A woman makes a desperate call to 911. She is stuck in the mud up to her thighs off of Jetty Island and the tide is rising steadily. David Green, the Everett Park Ranger Supervisor and his team respond immediately.

With no knowledge of the woman’s exact location, he deploys one ranger to search the island via ATV, while he and another circle the perimeter in a boat. Quickly and expertly, the rangers find the woman and pull her out of the deep mud to safety. Back at the docks, the woman thanks the rangers for saving her life as they head off to answer more calls.  

With 45 parks to patrol and only three full-time rangers, they can’t rest for too long,  but that’s why Green enjoys being a ranger.

“Everyday is different and there’s always something to do.”

At any given moment, Everett Park Rangers can find themselves doing anything from rescuing babies from locked cars to rescuing hurt and stray animals to cleaning out homeless camps to dead animal removal to responding to accidents on the train tracks. Sometimes rangers can be seriously injured in the line of duty, like the ranger who is still recovering from an intense dog attack in the spring.

They also encounter people armed with dangerous weapons, requiring them to always be ready for a life and death situation... or to simply help a park-goer identify a certain bird.  But don’t get upset if they don’t know the scientific nomenclature of every single plant and animal in the area- their main concern is park safety.

And now for some fun facts from Ranger Green!

Did you know that…..

• Forest Park used to be the second biggest zoo west of the Mississippi?

• Everett Park Rangers always wear over 20 pounds of gear, including a bullet-proof vest?

• Kenny Loggins lived in Everett when he was two years old?

• The Applebees on Everett Mall Way has an entire corner in the restaurant dedicated to Kenny Loggins?

• There are only nine Park Ranger Academies in the entire U.S. and we have one of them super close by in Mount Vernon, WA?

• If a beaver has been decomposing near water for several days, the tail will easily slide off and separate from the body?

• If you are locked out of your car, the Everett Park Rangers (if available) will come get you back into your car for free (Sorry, AAA, you’re no longer impressive)?

• If Ranger Green had a Park Ranger soundtrack, it would be “Danger Zone” from Top Gun?

• If Ranger Green had an unlimited budget, he would NOT buy a chocolate fountain for the office as I suggested; he would, instead, responsibly hire six more rangers?

With solid principles and his last name being the color of trees, one wouldn’t think David Green could get any more ranger-y, but then he told me that he has the 12 “Boy Scout Laws” (trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent) tattooed on his back.

I thought he was joking.

He wasn’t.  

I asked if he regrets getting the tattoo. He thought for a moment and then responded with a laugh.  

“I don’t regret the tattoo, but maybe I didn’t need to get it so big.”

When I asked him what final message he would like to say to everyone, he said softly, simply, and somberly:

“Just be a good human. We’re all in this together.”  

If you would like to help keep our Everett parks and water beautiful, please email Cory Rettenmier at crettenmier@everettwa.gov for volunteer opportunities.  

And if you ever see Ranger Green out and about, be sure to say hello.  Just don’t mention the tattoo; I think that was “off the record.”

Britney Barber is a writer and professional improv comedian, who lives in downtown Everett with her wife and four dogs. She grew up in the Philadelphia area and has a degree in Mass Communication and Media Writing from La Salle University. She currently teaches and performs for Jet City Improv in Seattle, writes screenplays, and produces monthly improv comedy shows at Cafe Zippy and the Historic Everett Theatre.