Park Ranger Historian

This was a blog I wanted to do back when we visited the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.  I have a friend from high school, who edits many of my papers for me; we met in marching band and she now works for the National Parks Service.  I wanted to do a bio piece on her as a thank you to her and to share this story that shows how much pull history and cultural heritage really does have on most of us.  Susie Sernaker never really wanted to be involved in cultural heritage, but her story is quite similar to those among us who have known since childhood that they would end up in the field.

Susie never dreamt of becoming a public historian, but she did want to become a park ranger, after a childhood experience at Shenandoah National Park.  At age 14 she got her first chance to volunteer at Biscayne National Park working there and on Elliot key in a variety of roles, some volunteer and some paid, for the next ten years.  Finally Susie had her chance to become a Ranger, hoping to become an Environmental Education Specialist, she took a job at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, where she became infatuated by living history, beginning a long love affair with historic tools of warfare and cooking.  Her first permanent cultural history job was at Richmond National Battlefield Park, where she was intimidated on a daily basis by genealogical and intellectual connections presented to her by patrons.  This intimidation did not deter Susie though as by the end of her time at Richmond she easily hold her own with the most knowledgeable Civil War aficionados that visited the park.

Susie is back in Florida at the “remote” Tumucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve, where she is lead ranger and lead interpreter.  Located on Fort George Island near Jacksonville the park consists of the plantation of Zephaniah Kingsley.  The island has archeological evidence of almost 6000 years of human experience.  The plantation is in great condition, even the slave quarters, providing an excellent historical experience.  Susie’s duties range from mentoring guides, tending gardens, weaving with the cotton and dying with the indigo from the garden, and performing in, and providing weapons training for, a variety of living history exhibits.

What I like the best about Susie’s story is how it shows the connection to history that we all have, and how, if properly nurtured, it can foment a life full of the desire to learn, to this day Susie edits my history papers as much for her edification and education as to help me.