National Park Service Oral History

About National Park Service Oral History

Interested in what it's like to be born in the middle of a Yellowstone winter or raised in the heart of Yosemite Valley? Curious about the inner workings of parks or how people establish careers with the National Park Service? Hear firsthand accounts from former and current National Park Service employees that celebrate the history of our national parks and the role they've played in lives around the world. Thanks to the Association of National Park Rangers Oral History Project for making many of these interviews possible. People's stories are among the most valuable resources that the National Park Service preserves and protects for future generations. Listen to people who have made the Park Service what it is today.

Publisher

National Park Service Oral History

Category

government

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 May 2016

Latest episode

30 Jan 2017

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Jan 2017

   Bill Wade: Protecting Shenandoah Resources

   Bill Wade, former Shenandoah National Park superintendent, shares how he creatively protected park resources, earning both reprimands and recognition.

2. 

   14 Nov 2016

   Meg Weesner on Community and Natural Resources

   Meg Weesner, a pioneer in National Park Service Natural Resources Management, shares how collaboration with partners best preserves valuable resources in this interview.

3. 

   19 Oct 2016

   Sandra Weber: Doing A Job You Love

   National Park Service historian Sandra Weber shares how her passion for history led to a fulfilling career preserving national treasures.

4. 

   2 Oct 2016

   Flo Six Townsend: Paying it forward

   Flo Six Townsend, a National Park Service veteran, shares her fulfilling career in employee development and how she empowers others to advance within the service in this interview.

5. 

   1 Sept 2016

   Dick Martin: My Role Was To Listen

   Wrangell-St. Elias National Park's second superintendent, Dick Martin, shares with interviewer Alison Steiner how listening skills helped him navigate community controversies during his tenure.

6. 

   1 Sept 2016

   Wendy Lauritzen Developing A Career

   Wendy Lauritzen shares her journey of building a fulfilling National Park Service career through planning, mentorship, and professional engagement.

7. 

   23 Aug 2016

   Ed Rizzotto: The Importance of Urban Parks

   Ed Rizzotto, a National Park Service veteran, shares insights on the vital role urban parks play within the National Park System and in community life.

8. 

   15 Aug 2016

   Anne and Scott Warner: Seasonal Rangers

   Seasonal rangers Anne and Scott Warner discuss their mid-life career transition into the National Park Service, sharing insights from diverse park experiences.

9. 

   8 Aug 2016

   J.D. Swed: Dealing with Death

   Search and rescue ranger J.D. Swed shares his profound experiences confronting death and guiding others through grief in the national parks.

10. 

    1 Aug 2016

    Diane and Dan Moses: Raising Kids in the Parks

    Diane and Dan Moses recount their unique experiences raising children within the national parks, offering insights into community and freedom.

11. 

    25 Jul 2016

    John Reynolds: Growing Up in the Parks

    John Reynolds tells us what it was like to grow up in our national parks as the son of a park ranger. Listen as he shares childhood memories from Yellowstone and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks, and hear him discuss how these experiences shaped his own career with the National Park Service.

12. 

    9 Jul 2016

    Bill Wade: Calling a national park home

    What's it like to grow up in a national park? Retired NPS superintendent Bill Wade will tell you.

13. 

    1 Jul 2016

    Laurel Boyers, NPS wilderness ranger

    In the 1970s Laurel Munson Boyers was among a pioneering generation of women who assumed new roles in the National Park Service. Listen to Boyers describe one frightful night as a wilderness ranger, stationed at Buck Camp.

14. 

    14 Jun 2016

    Ranger JD Swed, a flathat, and a horse

    In this segment of "Centennial Voices," we hear how a disciplined mentor and a balky horse teach a seasonal National Park Service ranger the importance of his image as well as his duties.

15. 

    13 Jun 2016

    Retired NPS Ranger JD Swed on family and work

    Retired Park Ranger J. D. Swed talks about how family life and work are inter-related in the National Park Service. Thanks to Nolan Edmondson, NPS volunteer, for audio production.

16. 

    4 May 2016

    Retired NPS park ranger Butch Farabee

    Butch Farabee was a revered National Park Service ranger who excelled in search and rescue. During a interview conducted in 2012 at the Association of National Park Rangers Ranger Rendezvous, he described how the demands of his job took a toll on family life

Who has been a guest on National Park Service Oral History

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Bill Wade
• Meg Weesner
• Sandra Weber
• Flo Six Townsend
• Dick Martin

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

1,295,001

Score snapshot 3 Jul 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.9 / 5

24 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 18 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

0

Social presence

0

YouTube

63

Engagement

27

Contact National Park Service Oral History

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.