Superintendent of A National Park
I recently had the opportunity to talk to Jim Bacon, Superintendent of National Park of American Samoa to learn a little about his job.
Truman: Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your background, etc.
JB: I am from a small town just outside of Buffalo, N.Y. When I was young, I spent my summers living in a cottage on a lake in Canada. I believe my time there helped shape me and ultimately led me to a career in the park service.
I went to graduate school at the University of Vermont and studied natural resources planning and outdoor recreation in national parks. After that, I went to the Peace Corps and worked in Guatemala, Central America. I spent two years there working with indigenous groups. I got my first park service job at Yosemite National Park where I worked on visitor management issues. I worked there for 10 years. For the past two years, I have been working in American Samoa.
We decided to come here because we were looking to have an adventure in another culture as a family. I wanted to work in a different national park and wanted to try one near the ocean instead of in the mountains, like Yosemite was. This is my first superintendent position.
Truman: What are your responsibilities as the Superintendent of the National Park of Samoa?
JB: We are a small park, so I am responsible for all aspects of running the day-to-day operations of the park. I enjoy it because it allows me to get my feet wet and my hands dirty. We deal with natural and cultural resources while preserving the local Samoan culture. We also offer interpretation and education programs to visitors and local school groups.
We have about 23,000 visitors a year, but that is increasing because we now have a number of cruise ships that come through each year, and many of the passengers make their way to the park.
Truman: What is a typical day at work like for you?
JB: I arrive early and oversee the field crews going out for the day. I help them organize their work and make sure that they are prepared and ready for a safe and productive day. Throughout the day, I am back in the office doing administrative functions or having meetings. At the end of the day, I check in with the crews to see how work went and how their projects are going.
We are a day-use park, so there is not a lot that happens here at night.
Truman: What does it take to manage a national park?
JB: It takes an eagerness to learn and understand resources and issues pertaining to them and to get into the details and figure out how to solve problems. It takes patience to see the results of your work. It takes time to work through things — and you have to invest in relationships.
For instance, often invasive species are a problem. A lot of people may not recognize an invasive species. A tree may look like part of the forest when it is actually a danger to the health of the local trees. Here, we are working diligently to remove these invasive trees so that the native plants and trees can thrive.
As another example, we have Crown-of-Thorns starfish here. They feed on corals in the ocean, which is detrimental to the corals. It kills them. Until you get in the water and look around, you may never know that these starfish exist or are causing harm to the coral.
Truman: When and how did you know you wanted to work at a national park?
JB: Right out of college, I worked at a summer camp in Colorado. During that time, I visited Rocky Mountain National Park and really enjoyed it and thought to myself, Wow! I could do this for a living.
Truman: What is your favorite part of your job?
JB: I love seeing people get excited about the park, its resources and their work. We have a youth conservation corps program with 14 local Samoan kids spending the summer doing trail work in the park. The other day, a young girl came back from a hard day’s work all dirty and muddy. She was so excited. I understood why when and she said, “We finally made it to the top!” They have been working really hard to get to the top of the mountain.
Truman: What is the most challenging part of your job?
JB: The weather. It rains a lot here, and you have to adjust plans. We are at a convergence of weather systems, so we get a lot of rain here in the Samoan Islands.
Truman: What is something cool that most people don’t know about the National Park of American Samoa?
JB: That nearly 1/3 of the park is marine based. We have 9,500 acres on land and 4,000 acres are marine environment. Some of the most pristine waters here are in the park. You can bring your own snorkel and scuba equipment and enjoy the park. The islands are surrounded with coral reefs, and it is easy to see all kinds of marine life under water.
Truman: Tell our readers something unique about American Samoa.
JB: The Samoan culture is very vibrant and alive. The first language here is Samoan. The traditional customs are still followed. For example, I wear a National Park uniform to work here, but it is slightly different than your typical Park Ranger. Mine includes a Lava lava — it is a traditional wrap that men wear. The women’s traditional dress is called a Puletasi. These are truly unique; you will only see park rangers dressed like this in American Samoa.
Truman: What do people need to know/understand about our national parks and natural resources?
JB: At the two parks I have worked in, the natural resources are beautiful and dynamic and diverse. From the high Sierra Mountains of Yosemite to the coral reefs of American Samoa, the resources are very different. To really enjoy the parks, it takes a person that wants to get outside and see it and experience it. We are good at sharing pictures online, but there is no substitute for being there.
Truman: What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?
JB: I love to get outside and play with my kids, whether it is being outside in the yard playing ball or watching fruit bats flying over our house or looking at the stars come out at night. I just love it when my daughter comes to me and says, “Daddy, let’s go outside and play!”