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Park Naturalists

Plan, develop, and conduct programs to inform public of historical, natural, and scientific features of national, state, or local park.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Prepare and present illustrated lectures and interpretive talks about park features.
    • Perform emergency duties to protect human life, government property, and natural features of park.
    • Perform emergency duties to protect human life, government property, and natural features of park.
    • Provide care for park program animals.
    • Train staff on park programs.
    • Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas.
    • Perform emergency duties to protect human life, government property, and natural features of park.
    • Interview specialists in desired fields to obtain and develop data for park information programs.
    • Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers.
    • Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.
    • Prepare brochures and write newspaper articles.
    • Plan and develop audio-visual devices for public programs.
    • Plan and develop audio-visual devices for public programs.
    • Confer with park staff to determine subjects and schedules for park programs.
    • Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.
    • Compile and maintain official park photographic and information files.
    • Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays.
    • Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays.
    • Take photographs and motion pictures for use in lectures and publications and to develop displays.
    • Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions.
    • Develop environmental educational programs and curricula for schools.
    • Confer with park staff to determine subjects and schedules for park programs.
    • Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.
    • Plan and organize public events at the park.
    • Train staff on park programs.
    • Prepare brochures and write newspaper articles.
    • Perform routine maintenance on park structures.
    • Research stories regarding the area's natural history or environment.
    • Perform routine maintenance on park structures.
    • Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays.
    • Provide care for park program animals.
    • Survey park to determine forest conditions and distribution and abundance of fauna and flora.

    Skills

    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.

    Knowledge

    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    Education

    Education
    Bachelor's degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    81220/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    39.05/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    1,100
    Yearly Projected Openings
    110

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Cooperation
    • Self Control
    • Concern for Others
    • Dependability
    • Social Orientation

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Agricultural tractors
    • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
    • Animal control traps
    • Backpack water pump
    • Binoculars
    • Boat Trailer
    • Bridles
    • Canoes or kayaks
    • Cash registers
    • Chain saw
    • Claw hammer
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Dump trucks
    • Fire fighting pump truck
    • Fire suppression hand tools
    • Fishing rods
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Handguns
    • Hedge trimmer
    • Laser printers
    • Lawnmowers
    • Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
    • Lighters
    • Livestock trailers
    • Minivans or vans
    • Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
    • Mobile medical services first aid kits
    • Mountain bicycles
    • Personal computers
    • Point of sale POS terminal
    • Power blowers
    • Power chippers
    • Rakes
    • Recreational motorboats
    • Reins
    • Saddles
    • Screwdrivers
    • Secateurs or pruning shears
    • Shovels
    • Skis
    • Soil probe
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Sprayers
    • Theodolites
    • Two way radios
    • Utility knives
    • Water analyzers
    • Water trucks

    Technology

    • Desktop publishing software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Internet browser software
    • Map creation software
    • Office suite software
    • Point of sale POS software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software