There's a New Ranger in Town
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Michael Dages, Park Ranger at The Park at Flat Rock
Although still a relatively young man, Michael Dages has managed to cram an impressive volume of experience with parks and outdoor activities into his 27 years. His latest adventure is his new job as Park Ranger for The Park at Flat Rock, and his experience and outgoing personality seem to be the perfect fit for overseeing one of the area’s favorite outdoor destinations.
Michael assumed his new role at The Park in July of this year, replacing the Park’s first ranger, John Wilkerson who retired in June. For many of us, seeing Michael at The Park for the first time, we immediately recognized him from his time at another iconic Flat Rock venue. Prior to accepting his new position, Michael was a park ranger at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. He was with Sandburg in a variety of capacities for about three years, working his way up from volunteer, to AmeriCorps intern, and ultimately becoming a Park Ranger shortly before the opportunity with The Park at Flat Rock presented itself.
It was not an easy choice to leave Sandburg, but Michael saw a lot of opportunity in the new position at The Park. “It was definitely bittersweet. I spent three years working towards being a Park Ranger at Sandburg. But the job was seasonal … about 6 months of work a year.” His new job is full-time and also offers Michael the opportunity to develop valuable experience as the person overseeing the operations and maintenance of one of Henderson County’s most popular parks.
Michael grew up in Akron, Ohio and was introduced to the many charms of being outdoors at an early age. His mother volunteered at nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park and he often accompanied her on her volunteer days. He later attended Bowling Green State University and studied Environmental Science with a minor in Interpretation. His time in college further cemented his love of the outdoors. “I was able to take a lot of classes outside of the campus. There was one nine-week course where we hopped on a bus and hit 43 different national parks. We camped at a different park every night. It was an incredible experience.”
On his Spring Breaks, when other college kids were flocking to Ft. Lauderdale or Cancun, Michael and his friends were packing tents and heading for the mountains. His first trip to North Carolina was a Spring Break excursion to the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina.
After college, Michael did prairie conservation in the Midwest, worked in the Black Swamp Conservancy in northwest Ohio, and worked at an educational farm in Delaware, Ohio. Part of his job on the farm was to teach inner-city kids where food really comes from. “We would show them how to milk a cow and it blew their minds,” he laughs. “I got to see kids make the connection that milk doesn’t come from a box or plastic jug. That was really cool.”
Michael arrived in North Carolina when he landed a position at Kanuga Conference Center here in Henderson County. He worked for their Mountain Trail Outdoor School which took middle and high school students on backpacking trips. They taught the students about ecology, biology, and geology during the trips. He did this for two seasons during the spring and fall. But in the winter there was not much to do so he started as a volunteer at Sandburg.
Based on his background and love of all that Sandburg offers, Michael earned a spot as an AmeriCorps Intern doing interpretation and education. Michael gave tours of the Sandburg home, the barn, and the grounds. He was in his element and appreciated the wide range of experiences available to visitors to the park. “Sandburg is great,” Michael explains, “because, in addition to the beautiful trails and natural settings, there is a lot to talk about in terms of history, literature, poetry, and social movements that Sandburg was involved in. There are so many curriculum opportunities for the teachers and school children that love to visit the park.”
Michael continued to impress and moved up the ladder at Sandburg. In May of 2021, he was offered a position as Park Ranger and felt that he had achieved a treasured personal goal. “Getting to wear the Smokey the Bear hat is very cool.” Within a month, however, another very intriguing opportunity presented itself to the newly minted park ranger.
John Wilkerson, the very popular ranger at The Park at Flat Rock announced his retirement and stepped down in June of 2021. Michael interviewed and was offered the position as The Park’s second-ever Park Ranger. It was not an easy decision to leave Sandburg but the new job represented a chance for full-time employment. It also was an intriguing opportunity for someone looking for an opportunity to further his career. “It’s letting me grow. I enjoy the autonomy here at The Park and I get to make some decisions which is a good experience for me.”
As Park Ranger, Michael oversees general maintenance and operations of the Park. Interacting with park visitors is also a big part of his job and he makes it a point to be available to the public. “I have a goal to try to walk every trail in the park every day,” he explains. “It's important to get eyes on the park, make sure everything's in good condition, and interact with people visiting the park.” He also manages reservations of the Pavilion and meeting room.
Visitor safety - especially for younger park goers - is paramount in Michael’s mind. “One of the first things I did when I got the job was to sign up for the Certified Playground Safety Inspector Course.” The playgrounds are a huge draw for the Park and his certification helps Michael identify any potential problems before they become actual problems.
With an outgoing and obviously positive personality, Michael seems to genuinely enjoy meeting the thousands of people that visit The Park each month. And those visitors are coming from all parts of Henderson County and beyond. “We are a destination park for the larger community. It is just an exceptionally well-loved park,” he says. And the visitors are very appreciative. “I am stopped every time I’m out on the trails by people who tell me how much they love and appreciate the Park. That makes me so happy because I love The Park as much as they do!”
Michael believes The Park is so popular for a wide variety of reasons. He cites an abundance of flat trails, the well-maintained facilities, the playgrounds, and The Park’s intrinsic beauty as being the biggest draws. The Park is also large enough to offer room to spread out and a diversity of interesting natural settings in different sections of the park - including The Pollinator Garden, the ponds, the creeks, the shady areas with benches, and the meandering trails.
What is in the future for The Park? There is a stream restoration project proposed for Dye Creek which runs through the center of the park. “We're looking at what it would look like if we were to take that Creek back to a more natural setting,” says Michael. “What it used to look like before it was dug into a ditch.” Benefits of the restoration project would be improved habitat, a more natural creek setting, and improved drainage in the park after heavy rains.
Ultimately, Michael Dages is more than just the Park Ranger for The Park at Flat Rock. He is also a huge advocate for one of Flat Rock’s most popular destinations after just a few years of existence. As he sees it, the park is more than a place for just recreation and leisure. It serves public health and preserves natural habitat in the process. Perhaps most importantly, it is an integral part of building community in Flat Rock - and beyond. As Michael sees it, there is also plenty of opportunity for even more positive value from The Park. “It is a resource,” he says, “whose possibilities are only limited by the imagination of the community.”
And, with Michael Dages on the job, The Park at Flat Rock looks to have a bright future indeed.
Watch a Video featuring Michael Dages during his tenure at the Sandburg Home National Historic Site here.
