One of the reasons we’re so determined to #SaveOurParksandForests is that we see every day how hard the people at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources work to make our parks and forests wonderful places to visit. They have what you might think of as a “dream job.” After all, a lot of us grew up thinking that it would be ever so wonderful to be able to just be outside all the time and make people happy. And if those were the only two things in the job description, a dream indeed it would be.

But these jobs also come with a certain level of expectation from the citizens of the commonwealth. We go to our parks and forests – usually – because we want to have fun. We want to ride our bikes and hike with our dog and picnic with our family. We want to get the boat out finally and build a campfire and learn what that little bird is that we see every where. We want to try a new thing and get away from It for a while.

DCNR folks get that. And they feel responsible. So they will do their darnedest to make sure your ability to pursue happiness in the places they are charged to steward is never restricted or curtailed. Even when the budget means they have to cobble together some things with whatever is on hand, they are – every day – going above and beyond.

We look forward to introducing some of them to you over the next week or two. And the people we profile will be the absolute FIRST to say that they aren’t doing anything special. They’re just doing their jobs.