Talk on the Wild Side
with Matthew Kruse

Transcription

Vikki Locke

I am Vikki Locke with C2 Communications and this is Talk on the Wild Side where we talk everything about careers in conservation and it’s brought to you by the Florida Wildlife Federation, and today we are talking to Matthew Kruse who is the Park Manager at Collier Seminole State Park. How are you, Matthew?

Matthew Kruse

I’m doing great today. How are you doing?

Vikki Locke

Good. Should I call you Matt, Matthew? Does it matter?

Matthew Kruse

You can call me Matt.

Vikki Locke

Matt, ok. What’s it like to be a park ranger?

Matthew Kruse

It’s a great career. It’s an extremely rewarding career. There’s something different every day, but the best way to describe a park ranger is what we refer to as the Big Five. For a park service, Big Five describes the five areas that the park rangers cover and that can be maintenance; resource management, whether be removing non-native animals and non-native plants; also a big part of our job is protection, protecting visitors from themselves or from other dangerous animals or plants that may be in the area; and visitor services is also a large part of our job. Visitors want to know what’s out there, so we’re always explaining it to them, and we give a lot of guided tours and campfire programs on the different plants and animals in the environment, and there’s always the dreaded administration that comes along with every job.

Vikki Locke

So basically you’re protecting animals and you’re protecting people.

Matthew Kruse

Yes. A lot of people may think that our job is mainly dealing with plants and animals but a big part of our job is dealing with the public, so you have to like people too.

Vikki Locke

So what’s worse, people or the animals?

Matthew Kruse

Usually, people are the ones getting in trouble.

Vikki Locke

I bet. So what’s the best way to get your foot in the door? Do you need college to be a park ranger or park manager?

Matthew Kruse

Well, you don’t necessarily need college education to become a park ranger but when you are competing for those jobs you’re competing with people that have some type of college degree education or training. I myself I picked up an Associate’s Degree in Recreation and Wildlife in Hocking College in Ohio and then I also took a lot of classes around field biology, dendrology, the study of trees, ornithology, the study of birds, a lot of land management classes, I even took some heavy equipment classes and some law enforcement classes before I got into the field.

Vikki Locke

So it’s a very competitive job.

Matthew Kruse

It is a very competitive field out there. I wouldn’t say you necessarily need college, but it does help to make yourself more competitive.

Vikki Locke

Are there women park rangers too?

Matthew Kruse

Oh yes, we have a number of female Park Rangers and in the field. There is probably more male park rangers, but where we’re always looking for experienced women in the field too.

Vikki Locke

Are there internships for students who are interested?

Matthew Kruse

Yes. That would be one of the best ways to get your foot in the door. A lot of people get their start just volunteering in the Parks, so when there’s an and availability for a job, we already know how you work you’re not coming into a position with just a name. We already know who you are, and that’s the best way to build some experience because we treat our volunteers just like our staff. A lot of times they’re doing the exact same job that our staff is doing.

Vikki Locke

So do you have to do anything like firefighters? Is there any kind of physical fitness that’s required?

Matthew Kruse

There is. If you’re going to be in a prescribed burn training program, you have to go through a fire academy, a one-week long course, and you have to pass a physical fitness test. That requires carrying a 25 lb pack for 2 miles within 30 minutes.

Vikki Locke

Wow! Did you have any problem with that?

Matthew Kruse

I didn’t. It sounds easy, but actually, you have to walk at a pretty quick pace.

Vikki Locke

You say for people who aren’t physically fit; this job isn’t for you?

Matthew Kruse

I’ll say this job isn’t for everybody. It does take a special person, but I wouldn’t let any limitations prevent you from pursuing a career.

Vikki Locke

What gives you the most joy or the most satisfaction in your job and what you do at the State Park?

Matthew Kruse

I think the most joy and satisfaction that I have is getting up every morning, going to work, and being able to protect and share God’s creation with other people.

Vikki Locke

We accept volunteers year-round and what you can do is go to our website,  go to floridastateparks.org and then click on “get involved,” and that’ll take you to where you can submit a volunteer application.

Matthew Kruse

That’s wonderful. And what advice would you have to someone who’s maybe like yourself, maybe not, thinking they’re going to go to school. Is there some way that they could get involved in any kind of State Park immediately? Is this a seasonal kind of thing for internships and four volunteers?

Vikki Locke

And what’s the difference between a Mountie and a Park Ranger?

Matthew Kruse

A Mountie and a park ranger, I’m not really sure. As far as I know, we don’t have any mounties in the Florida Park Service. So that’s probably something out west or something you may run into more remote areas, in Alaska or something.

Vikki Locke

Thanks for being with us today. We appreciate it, Matt.

Matthew Kruse

Thank you, Vikki.

Vikki Locke

And thanks to the Florida Wildlife Federation for sponsoring Talk on the Wild Side and for keeping the wild in Florida since 1936. You can learn more at their website floridawildlifefederation.org.