Park Naturalists
Overview
SaveJob Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Plan, develop, and conduct programs to inform public of historical, natural, and scientific features of national, state, or local park.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $100K |
| Median: | $64K |
| Low: | $39K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- Provide visitor services, such as explaining regulations, answering visitor requests, needs and complaints, and providing information about the park and surrounding areas.
- Assist with operations of general facilities, such as visitor centers.
- Confer with park staff to determine subjects and schedules for park programs.
- Conduct field trips to point out scientific, historic, and natural features of parks, forests, historic sites, or other attractions.
- Plan and organize public events at the park.
- 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.
- Plan, organize and direct activities of seasonal staff members.
- Train staff on park programs.
- Develop environmental educational programs and curricula for schools.
- Construct historical, scientific, and nature visitor-center displays.
- Research stories regarding the area's natural history or environment.
- Prepare brochures and write newspaper articles.
- Provide care for park program animals.
- Compile and maintain official park photographic and information files.
- Take photographs and motion pictures for use in lectures and publications and to develop displays.
- Perform routine maintenance on park structures.
- Plan and develop audio-visual devices for public programs.
- Interview specialists in desired fields to obtain and develop data for park information programs.
- Survey park to determine forest conditions and distribution and abundance of fauna and flora.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
90%
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
81%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
76%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Biology
72%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Public Safety and Security
72%
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.
Communications and Media
69%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
History and Archeology
67%
Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Law and Government
67%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Geography
65%
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.
Computers and Electronics
59%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Top 10 Skills
Speaking
83%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension
78%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Social Perceptiveness
75%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing
75%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking
73%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Service Orientation
70%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Learning
65%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Instructing
65%
Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making
65%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Expression
83%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
83%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Recognition
75%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
75%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
75%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
73%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Near Vision
70%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Problem Sensitivity
70%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Inductive Reasoning
68%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Top 10 Work Activities
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
98%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
90%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Working with Computers
88%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization
87%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
87%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Thinking Creatively
87%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
85%
Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Getting Information
83%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Training and Teaching Others
82%
Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
82%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- Provide technical information or assistance to public.
- Schedule activities or facility use.
- Confer with others to conduct or arrange operational activities.
- Plan special events.
- Plan work operations.
- Direct activities of subordinates.
- Supervise employees.
- Protect wildlife or natural areas.
- Protect property from fire or water damage.
- Provide first aid or rescue assistance in emergencies.
- Train personnel to enhance job skills.
- Train staff members.
- Develop educational programs.
- Design layout of art or product exhibits, displays, or promotional materials.
- Prepare graphics or other visual representations of information.
- Create images or other visual displays.
- Conduct historical research.
- Develop promotional materials.
- Write articles, books or other original materials in area of expertise.
- Compile geographic or related data.
- Document events or evidence, using photographic or audiovisual equipment.
- Present information to the public.
- Maintain facilities.
- Repair structural components.
- Monitor animal behavior or condition.
- Care for animals.
- Collect information from people through observation, interviews, or surveys.
- Measure environmental characteristics.
Education
Interests
Social
70%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Investigative
65%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Realistic
61%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Artistic
59%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Enterprising
49%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Conventional
44%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Work Values
Relationships
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Working Conditions
65%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Colleges
SAGE Scholars Member Schools that offer majors leading to this career.
Check out the College Search to see the full list of schools with majors for this career.