Oceanography | June 2017
Ellen S. Kappel, Editor
I first visited the national parks in the
southwestern United States in the late
1970s as a Cornell University undergrad-
uate enrolled in the geology department’s
six-week Western Field Course. Over the
decades, I’ve been back many times, as a
scientist and as a parent. In May, I revisited
many of these parks with my now young-
adult daughter, including the Grand
Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Saguaro
in Arizona, Arches and Canyonlands in
Utah, and Mesa Verde in Colorado. As
always, I was awed—awed not only by
the natural beauty of these places and
the geologic forces that carved them but
also by the US park rangers. These federal
government employees were knowledge-
able, personable, enthusiastic, and eager
to share information about the geologi-
cal or cultural history of the park or their
favorite hikes. They patiently answered
visitors’ questions, pointed lost wan-
derers in the right direction, and asked
where the visitors hailed from. It was
clear that the park rangers took pride
in their work and in the national parks
and monuments they served
and called home.
Their professionalism and dedication was
inspiring, and reflected a deep commit-
ment to public service in an era where
such service is not universally honored.
Unseen to the public eye are thousands
of other equally dedicated public servants,
many of whom are scientists working in
government laboratories, offices, and in
the field. Not that many decades ago, views
of the Grand Canyon and other magnifi-
cent sites were marred by smog. Today,
the views are usually clear, thanks to our
colleagues whose research helps to ensure
that the air is clean. Other government sci-
entists test for contaminants in our rivers
and aquifers to ensure that the water from
taps and fountains is potable. They mon-
itor earthquake and volcanic activity, and
forecast weather so that we have time to
get to safety should there be some immi-
nent threat. And so on. Agency scientists
contribute to the well-being of our nation
in so many ways that go unnoticed—and
are taken for granted—by people who
don’t know or appreciate what govern-
ment scientists do for them.
It’s budget season in Washington,
DC, with the new US Administration
and Congress engaged in a dialog about
whether to severely shrink the fed-
eral workforce, includ-
ing thousands of
workers in
agencies that employ scientists. No one
can accurately predict how many jobs
might be lost, or which scientific research
might be affected. But uncertainty has its
own consequences. One concern is main-
taining morale among the current staff
whose work is denigrated or severely cur-
tailed for lack of sufficient budgets or
staff. Another concern is failing to recruit
future generations of top students who
otherwise would consider federal ser-
vice their calling.
It’s probably impractical to pro-
pose that the Cabinet secretaries and
Congressional committee chairpersons
who will ultimately decide the fate of fed-
eral science take a field trip to the West.
But if my recent experience is any guide,
a lot of eyes would be opened by listen-
ing to a park ranger tell the story of the
cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde: how Native
Americans built them, gathered and
stored food and water in a relatively dry
climate, worshiped, and then abandoned
the mesa after living there for approxi-
mately 600 years.
Here’s hoping that visitors will continue
to be able to enjoy the beauty of the US
national parks and learn about their geo-
logical and cultural history for decades to
come, and that government-sponsored
science will be valued for its immense ser-
vice to our country and its people.
QUARTERDECK
Our Awesome, Inspiring US Park Rangers
and the Value of Public Service
Oceanography | June 2017