Parks to Purpose: From Buddy Bison Ambassador to National Park Ranger
National Park Trust is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has protected at-risk land in and around national parks since 1983, and has worked just as hard to bring people—especially young people—into those parks in the first place. Initiatives like our Buddy Bison School Program introduce kids to parks often for the first time, creating experiences that can shape how they see themselves, their communities, and the natural world.
We know these experiences can be transformative. What’s harder to know is where that impact might lead years later. When a child explores a national park at seven or twelve, we may not be there a decade later when they choose a college major, pursue a career, or find their own way to care for the places that first inspired them.
But every so often, we get to find out.
That’s the idea behind Parks to Purpose, a new series where we catch up with Park Trust program alumni and find out where their paths have led. First up: Clara Timmons, who joined Buddy Bison as a seventh grader in 2019 and is now an Interpretive Park Ranger with the National Park Service at Ozark National Scenic Riverways.
Here’s our conversation with Clara:
How did you first get involved with National Park Trust — Buddy Bison, College Ambassador, or another program?
I got involved when one random day in seventh grade, in 2019, my dad sent me a link to apply to be a Buddy Bison Student Ambassador. I read the description and noticed the first couple of applicants would get a free Buddy Bison, so I thought it couldn’t hurt to throw my name in the hat and see what happens, because it sounded like such a fun time. If you know me, you know I take any reason to promote and talk about the parks.
I ended up getting an interview, and they asked me to be a Buddy Bison Student Representative, a new program they were trying out at the time. A few years later they moved me into a Student Ambassador position, and I stayed with it until the program ended. So I spent around five years with Buddy Bison glued to my side, working with the Park Trust.
What’s one specific moment from your time in the program that has stayed with you?
It would have to be when I got to give a presentation in a local classroom to a bunch of second graders. I talked about Yellowstone, read the Buddy Bison book to them, and led an experiment on hydrothermal features. They were all so into it and asked amazing questions. The best part is the Park Trust sent me enough Buddy Bisons for every kid in the class to have one. A few years later, I helped out with summer school, and some of the kids still remembered me.
What skills or lessons from that experience still show up in your life today?
Definitely communication, especially through social media, which was the main platform I used during the program. I also learned how to develop a program like the one I presented in that classroom, and how to communicate with younger audiences. Both are skills I use often in my current job as a park ranger.
How did it shape the path you’ve taken since — school, career, or otherwise?
I’ve wanted to become a park ranger for the National Park Service since 2017, which was a big reason I was drawn to the student program in the first place. The program connected me with so many amazing people who supported and encouraged me as I worked toward that goal. I’m happy to say I achieved it, and I currently work as an Interpretive Park Ranger at Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Every weekend, I lead ranger programs for visitors and talk with the public about why this land is so special. That love and appreciation for parks is something National Park Trust instilled in me early on, and it continues to shape the work I do today.
Do you have a favorite national park or public land, and why?
Having been to 53 of the 63 national parks and more than 100 park sites, it’s so hard for me to choose just one. But I’ll say Yellowstone, since I also worked there last summer.
What are you doing now, and how do parks still fit into it?
I’m currently an Interpretive Park Ranger at Ozark National Scenic Riverways, so parks are now at the center of my everyday life. I spend my weekends leading ranger programs, talking with visitors, and helping people understand why this place is so special. I now have the opportunity to encourage others to care about parks in the same way National Park Trust encouraged me when I was younger.
Turning parks into purpose
Clara’s story is exactly why National Park Trust invests in programs that put young people in front of real park experiences, whether that’s a Buddy Bison book in a second-grade classroom or a first hike through Yellowstone with their classmates. Access at a young age builds the kind of lasting connection that turns into a lifetime of stewardship, and sometimes, a career spent protecting and interpreting these places for the next generation.
The Buddy Bison Student Ambassador program that shaped Clara’s path has since sunsetted, but the Buddy Bison School Program is still going strong, introducing a new generation of students to the parks. And National Park Trust continues to protect at-risk land inside and alongside national parks and to open the door to discovery for young people and families who haven’t yet had the chance to explore them.
If Clara’s story resonates, visit our Ways to Support page to see how you can help the next generation of park stewards find their own path.
About National Park Trust
National Park Trust is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has protected national park land since 1983, acquiring missing pieces of our national parks and benefiting 58 national park sites nationwide. Our mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow.
Our youth education and family initiatives — Buddy Bison School Programs, College Ambassador Program, and Military Family Programs, along with National Kids to Parks Day — connect tens of thousands of people to the outdoors each year.
We believe public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all, for current and future generations. Learn more at parktrust.org.
