The old part of the campground?
Old part, that’s right. Then the new amphitheater with rear screen projection was in the newer part of the campground. One thing we always did back then, too, was we’d go around and personally invite all the campers to come to the program.
We’re talking about the Annie Springs and Mazama campgrounds.
I had great expectations for the new amphitheater. And I’m afraid I’m not completely happy with the results. I wasn’t then and I’m still not. The old primitive amphitheater had a kind of a closeness, that informality there, that the new amphitheater does not seem to have.
It’s more anonymous. You can show up late and nobody will see you.
Right. I think the lack of group singing is prevalent throughout all the parks I’ve visited. I think the programs are lacking in this feeling of warmth because of the loss that I’m seeing.
It also seems to be part of an older image of the ranger that many people have.
I think you’re right, and I could talk a long time on what’s happened to the park ranger and the park interpreters over the years. That would be another story.
I did do some naturalist programs early and late when the staff was short, but I was very busy with supervising and spent most every night evaluating or attending the naturalist programs that were going on. So they were not out on their own. I think that has a real beneficial effect on interpreters if they know that the chief is interested in what they’re doing.
Did you lose people to fires?
Never lost anybody to a fire while I was there.
