A
park ranger,
park warden, or
forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving
parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. "Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in this context, and include protected culturally or historically important built environments, and is not limited to the natural environment. Different countries use different names for the position.
Warden is the favored term in
Canada,
Ireland, and
the United Kingdom. Within
the United States, the
National Park Service refers to the position as a park ranger. The
U.S. Forest Service refers to the position as a forest ranger. Other countries use the term
park warden or
game warden to describe this occupation. The profession includes a number of disciplines and specializations, and park rangers are often required to be proficient in more than one.