BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Park Service has graduated 21 new State Park Rangers after four weeks of intensive training, the agency announced in a press release.

The new rangers will join the 14th class of graduates from the Park Service’s modern ranger school program, which was established in 2009.

“As I have visited our public lands across the state, I have been impressed by the preparedness and dedication of Maryland State Park Rangers,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz in a statement. “The skills learned during the Ranger training program will be put into practice every day to protect our state’s natural places and help generations of Marylanders enjoy the outdoors.”

According to the release, the training program focuses on the core responsibilities of park rangers, including operations, maintenance, interpretation and customer service. The rangers undergo extensive training in a variety of areas, including emergency response, park operations, search and rescue missions, resource management and more. They also complete one year of operational experience to become fully certified.

“I am proud of the dedication, talent, and passion displayed by each and every graduating park ranger,” said Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw in a statement. “As guardians of our state resources, they are entrusted with not only preserving our parks but also ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all who visit. We eagerly anticipate the positive impact they will make in serving the public and safeguarding parks and natural areas for everyone.”

Maryland Park Service Ranger School 2024 graduates, by work region, are:

Eastern Region

Chris Danna – Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park

Joanna Trojanowski – Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park

Central Region

Sean Campbell – Gunpowder Falls State Park

Michael Hook – Gunpowder Falls State Park

Joseph Horner – Seneca Creek State Park

Emma Kehrman – Seneca Creek State Park

Robin Reed – Gunpowder Falls State Park

Ronald Ripperger – Patapsco Valley State Park

James Roberts – Elk Neck State Park

Samuel Voso – Patapsco Valley State Park

Dylan Wagner – Seneca Creek State Park

Southern Region

Keith Edelen – Cedarville State Forest (Southern Maryland Recreational Complex)

Kristina Soetje – Smallwood State Park (Southern Maryland Recreational Complex)

Myia Tariq – Sandy Point State Park

Samantha (Sam) Waby – Calvert Cliffs State Park (Southern Maryland Recreational Complex)

Western Region

Richard Caputo – Wolf Den Run

Kaitlyn Mitchell – Deep Creek Lake State Park

Thomas Schlauch – Cunningham Falls State Park

Cheryl Sedlak Seaver – South Mountain Recreational Complex

Jacob Younker – Fort Frederick State Park

Park Service Headquarters

Annalyn O’Grady – Corps Program Manager

[Photo: Maryland’s State Park Ranger School Class of 2021, photo by A.J. Metcalf, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.]

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.