Keith Ramos: Passionate about wildlife, people…and pickleball
If not for a trip to South Africa following freshman year in college, Keith Ramos may have become a pediatrician. Instead, a visit to Kruger National Park opened his eyes to the possibility of making a living working with — and for — wildlife. The kids’ loss is the critters’ gain.
Now manager of three national wildlife refuges in northern Maine — Moosehorn, Sunkhaze Meadows, and Aroostook — Ramos grew up in Puerto Rico watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom on Telemundo on Saturday mornings. He recalls being thrilled to see a white-tailed deer and experience fishing for the first time while visiting family in Connecticut.
Upon graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ramos landed a job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. During his 20-year career, he has worked with his own wild kingdom: manatees, waterfowl, Puerto Rican parrots, Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, Atlantic salmon, and ocelots.
He says his most rewarding work, however, has been at Moosehorn. There, he has focused on restoring aquatic connectivity to the refuge’s many streams, some of which haven’t been open to migratory fish like alewives for 60 years. Six fish passage projects are complete, and five more will happen in the next three years.
“I didn’t start the work, but I’m seeing it through,” he said. “Working with local [Native American] tribes is one of the most rewarding aspects. We’re having long-lasting impacts on the watershed and tribal relations.”
Ramos loves his position as much for his coworkers as the wildlife and habitat he conserves.
“If, looking back, someone would say, ‘Keith took care of his people and loved the resource,’ that would make me happy,” he said.
Nurtured by nature
Though his job often immerses him in the outdoors, he enjoys it after-hours, as well. He is an accomplished wildlife photographer whose stills and videos — including a male American woodcock getting his groove on — have enlivened the Service’s social media pages.
“I love spending time out with my camera and on my boat,” he said. “Fishing, riding, or just enjoying the serenity of the water as the loons call at sunset sure fills my soul.”
Committed to family and community
Ramos finds strength and hope in his faith and family during challenging times. His wife Tabitha homeschools their three sons, ages 4, 9, and 12.
“I can conquer anything I set my mind to because of my faith, which also keeps me grounded and strong in my convictions…and I do it for my family,” he said.
Ramos’s outgoing personality and ready smile have won him dear friends who feel like family everywhere he’s lived. That includes Washington County, Maine, which borders New Brunswick, Canada, and has only three traffic lights. He and Tabitha love the area, attending church, youth sporting events, and every festival nearby.
“Home is what you make it,” he said. “If you’re not part of the community, you won’t like where you live.”
Promoting pickleball
More than a year ago, Ramos joined another community: pickleball enthusiasts. He’s now a volunteer ambassador for the USA Pickleball Association and the International Federation of Pickleball. He’s eager to grow the sport, hoping to spread it to every school in the county and north into Canada.
“I’ve got my whole family hooked, and I drove to Bangor [95 miles away] to play yesterday,” he said.
Working for future generations
Though he chose not to make his living caring for children, Ramos is intent on leaving them a better world.
“It’s a privilege to restore and conserve some of the most amazing habitats and species on our national wildlife refuges,” he said. “I want to leave behind a better place for my kids and all Americans.”
