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A trip to Wrangell St. Elias National Park visitor center
by L.V.
In September 2023, Academy Charter School's seventh grade went to Kennecott in Wrangell St.Elias National Park, Alaska. While they were there, they stopped at the Wrangell St. Elias visitor center and talked to the rangers.
Students looking at Mt. Wrangell while at the visitor center. Photo credit: M.G.
Russell Scribner is a National Park Ranger in Wrangell St.Elias. He works with 35 other park rangers, 20 of which are seasonal interpretive and 15 who are law enforcement. He has been a year-round ranger for five years.
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, park rangers help visitors appreciate and enjoy the more than 189 million acres of public lands preserved, managed, and protected by DOI. From the park ranger who greets visitors at the gate to the superintendent managing multiple large parks, all have an important role to play in making public lands inviting, inspiring, safe and accessible.
interview with Ranger Russel at the Copper River Visitor Center 10 miles south of Glennallen, AK. Photo credit: M.G.
Wrangell St. Elias National Park is the largest national park in the United States. According to Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Monument, at 10,950,000 acres, is the second largest national park in the world. It was established along with 16 other national monuments on November 16, 1978. On November 12, 1980, President Carter designated 13.2 million acres of land as Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
There are lots of tourists that come up to Wrangell St.Elias every year, around 70,000 people. According to Park Statistics - Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve, the most people who visited was in 2012 with 87,158 people. The least amount of people that came was in 2020 with 16,655 people. In 2022, there were 65,336 people.
Students playing in field at copper river Visitors center near Glennallen, AK. Photo credit: M.G.
Before Russell Scribner was a ranger, he was a teacher, and he loved working with kids.
“I became a park ranger because when I was a teacher I saw a park ranger leading a bunch of kids on a field trip, and I loved working with kids,” he said.
When he became a ranger, he had a master’s degree in education, and he lived nearby Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, so he had lots of local experience.
Working as a ranger, in his opinion, is fun because he gets to do lots of activities with kids like fishing, hiking, and camping, but being a ranger involves lots and lots of paperwork.
“My favorite part is working with the kids,” he said. “It reminds me of being a teacher.”
The benefits of working as a park ranger is the liberty to make his own schedule.
Seventh grade Academy Charter School were happy and thankful to be some of the 70,000 people that visit there every year.
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