Every year in the spring, the park hires a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger. This person’s job for the summer is to interact with the park visitors. One of the most important jobs at the park is the Seasonal Interpretive Ranger (just called SIR for short).
The reason for calling them an interpretive ranger is because the job consists of interpreting the natural and cultural aspects of the park and the surrounding area. Many of the SIRs that have worked at Big Ridge State Park have gone on to become full time park rangers with Tennessee State Parks.
Characteristics of a good seasonal ranger is one that is almost done or already finished college and has a love for nature and sharing their love for nature with others.
The Season Interpretive Ranger (SIR) shares their knowledge of the natural world and the cultural relevance of the park with programs that are offered to the public. Programs are small scheduled events throughout the park with a subject of interest.
Some examples of programs that are offered every year at Big Ridge are nature hikes, canoe floats and crafts. These hikes and crafts usually have an educational aspect that the public can do to have fun and learn something about the park. On some of the hikes you might learn about trees or a particular critter. Some programs are just purely recreational.
Almost every park will have an SIR. Programs that are offered will vary depending on the park and the individual SIR.
Big Ridge is on the lake, so one of our go-to programs for most SIRs at Big Ridge are the canoe floats. Many parks have critters like hawks, owls, and snakes that are used to educate the public about some of the wildlife. Big Ridge has a corn snake that has been visited by many park visitors throughout the years and has been used to educate the public about snakes for over 10 years.
Hannah Sheley is our SIR for this summer at Big Ridge. Hannah is a senior at the University of Tennessee studying forestry. Hannah was a white-water rafting guide for five years before joining us here at Big Ridge State Park.
She enjoys providing fun learning activities for kids. She loves the water and trees, so expect some programs about trees and some of the problems trees face like pests and diseases.
Hannah will be offering programs almost every weekend. Check out what programs Hannah is offering by checking our Facebook page or call the park office for more info about future programs.
She grew up visiting the park and is really excited to be working here for the summer. Please come and visit Hannah and join her for one of her many programs this year. Please contact me or the park if you have more questions about the park or our new Seasonal Interpretive Ranger Hannah Sheley.
Ranger Derek Wilson
Office 865-992-5523
Cell 865-206-9459