9 minute read
A Peek At Parks | Buckle Up For A Ride-Along As We Go Behind The Scenes
Molly Meister
Molly Meister is a publications supervisor in the DNR's Office of Communications.
With 20 million visits expected annually, there’s no such thing as downtime for Wisconsin State Park System staff.
In early April, we caught up with one park superintendent in the middle of her preparations for the busy summer season. Here’s what just a single “day in the life” looks like for Molly McKay, superintendent of Kohler-Andrae and Harrington Beach state parks.
8 a.m.
The sun has just risen over Lake Michigan, the last pink brush strokes dispersing across the horizon at Kohler-Andrae State Park near Sheboygan. Winter is hanging on — it’s about 40 degrees. A light breeze carries sand across the otherwise peaceful dunes.
Just down the road and around the corner, a white Ford Super Duty with a DNR logo pulls up to the welcome center.
The first thing McKay does is log on to a computer and print off a list of park camping reservations: current campers and those expected after today’s 3 p.m. check-in. The list will come in handy in a little while.
She does a quick comb through emails — nothing urgent — then it’s time to huddle with the team and discuss the game plan for the day.
8:30 a.m.
A short truck ride later and McKay has relocated to a big workshop containing all the tools and maintenance equipment you can imagine.
She greets her team: park manager Ed Muzik, park ranger Katelyn Grissom and park ranger Nick Sorenson. Muzik and Sorenson are in the middle of ratchet-strapping metal umbrella frames to a trailer for volunteers from the Friends of Kohler-Andrae State Park to help put up next time they visit.
McKay and the team discuss today’s priorities: dead tree cleanup, water heater rewiring (only two weeks until they turn on the water for the season!), a cordwalk retaining wall inspection and other miscellaneous tasks. Since arriving this morning, Sorenson has already changed the oil in the Ranger (UTV) and taken off the snowplow attachment to one of the trucks in their fleet.
“A park ranger is essentially a jack of all trades,” McKay explains. “Everybody does everything. We all have to know how to do basic plumbing, electrical work, grounds maintenance, carpentry … as well as the customer service side.
“There’s so much to do, but we love the variety.”
The group finishes the morning briefing and splits up to start tackling the to-do list.
9 a.m.
Seated in the truck with her clipboard and camping reservations sheet in hand, McKay starts the daily rounds. We drive a full, slow lap around the 988-acre park and two trailheads.
Among the things we’re looking for are people camping without reservations, cars without vehicle admission stickers, any loose pets (don’t worry, we have a leash in the truck should we encounter one, which does happen rather frequently), signs of vandalism or any environmental hazards such as standing water or downed trees that need to be cleaned up.
It’s early spring, so there are only two camping groups registered today, and both are right where they’re expected to be. There are, however, plenty of regulars who show up every day to walk their dogs and get fresh air, and McKay gives them each a familiar wave as we pass by.
We do end up finding a few downed trees, a broken signpost and a concerted area of trash scattered about — McKay suspects some raccoons were up to no good overnight. There’s also a missing fire ring.
McKay notes each of these situations and will take them back to the team to rectify. She also issues one courtesy notice for a vehicle with a park sticker that’s on the dash and not properly affixed to the windshield.
The entire time, we’re tidying up — picking up trash, emptying dog waste pails and repositioning picnic tables shuffled around by guests. You can tell McKay and the whole team take a lot of pride in the park and how it is presented to guests each day.
10 a.m.
Now that rounds are complete, we need to assess the condition of a retaining wall located along Kohler-Andrae’s 2-mile cordwalk. The wall needs to be reinforced with additional boards to stop the sand from drifting out from under it.
As we walk about a quarter mile to the site in question, McKay gestures broadly toward the impressive landscape.
“This view does not get old,” she says. “Every day, I get to see the water, the sand, and I love that it’s so moody. The colors of the sky, the composition of the clouds, the plants as they green up — it’s like living in an ever-changing painting.”
At the cordwalk repair spot, McKay takes out a tape measure and notes each board length on her clipboard, sketching a primitive diagram of the shape of the wall and the additional boards that will be needed to reinforce it. She also notes the condition of the rope and some of the boards of the cordwalk, all to be replaced within the next few months.
11 a.m.
With that task ticked off the list, it’s time to pitch in on the tree-cutting efforts. The team has identified two dead pine trees near one of the beach parking areas that pose a potential hazard to visitors. Muzik, Grissom and park ranger Jarrett Mapes, just arrived from Harrington Beach State Park to help out, are donning chaps, gloves, ear protection and helmets to get started. McKay follows suit in gearing up, and they all make a circle around the first tree.
With a few deft swipes of McKay’s chainsaw, the tree comes down. The team jumps into action, chopping it up into smaller logs that will eventually be cut, stacked and used as firewood.
We’re in one of the more heavily trafficked areas of the park, and cars and pedestrians are continuously passing by the worksite. Muzik and McKay have set up traffic cones and help direct vehicles while the others work efficiently to get the site cleared as quickly as possible. They wave to drivers and greet other parkgoers as they walk past.
Noon
Lunchtime! We make a pit stop at a dumpster to offload the trash we’ve been gathering. Usually, the team goes back to the shop to take lunch together, but today McKay has to zip 15 minutes down Highway 43 to Harrington Beach State Park, the other property she oversees. We pop in at the visitor center to collect the Harrington Beach keys and check emails again. McKay is in the midst of hiring seasonal employees for the summer season, so there are lots of messages flying around. She eats lunch as she works her way through the inbox.
12:30 p.m.
As we cruise down the highway on our way to Harrington Beach, McKay reflects on the highs and lows of her job.
“The hardest part is being pulled in so many directions all the time,” she says. “I feel like I don’t have enough time to do everything that I need to do.”
Her career also has evolved as her responsibilities have increased.
“You come in as a ranger with a certain set of skills, and then as a superintendent you develop all these other skills — from working with customers to maintenance, operations, budgets and human resources,” she muses. “Having a really varied job makes it fun for me, but it can also be challenging.”
We drive on, and she points out a roughlegged hawk perched in a tree, noting it will probably migrate further north soon.
12:45 p.m.
We arrive at Harrington Beach State Park and greet a small group of about 10 people gathered around a flagpole-looking structure outside the welcome center.
This group is a mix of Friends of Harrington Beach volunteers and purple martin bird enthusiasts. One of the people has built a new purple martin community nesting box, and today is the ceremonial ribbon-cutting of the elaborate bird housing complex.
McKay is attending the ceremony as a representative of the DNR. After brief remarks explaining the functionality and importance of the new structure, the birdhouse is cranked up the pole. The house is ready for occupancy! In the minutes following, McKay takes time to chat with and thank each of the attendees.
“Volunteers make the work we do possible,” she says. “The hours they put into the park are the equivalent of adding more than two additional staff to our team. We have to make sure they know how much we value their efforts.”
2 p.m.
This is when our magazine crew and McKay must part ways, but it’s far from the end of her day. She’ll be making the rounds at Harrington Beach, following the same routine she performed earlier in the day at Kohler-Andrae. Afterward, she’ll return to the welcome center at Kohler-Andrae and catch up on emails once again. Eventually, she’ll head home for the day to be with her husband and their son. It’s her husband’s birthday, time to celebrate.
Park Picks
Park superintendent Molly McKay offers a few of her favorite things about Kohler-Andrae State Park, the scenic spot on the shores of Lake Michigan that welcomed 631,000 visitors in 2024.
Favorite campsite: number 84 (“It’s private and has a beautiful white pine tree.”)
Favorite season: spring
Favorite bird to spot at the park: barred owl
Favorite park activity: “Hikes on the cordwalk with my dog.”
We're Hiring
There are many different ways to enter a career in parks, and the DNR is hiring! Visit Wisc.Jobs and select “Dept of Natural Resources” in the “Search by Agency” dropdown menu to find a job that might fit your career goals and interests in the Wisconsin State Park System.
