Kelsey Mackey: Conservation up close and personal
Park ranger Kelsey Mackey grew up in Connecticut immersed in nature. From family camping trips to fishing with her father on the Connecticut River, much of her childhood was spent enjoying the great outdoors.
“If any of my friends reference a movie or a show, I don’t understand the reference because I feel like I just didn’t watch TV growing up,” Mackey chuckled. “I was always outside.”
Now stationed at Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex, it wasn’t until college that she realized she could pursue her love of the natural world as a career. After attending a Student Conservation Association presentation as an undergraduate, she landed an internship at Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Idaho.
“That’s when I learned it was possible to turn my passion into a career,” she said.
Most of her days were spent conducting waterfowl surveys, but she also had to complete a community engagement project. Mackey organized an educational event about pollinators. To her pleasant surprise, a number of attendees approached her afterward and thanked her for putting on the event.
Mackey said, “I remember thinking ‘Wow, I just made a difference,’ and that was really fulfilling. That’s when I decided I wanted to explore visitor services.”
Her work ethic has gotten her far. Mackey was the first Hispanic Access Foundation intern hired for permanent, full-time employment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her current role as a park ranger allows her to provide others with the opportunity to connect with nature.
“A passion for conservation is developed through personal experiences with nature,” Mackey said. Many of the third- and fourth-grade students she works with do not have regular access to green spaces. Visitor services allow these kids to encounter the natural world in a new way.
Engaging new visitors and seeing their enthusiasm for learning is infectious for her; one of her favorite parts of her job is the continuous flow of knowledge. Mackey is always discovering new things, and she credits much of this to the people she meets through her job.
“I am fortunate to be able to constantly meet new people through my job, whether they’re colleagues or program participants,” she said. “And I’m always learning from others.”
When it comes to engaging with Hispanic communities and other people of color, Mackey believes the best approach the Service can take is a proactive one. This means getting out into these underrepresented communities and identifying their environmental interests.
“We don’t know what these communities really want without getting to know their members,” Mackey said. “Connecting with people on a genuine, personal level is how we’re going to do that.”
Since her internship in 2016, Mackey has accomplished many things. Still, she looks forward to future projects.
“My greatest achievements are yet to come,” she said.
