Lewis and Clark National Historical Park Superintendent David Szymanski

“Serving in the National Park Service can be like serving as a Peace Corps volunteer – which I did,” says David Szymanski, superintendent of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. “You immerse yourself in the people, traditions and places where you serve. After a year, you can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

This park is one of the most exciting small parks in the system, and a coveted assignment. Our partners and the community have made a heck of a lot possible. Other superintendents envy us because of our community and our staff. We’ve got big things funded and in the works for 2009. These include investments in education, trails, recreation, restoration and interpretation of one of the most significant archeological sites on the lower Columbia. Stay tuned!

Everglades National Park, Florida

It’s like watching a nature special on TV, but better, because you get to participate. Alligators, crocodiles, sharks, sea turtles, wading birds, mangrove islands, tarpon. Cuban coffee and sandwiches. Mangoes and litchis. For four years, I had the privilege of working in the park’s southernmost half-million acres with a number of people who made their living on the water. The park’s future and that of south Florida are tied together.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Two hundred thousand acres sitting on the Canadian Shield. The glaciers carved out the low places. Nature (and beavers) filled them with lakes and ponds. Rugged. Accessible largely by water. With a small boat, you can camp at one of more than 200 campsites, many located on their own islands. In winter’s 20-below weather, my wife and I would share food and a Finnish sauna with friends in the countryside.

Isalo National Park, Madagascar

In southern Madagascar is a land of sandstone canyons. It is the homeland of the Bara, a cattle-herding people who take cattle theft seriously. I lived under a 1,200-foot high cliff. One December, we came upon a group of 12 cattle thieves with guns and protective amulets deep in the park. They shared some meat. In the late 1990s, prospectors found sapphires in the park. An area already known for violence became even more dangerous.

Ecola State Park

Not a national park, but as special. Indian Beach is my son’s second home. He and his brother play in the stream that empties onto the beach. We love watching how the seasons sculpt the creek bed. We’re out there in full rain gear in winter and in shorts in summer. Oregon’s series of state parks are a treasure that every Oregonian should cherish. Tell my friend and regional state parks manager, Mike Stein, that I’m envious.