In which I give my first real Guided Walk

Sara's marketing scheme is not subtle. It's also not NPS-approved.

Sara’s eyes twinkled as she pointed toward the TODAY’S ACTIVITIES board by the Visitor Center desk. Her personal mission was to get folks to come to my guided walk, and she is a “get ‘er done” type gal so she took matters into her own hands. (See photograph. Very amusing!) It certainly was effective. I’ve had two rained out, one with nobody showing up, and one with just one sweet couple. We were about to witness the Power of Advertising.

Typical attendance at a guided walk, especially on a weekday, might be 4 to 12 people. Permanent Ranger Rob has had a career high of 17.

Today: THIRTY-FOUR!!! It was a HUGE group, and I was breathless with excitement. I would have to be at the top of my game, as well as manage large-group logistics. Not to mention living up to the expectations Sara had set. In addition, I was being observed by a coach/trainer to help me improve my talk.

A good ranger positions her audience's backs to the sun

I gathered the crowd at my favorite overlook and whispered a silent prayer for clear thinking and good communication skills. Taking a deep breath, I welcomed them all, introduced myself, gave the ground rules, energetically set the stage for what mysteries we would be addressing, and launched out. There was no going back. It was full throttle from 11:30 to 12:30.

Park interpretation is one part factual knowledge, one part story-telling, one part entertainment, and a whole lot of knowing how to read your audience. This one was extremely diverse in age, interest, and background; it was energizing to discover that I had the tools to reach the whole spectrum, from shy preschooler to grouchy know-it-all retiree. They posed for a picture at the conclusion and then gave me the sweetest round of applause.

To Be Continued…