News
Getting to know Ranger Kay
June 9th, 2010
Dear Friends,
As I begin my time with you as your interim rector I realized that though you know me, you really don’t know much about my life before Wyoming. I would like to take the next couple of issues of the Lion’s Roar to introduce myself to you. You probably know that I came to Wyoming 2-1/2 years ago to join the Diocesan Staff as the Wind and Wings Mission Developer. I left southern Nevada which had been home for 18 years and where I was the Chief of Interpretation at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA), raised my son Alex and got him off to college in Reno, and was a priest at St. Christopher’s in Boulder City.
Moving to Wyoming was not a decision to be taken lightly. My career in the National Park Service was my ministry and I loved it. Over my 32 years, I worked in a number of parks all over the country: Rocky Mountain National Park (NP), Jewel Cave National Monument (NM), Carlsbad Caverns NP, Everglades NP, Shenandoah NP, Wind Cave NP and finally Lake Mead NRA. I started as a Park Ranger Interpreter leading ranger guided walks and campfire programs to help visitors understand and appreciate the park resources: plants, animals, geology, natural processes and cultural stories.
In my last assignment I was the Chief of Interpretation at Lake Mead NRA a 1.5 million acre park, located near the metropolitan area of Las Vegas. My 18 years there was a rich and growing time as I managed the Interpretation program for the whole park, learning to appreciate that harsh but fragile Mojave Desert ecosystem. Growth happened in other ways too -- that seems to happen in desert places. (But that is for next time.)
My experiences in the national parks helped to form the foundation of my faith and spirituality. Understanding the natural processes helps me to understand that I am -- that each one of us is -- connected to the wonderful ongoing story of creation. We are connected to every living and non-living thing in the world. Because of that connection, what happens to a butterfly half way around the world does have an impact on me – even if it isn’t obvious. The delight of watching a butterfly unfold out of its chrysalis is a gift from God. God is good. His world is good and we are the stewards of his world. That is a huge responsibility!
Peace to you all ~ KAY
