Adam Green blazes trails as Waltham’s first park ranger

Adam Green has always enjoyed the outdoors. Growing up in the backwoods of New Hampshire, Green learned to appreciate hiking, backpacking and fishing. 

He turned his interests into a professional endeavor. 

After receiving a graduate degree in forestry and conservation law from the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, he went on to work for the Nature Conservancy before becoming Waltham’s first park ranger in September of 2019. 

The City Council had just approved the position in April of that year.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to help trailblaze a little bit with a position that hadn’t been here for the city before,” Green said.

Shaping the role

Green said he was able to bring his expertise from working in forestry to help shape the position into what it is today.

Now, Green is covering a lot of ground. His home base is Prospect Hill Park, but he’s responsible for helping manage and maintain all parks and facilities under the jurisdiction of the Waltham Recreation Department.

“That’s one of the things I like most about the job, and it’s actually one of the biggest challenges. Because we cover so much from a job description standpoint, what needs to be done on any given day changes drastically,” he said.

On a typical day, Green is patrolling Waltham parks for safety concerns like wildfires and fallen trees, writing trail maintenance plans and informing the public on the proper usage of these spaces.

“For instance, we don’t allow fires anywhere,” he said.

Since Green joined, the city hired a second park ranger, Isaac Berger, to share those responsibilities. 

“We are truly blessed to have these two skilled and educated individuals as part of the Recreation Department,” Waltham Recreation Director Kim Hebert said of Green and Berger.

The rangers also receive community assistance from a network of volunteers who help with trash cleanup and trail maintenance.

A key offering provided by the Recreation Department is the rental of park pavilions for group gatherings. It’s Green’s responsibility to make sure attendees are following rules related to alcohol use and not exceeding the limit of 25 people.

“Sometimes we have a lot of different user groups — bikers, hikers, runners,” he said.

Occasionally, conflicts will arise between these groups, and Green helps diffuse these situations. If they escalate, he can radio police dispatch. But for the most part, Green said the rangers solve these issues without outside assistance.

Education and Advocacy

An integral part of Green’s position is education. 

The rangers put out a newsletter updating park users on trail maintenance, upcoming events and rules for using the facilities.

The rangers also run outdoor education classes for various age groups. 

For example, Green teaches an archery course every summer.

Berger started a free forest bathing class rooted in the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku. The medicinal practice allows people to decompress by connecting with the nature around them. Berger also leads guided walks in Prospect Hill Park to help practice mindfulness.

Green and the Recreation Department highly value public input when it comes to Waltham parks. If there’s an issue with a trail or facility, he can act as a support system by hearing their concerns.

“I’m here because I love these resources. I want to protect them for my kids and future generations, because I know how meaningful it was to me to have resources like this in my hometown,” said Green.

Seasonal issues of the park’s newsletters are posted here.

Residents can register for programs here.