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Career Details

19-1031.03 - Park Naturalists


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


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
21,100
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
22,500
Estimate
Change in Employment
+1,400
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+6.9%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas.
  • Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions.
  • 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.
  • Confer with park staff to determine subjects and schedules for park programs.
  • Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers.
  • Prepare brochures and write newspaper articles.
  • Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays.
  • Research stories regarding the area's natural history or environment.
  • Interview specialists in desired fields to obtain and develop data for park information programs.
  • Compile and maintain official park photographic and information files.
  • Take photographs and motion pictures for use in lectures and publications and to develop displays.
  • Plan and develop audio-visual devices for public programs.
  • Plan and organize public events at the park.
  • Develop environmental educational programs and curricula for schools.
Supplemental
  • Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.
  • Perform routine maintenance on park structures.
  • Survey park to determine forest conditions and distribution and abundance of fauna and flora.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 96%
    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.
 Education and Training
  • 84%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
 History and Archeology
  • 79%
    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
 English Language
  • 78%
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 Geography
  • 71%
    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.
 Public Safety and Security
  • 65%
    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.
 Psychology
  • 65%
    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.
 Computers and Electronics
  • 65%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Communications and Media
  • 63%
    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
 Biology
  • 62%
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
 Clerical
  • 60%
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 Sociology and Anthropology
  • 60%
    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
 Law and Government
  • 55%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Administration and Management
  • 54%
    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.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 53%
    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.
 Personnel and Human Resources
  • 52%
    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Saddlery
  • Horse saddles
 Harness goods
  • Horse bridles
  • Horse reins
 Pest control devices
  • Animal trapping equipment
 Igniters
  • Drip torches
 Passenger motor vehicles
  • Passenger vans
  • Work vans
  • Light pickup trucks
 Safety and rescue vehicles
  • High-pressure pumper units
 Specialized and recreational vehicles
  • Multipurpose tractors
  • All-terrain vehicles ATV
  • Four wheel drive 4WD vehicles
 Recreational watercraft
  • Patrol motorboats
  • Pontoon boats
  • Canoes
  • Kayaks
 Product and material trailers
  • Horse trailers
  • Boat trailers
 Forming tools
  • Claw hammers
 Wrenches and drivers
  • Phillips screwdrivers
  • Straight screwdrivers
 Agriculture, forestry and garden handtools
  • Hand rakes
  • Forest fire shovels
  • Multipurpose shovels
  • Hand pruners
  • Power mowers
  • Brush cutters
  • Line trimmers
  • Augers
 Holding and clamping tools
  • Multipurpose pliers
 Power tools
  • Leaf blowers
  • Wood chippers
  • Chainsaws
 Land surveying instruments
  • Survey levels
  • Survey transits
 Emergency and field medical services kits
  • Emergency medical first aid kits
 Emergency medical services resuscitation products
  • Automated external defibrillators AED
 Personal communication devices
  • Multiline telephone systems
  • Mobile radios
 Computers
  • Point of sale POS computer terminals
  • Personal computers
 Computer printers
  • Computer laser printers
 Cameras
  • Digital still cameras
  • Digital video cameras
 Firearms
  • Law enforcement handguns
 Fire fighting equipment
  • Fire rakes
  • Fire swatters
  • Backpack tanks
 Fishing tackle
  • Fishing poles
 Audio and visual equipment
  • Global positioning system GPS devices
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • Word processing software
  • Microsoft PowerPointHOT
  • FacebookHOT
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
 Content management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe AcrobatHOT
 Development software
  • Microsoft Active Server Pages ASPHOT
 Industry specific software
  • Point of sale POS software
 Information exchange software
  • Email software
  • GroupWise
  • Mapping software
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Germanna Community College
Mountain Empire Community College
Mountain Gateway Community College
New River Community College
Paul D. Camp Community College
Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Western Community College
Jobs
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Jobs related to this career may be found on Indeed.com or on the Google Job Search page.