles, Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent

·      Reed Robinson, Midwest Region Program Manager for the Office of American Indian Affairs

·      Ani Kame’enui, Director of Legislation and Policy at the National Parks Conservation Association

·      Dan Wenk, Yellowstone National Park Superintendent

The week provided me with training, knowledge, challenge, and even newly formed NPS friendships. 

If you are interested in learning more about ANPR or becoming a member please feel free to reach out to me brennanproranger@gmail.com .