At Saguaro National Park, NextGen Ranger programs introduce youth to many facets of the park, including flora and fauna / Friends of Saguaro

In 2015, Friends of Saguaro created the Next Generation Ranger Corps Internship Program at Saguaro National Park, in response to the “Call to Action” by the National Park Service. The program is designed to enable young people to discover Saguaro and its different operational divisions through a supportive, engaging, and educational working opportunity at the park. (See Video)

Over the past three years, a diverse group of more than 40 NextGen Rangers have worked at the park developing valuable skills and gaining unique work experiences. All NextGen Rangers obtain a basic understanding of National Park Service history, the Saguaro Wilderness, resource management, interpretation, safety, community outreach, and visitor protection. In addition, each Next Gen Ranger has the opportunity to work with a park mentor on an individualized project in a specific skill area.

The National Park Service has recognized that there is a particular need for urban parks, like Saguaro, to engage diverse audiences, and create a workforce that is representational of the surrounding urban community. The NextGen Ranger Program is composed of 68 percent women; 42 percent of participants are from underserved communities; 68 percent worked at least 640 hours in the program (qualifying them for “Public Land Corps” hiring authority); and 10 percent have been hired into permanent or seasonal jobs at Saguaro National Park.

Mentored by park staff, and specializing in areas including environmental education, community outreach, natural resource monitoring, environmental restoration, and other relevant field, the Friends of Saguaro NextGen Rangers are then supporting additional community outreach to more than 15,000 youth in southern Arizona by joining park staff in visiting schools, facilitating field trips, and helping with citizen science activities. They also help connect additional underserved students to environmental-related fields, and stimulate student interest in environmental stewardship, the parks conservation mission, and the potential of public land management careers.

With this paid internship and work experience, the Friends of Saguaro Next Generation Ranger Corps Internship Program is changing the lives of a younger generation, providing a pathway to enter the workforce, and beginning a lifetime of environmental stewardship for national parks and public lands.

To learn more, or support the Friends of Saguaro Next Generation Ranger Corps Internship Program, please visit www.friendsofsaguaro.org.