When We Were Rangers

When We Were Rangers This poignant, funny insider look at the daily lives of the Open Space District rangers is related with pride and flair by the protagonists themselves. Rangers, biologists, supervisors, equipment operators, and other former Operations Department staff of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District tell stories from their careers working in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In these personal anecdotes they share the excitement of being hired into the young and forming District. They relate old-timer tales of opening new public lands and building friendships while shaping the future of this unique land management agency. These interviewees also look back to their own younger selves, their personal passions, aspirations, and ambitions. Many found it hard to let go when retirement time came, to turn over their positions to a future generation of stalwart, land-loving employees. They needed to trust that their fledgling agency, to which they had given the best parts of their lives, would continue to grow, change, and thrive without them. These District retirees can rest assured that, thanks in part to their own efforts, their beloved land will be cared for and cherished by generations to come. Long live the District!