Are you into nature, outdoor activities or adventure sports? Do you care deeply about protecting wildlife, natural resources, and the environment? If so, a career in the great outdoors may be just right for you.
People who work outdoors tend to be hardy types who enjoy physical activity. Their workday unfolds in a variety of natural settings, from city parks and suburban golf courses to forested campgrounds and remote harbor islands, and it all weather conditions.
To find out what it’s like to work outside everyday, Career World talked with people happily employed in different outdoor jobs- a national park range, an Outward Bound wilderness instructor, and a turf manager for a Big Ten football field. Read on to find out what they do, how they got started and why they look forward to going to work everyday.
If you want to reach Casey Montandon, forget about using a cell phone, e-mail or IM. What you really need is a pair of hiking boots, a backpack and outdoor survival skills. Montandon, 25, is a wilderness instructor for Outward Bound. He spends most of his time leading expeditions across canyons, mountains, rivers and deserts in the Southwest. The job takes physical strength, emotional stamina, and technical expertise in camping, adventure sports, and first aid.
“I lead expeditions from seven to 80 days long,” says Montandon. “During the trips, we’re hiking, rock climbing, and white-water rafting. Usually we sleep under tarps, but if it’s a clear night, we might sleep under the stars. I see people who have never been out of the city fall in love with the wilderness and change their whole lives.”
Montandon’s life-changing decision to become a wilderness instructor came five years ago, during his sophomore year in college. He took a semester off from studying architecture to take a backpacking course with Outward Bound through New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to work at a desk all day,” recalls Montandon. “During the trip, I realized I was truly happy outside and under the sun…and that I could get paid to be outside playing, teaching people about the wilderness and helping them discover more about themselves and how to work as a team.”
Upon his return, Montandon underwent several weeks of training with Outward Bound and have been working ever since. The hardest part of the job is not seeing family or talking to his friends for long periods of time.
The best part? “Sitting on top of a canyon and watching the sun come up over 800 miles away,” sums up Montandon. “I never get tired of it.”
