Honoring 100 Years of Carlsbad Caverns and the Unsung Heroes of the National Park Service
Some of my fondest childhood memories are from vacations with my family.
My family comes from generations of National Park Service workers, and we often planned our trips around stopping by various national and state parks. Luckily for us, in Carlsbad, we are surrounded by some of nature’s most beautiful places. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. As we come together to celebrate this momentous occasion, I reflect on my time spent in some of my favorite places.
My grandparents and parents worked for the National Park Service (NPS), so naturally, my brother and I grew up being avid hikers, campers, and nature explorers. In fact, my brother Kevin and I have been employees of the National Park Service at some point in our careers, carrying on this legacy. As we approach the centennial celebration of Carlsbad Caverns, I began to think about what goes into maintaining these areas I loved exploring as a child and continue to love as an adult, many of which are operating 365 days a year. Luckily for me, I have a trusted source that helped me understand some of these details not commonly known to park visitors.
My father, Mark Maciha, was the Chief Ranger at Carlsbad Caverns National Park from 1996 to 2005. Prior to that, he worked at Death Valley, Lake Mead, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks. His tenure in the National Park Service helped me gain some insight and appreciation for those who keep our beloved lands protected and able to be enjoyed for 100 years.
Behind the scenes, five primary divisions or departments work together to create the magic of visiting a National Park or Monument — Administration, Maintenance, Resource Management, Interpretation and Education, and Visitor and Resource Protection.
Administration includes the park’s superintendent, personnel, accounting, and the other behind-the-scenes folks that keep operations running. Per my source, “Without them, nothing happens.” Maintenance crews handle the custodial workload, maintain any painting, plumbing, and electric services, like keeping the lights on in the cave, install and maintain handrails and pavement on the trails, and maintain all vehicles that support operations in the park, like patrol cars and emergency services vehicles you see during your visits. This division is like Santa’s elves, operating behind the scenes to ensure visitors have the best experience possible.
The primary mission of Resource Management is to understand and protect our natural and cultural resources. At Carlsbad Caverns, this includes the 100+ caves in the park, learning more about them, and developing the science to better understand and manage these natural resources. Understanding the cultural significance of the parks is another vital role of Resource Management. Emerging in the National Park Service promotes the importance of those who came before us, even prior to the modern discoveries and exploration of these places. As you explore Carlsbad Caverns, you may notice some ladders throughout the cave. Parks hold many historical resources we are charged to protect to help tell the story of who came before us.
Additionally, for hundreds of years, indigenous tribes have respected these protected lands, and honoring them and promoting their significance is important to really understanding and enjoying our national parks.
Interpretation and Education include the Visitor’s Center desk, those who give walks and tours, and anyone who helps park visitors build an appreciation for the resource.
Visitor and Resource Protection serve and protect the parks — Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Services, and Search and Rescue teams. Often, when you think of a Park Ranger, this is the department that comes to mind.
All these departments work together to serve the public and our protected areas to ensure they can be enjoyed for hundreds of years. A lot more work goes into it than meets the eye. If we shift our focus to behind-the-scenes, we can see that many National Park operations exist around the clock. For example, the maintenance crews that keep the Carlsbad Caverns elevators running have a unique job maintaining a one-of-a-kind system unlike any other in the world. It’s nothing like maintaining an elevator in a building, as the park employees have a much more complex environment to work in, and all departments are the park’s experts. In addition, some NPS employees live within the park boundaries to protect and serve. My family was tasked with that duty in multiple parks, and I remember how often one or both of my parents would be called out in the middle of the night to address an emergency. These people who are required to live in the park as a condition of their jobs provide 24-hour coverage. Even though park facilities aren’t open 24 hours a day, someone must be there to take care of them in case of an emergency.
“Emergencies don’t always happen 8-5, and park resources are always there, 24 hours a day, and need to be protected around the clock. Not only by Law Enforcement, but maintenance, utility systems, water treatment plants, occasionally those things need service at any hour of the day or night,” according to my dad. “Emergency Medical Services, Fire, and Law Enforcement typically have agreements with local agencies, as NPS staff might be the first to show up in a state or county emergency, everyone works together to protect all visitors to the parks no matter where they come from or what time it is. If a Sheriff’s Deputy or state officer needs assistance, NPS can come as backup to help provide support.” For over 20 years, Dad lived with a radio and telephone next to his head at night, a uniform rolled up, and boots polished and ready to go. If the phone rang in the middle of the night, he was there to protect and serve.
Park maintenance occurs primarily after hours. From the time visitors leave the park at closing to the time they arrive when the gates open, maintenance crews are hard at work. Everything you see in National Parks is built and maintained after hours to not interfere with the visitor experience. The Caverns even has a group that removes lint from formations to help preserve the caves for years to come.
Next time you visit our beloved Carlsbad Caverns, ask yourself — “Who came before me who helped protect and serve this area to ensure my enjoyment?” I’ll answer you. It was a dedicated lover of the public lands, working tirelessly for over 100 years with a team of experts to ensure the longevity of our National Parks. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes about the National Parks that reminds me of my family and the service they have provided for generations. Now go out and enjoy a park!
If a trail is to be blazed, it is "send a ranger." If an animal is floundering in the snow, a ranger is sent to pull him out; if a bear is in the hotel, if a fire threatens a forest, if someone is to be saved, it is "send a ranger." If a Dude wants to know the why of Nature's ways, if a Sagebrusher is puzzled about a road, his first thought is, "ask a ranger." Everything the ranger knows, he will tell you, except about himself.
Article written by Karey Jeffress and originally published in Focus on Carlsbad 2023 Fall edition.
Karey Jeffress
Karey, a Carlsbad native, has a wide variety of interests and loves sharing them with the people around her. Karey’s passion for education and healthcare has inspired her career path to serving others with similar lived experience. Karey has recently taken on the role of Executive Director of the Carlsbad Community Concert Association and strives to connect the people of Carlsbad with fine arts as a means of healing and enriching their lives. She has a Masters in Public Health Promotion and is currently working toward a Doctorate in Education. She is a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor, yoga teacher, and community outreach professional, and is passionate about helping others live their lives to the fullest. Her favorite things include her husband Dale, her dogs, going to concerts and baseball games, the outdoors, and good nachos.
