Ask a Ranger

Please join us in a fangirling out with incredible Parker! Parker is an outspoken social media diva that focuses on environmental justice and social justice issues. We chat with her about The Inclusive Guide, the project she is the COO of. The goal is to help folks identify safe and welcoming spaces. Please check out the great work being done! Follow her on Instagram @KweenWerk and @inclusiveguide.

We were lucky enough to chat with Ranger Keith of TikTok fame about how to start birding and his journey to being a ranger.

We chat with one of our faves, Ranger Brian! We have a fun discussion on what it means to introduce your young child to nature. Also a little bit about Crystal's cat Gidget!

Last year, while in Reno, Nev., for the Park Rangers Association of California's annual meeting, we sat down with Ranger David! He's a park ranger at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (right outside Las Vegas). He tells us what it's like being a desert park ranger!

Ranger Jamie Cameron gives us the 101 on birding!

This month, we chat with Jess Taylor, who is the Director of the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research! They have internship opportunities that will be posted on their website starting in January! Please enjoy this episode learning about bottlenose dolphins and the steps that are being taken to gain more information on their populations off the coast of North Carolina.

We sit down with Ranger Cindy Kirby, from Carter Lake in Larimer County, Colorado, to chat about being a ranger out west and how hunting can be a useful tool in conservation.

Meg Gulledge from the Schoolhouse of Wonder and Maggie Chilton from the Piedmont Wildlife Center sit down for a chat about their journeys into environmental education and how they help positively shape the youth of North Carolina.

Zookeeper Nancy Kauffman talks about her day working with the elephants at the NC Zoo.

Zookeeper Audrey Williams takes Ranger Jess and Ranger Crystal through her day at the North Carolina Zoo's cypress swamp habitat.

Ranger Jess and Ranger Crystal talk to Christy Rosas, who works as a parks planner for North Carolina State Parks.

Join us for a chat with Ranger Carla about the mysterious venus flytrap and what makes them unique.

Ranger Jess and Ranger Crystal interview Dwayne Patterson, the director of the North Carolina State Parks.

Ranger Crystal travels to Yates Mill, a Wake County park, to help Ranger Rebeccah get things lined up for the annual Den Owners Association meeting. Listen in as they hike and canoe around Yates Mill, and chat with everyone from otters to toads and squirrels to grumpy ole Walter the groundhog. You will learn some interesting facts about many of the Yates Mill residents and concerns of den dwellers.

We sit down with Dr. Kammerer from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and explore what prehistoric mammals roamed North Carolina BEFORE the age of dinosaurs.

Yay! Another episode with Lydia Pagel from Franklin Mountain State Park in El Paso, Texas. In this episode, Ranger Jess gets to tap into her inner 7-year-old and ask Ranger Lydia Pagel, "What's that? What's this?" all the way up the mountain. We find out how Franklin Mountain State Park is like our very own Mount Mitchell State Park, how some of the different flora you will find on this mountain compares to ones on our mountains, and how little herds of tiny hippo-related mammals inhabit Franklin Mountain as their home.

Welcome to the start of our third year and third season for the Ask a Ranger podcast. For this episode, we return back to the beginning, when Ranger Jess was just starting to fuss with the recording and editing equipment. Ranger Jess has been hanging onto this interview from her trip to Japan for a couple of years, wanting to release it because Naoki was such a great guest with wonderful information, but holding onto it because, well, the quality of the recording was not great. So because this is a reflection on how far we have come, we though our listeners, who have been loyal and patient from the start, would be willing to bear with the quality of the recording in order to listen to his wonderful park ranger from Japan. Thank you for coming on this journey with us! And a huge thank you to Naoki for your warm welcome and willingness to conduct an interview with a newbie to the podcasting world. Thank you Naoki!

Hank the hognose snake asked us to do a quick podcast release to set the record straight on the rumors of "Zombie Hognose Snakes" in North Carolina. So for this #factcheckfriday we chat with Hank the hognose snake and find out about this misnomer and the TRUTH about Hank and other hognose snakes like him.

Join us for a discussion with Ranger Scott about what prescribed fires are and why they are so important to the forest.

Rangers Jess and Crystal take a deep dive into women's roles in NC State Parks to celebrate Women's History Month.

Tune in with us this month and sing along with this musical Ask a Ranger Podcast episode: Music and Environmental Education. Ranger Keith shares with us how to connect outdoor education and music.

In this episode, we chat with the affable Ranger Kevin about his favorite animal – SNAKES! Ranger Kevin delves into the wonderful world of snakes and helps demystify some of the myths and fears that sometimes surround these wonderful creatures.

In this episode Ranger Crystal and Ranger Jess delve into the wonderful and mysterious world of the American eel. Listen in as Ranger Crystal and Ranger Jess explore the research history, ecology, and behaviors of this awesome species of fish!

Many of our North Carolina state parks were affected by gristmills and millponds that were created in and around our North Carolina communities. We do not have any working gristmills in North Carolina state parks, so Ranger Jess and Ranger Crystal traveled to a Wake County park in Raleigh, Yates Mill Pond, to talk all things millpond and gristmill. From how a gristmill works and the community aspects of a gristmill and millpond, to the nature that is in and around a millpond — Ranger Rebeccah Cope educates on it all!

In this episode, Ranger Nick discusses renewable energy and, in particular, the power of solar energy.

Take a road trip with Ranger Crystal and Ranger Jess as they bring Terrance the Turtle and Snooty the Snapper down to the 50th birthday party for Wave the Loggerhead. Meet a few different types of species of turtle native to North Carolina and laugh at the antics of Snooty and her cousin Shirley.

In this episode of Ask a Ranger, Ranger Paul Terry lets us in on the secret to the cannons at Fort Macon — teamwork! Learn all about the various cannons at Fort Macon State Park and how the replicas went from an idea to a reality.

The peace of the woods, the crackle of the campfire, trying different s'mores recipes — who amongst us doesn't love camping? From its past as a necessary part of exploration to its present status as an excursion and break from our daily lives, camping is something that is held near and dear by most people who do it. Whether you enjoy camping in a van or living out of a backpack for a week, camping is personal and treasured by us all. In this podcast, we discuss everything from wearing socks while sleeping to a perfect camping environment. Join Rangers Jess and Crystal and guest Ranger Brian as we discuss the finer side of camping and maybe even share a couple of our favorite camping hacks to make your experience even better.

Ranger Crystal is out in the winter bluster interviewing a few of our animal friends to find out how they survive a North Carolina winter.

Ranger Jess is a little nervous hiking at night, but NEVER FEAR, Ranger Crystal is here! Ranger Crystal is taking Ranger Jess and you on a night hike to demystify the sounds and the animals that make them. Come, join us and take a virtual night hike!

This is our mid-month "Naturally Wonderful" moment, in which we introduce you to one of our coworkers. Listen in and find out why Sean Gough enjoys working for N.C. State Parks.

In this episode of Ask a Ranger, we will delve into all the things a North Carolina Park Ranger does. Our guest is Superintendent Joe Shimel from New River State Park in Laurel Springs, N.C.