CARTHAGE, Tenn. (May 5, 2023)— As the recreation season warms up, attracting more of the public to Corps lakes and recreation areas, Nashville District park rangers like Cordell Hull Lake Park Ranger Ashley Webster stay ready to serve the community by providing on-site assistance and customer care to visitors as they hit Corps Lakes across Middle Tennessee for some sun, fun, and fishing.
Recreation season runs from March 15 to November 15 and tends to draw approximately 21.6 million visitors annually to Nashville District Corps locations. This is the busiest time of the year for park rangers like Webster, who helps to maintain recreation areas, campgrounds and assists visitors with whatever they may need during their stay.
One of Webster’s duties is to oversee the fee program. She has maintained this position at numerous Corps lakes, including Cordell Hull Lake and Center Hill Lake. “I've learned a lot about the contracting process and the auditing process. Tending to camper’s complaints, but also sharing their compliments with our staff,” said Webster.
Webster also oversees the volunteer program, working directly with volunteers from the community who spend their time helping at Corps Lakes. “I've learned how to manage people. Overseeing different jobs that need to be conducted, like collecting tolls at our gates, cleaning up campgrounds, or just patrolling the area to ensure it’s safe and clean,” said Webster.
Working with new park rangers is one of Webster’s favorite responsibilities. “Part of my job is to oversee outreach, interpretive programs, and water safety, so that tends to go hand in hand with our interns’ pathways, and I’m able to build a quick working relationship with them,” said Webster.
New park rangers can reach out to Webster for advice and guidance as they become familiar with park ranger duties and how the Nashville District runs its 284 recreation areas and 3,195 campsites. Since it’s important to follow proper safety protocols, on and off the water, Webster answers any questions new rangers may have while on the job.
“During the extent of my time with the Corps, I’ve tried to hopefully make a difference with our interns and new rangers and try to explain as much as I can, passing on the knowledge I’ve collected over the past 12 years that way they understand the Corps complex mission and what their role is in the grand scheme of things and don't get frustrated or feel misguided,” said Webster.
Webster said she enjoys the unpredictability that comes with being a park ranger and how there’s something different and new needing her attention daily. “I love staying busy. If you are bored in this job, that's your choice because there is always something to do, whether that's helping the facility management staff, helping out a fellow ranger, or just tackling projects that have been on the back burner, there's always something that you can improve or execute.”
One unpredictable aspect of Webster’s job is the weather, which at times can be her least favorite part of the job. “At times, we're out here when the weather's not ideal; sometimes that means it’s cold or rainy, sometimes it’s extremely hot. We have to be out here, visibly interacting with volunteers and park attendants, while doing our patrol. The heat of the summer and humidity is high, and the heat index gets close to 100. And we're in this uniform. But if that's the worst thing about my job, I feel like I'm pretty lucky,” said Webster.
Webster said she enjoys her job and has had a passion for wildlife and recreation since she was a small girl. She spent much of her time enjoying nature with her family and developing an admiration for national parks and their beauty.
A good portion of Webster’s childhood was spent in Florida where her family fished regularly, whether that was intercostal or out on the ocean. “Growing up, I had opportunities to fish and go out on Corps lakes down in Florida; Lake Okeechobee was one of them. It’s such a beautiful lake. So much of my childhood was spent on a boat, which is really neat to say, and how it all comes full circle in regard to my current work career,” said Webster.
“I feel because of the experiences I had growing up on Corps lakes and other state facilities, including the time spent hunting in Virginia, really resonates with me being able to make an impact with our current visitors, whether that's face to face or just offering the recreational experiences. It’s because those agencies made a difference in my life, I want to make a difference in our visitor’s lives as well,” said Webster.
Webster started her educational career by pursuing an agriculture degree at Tennessee Tech, with a concentration in animal science. During that time, Webster learned about an Agricultural Engineering program and decided to switch her concentration immediately.
“They're the ones who ignited that spark in my eyes for the Corps of Engineers, and I learned how the Corps had all these recreational opportunities,” said Webster.
Webster then began a Co-Op program, a cooperative agreement between the agency, the Corps of Engineers, and the university, which provided a hands-on job experience that counted as class credit. The cooperative agreement between the agency, the Corps, and the university was an opportunity Webster conducted during the co-op counted as class credit.
Webster said she hadn’t lived in Tennessee for very long and didn’t know much about the state’s recreation programs, and without the relationships with the Corps and change of college career path, she wouldn't have realized these opportunities existed.
“My summer ranger position at Dale Hollow Lake, and the cooperative positions I competed for and won, provided a unique and kind of rare experience for me because I was able to work during the spring semester and then transition into my permanent position, so technically I was only a co-op for one semester and then became a permanent employee upon graduation,” said Webster.
According to Webster, every lake she has worked at has provided different experiences and skills she can use in her professional tool belt. “I've always been eager to learn as much as I can at every lake I've worked at, and because of that, I feel like it's helped me be eligible for consideration for particular job positions, like lead ranger or my current position as an Environmental Protection Specialist at Cordell Hull Lake.”
The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.
The public can also follow Cordell Hull Lake on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cordellhulllake. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.