Roaming Rangers

In 1990, tired of getting booted from the back country for riding horseback on closed county trails, Irvine resident Alice Sorenson devised a plan that would allow equestrians to help patrol the land.

Her plan was realized in 1991 when the county agreed to add a contingent of horseback riders to its Park Ranger Reserve Program, which allows volunteers to help rangers in county parks. As a member of the equestrian unit, Sorenson, 48, now spends eight to 16 hours each weekend at her duties.

“I did it for selfish reasons,” she said. “I wanted to go out there and protect the environment and do what the rangers were doing.”

Last month, the county celebrated the 10th anniversary of the ranger reserve program, which trains volunteers to perform a variety of services, from guiding nature walks and educating the public to patrolling wilderness areas on horseback or mountain bike.

Since the program’s formation, officials say about 160 volunteers have given 92,000 hours, at a value to the county of more than $1.6 million.

“It’s a dynamite program, it really is,” said Tim Miller, county manager of harbors, beaches and parks. “As far as the county is concerned, it’s a great resource and it saves us a lot of money.”

The program has greatly enhanced the county’s ability to keep tabs on its 33,000 acres of park lands, Miller said. Volunteers roam the wilderness areas, checking for trails that might need repair or for hikers seeking help. They tote portable radios in case they need help from a park ranger.

Miller said that with 30 miles of Casper’s Wilderness Park trails, a mountain biker could have an accident and it would be difficult to know. “There’s no way our staff can cover all that ground. So the reserves really help us,” he said.

Earlier this month, the county Board of Supervisors approved a resolution commending the ranger reserves for “outstanding public service and commitment to public safety . . . and promoting environmental awareness to the people of Orange County.” Information about the program is on display in the Hall of Administration foyer.

Volunteers say they join for a variety of reasons. Some are retired, while others have jobs during the week and enjoy exploring the parks on weekends. Others use the program as a stepping stone to new careers.

“It’s changed a number of people’s lives,” said volunteer coordinator Ron Slimm, who worked as a reserve for five years before getting a job as a county park ranger. Over the past decade, 10 ranger reserves have become paid park rangers.

To prepare for their duties, volunteers must have 65 hours of training. They study the county’s natural and cultural history and learn about first aid, radio communications and how to handle a variety of emergencies, Slimm said.

“We really do get into a variety of situations,” said Daryl Walezak, 39, a former probation counselor who is president of the ranger reserve program. “We have urban parks that have baseball fields and wilderness parks and just about everything in between.”

But in the five years he’s been with the program, the Laguna Niguel resident said he has had no dangerous encounters, such as a run-in with a mountain lion.

“One person . . . told me they saw a mountain lion,” Walezak said, “and it turned out to be a golden retriever.”

The mounted unit includes six women and five men, including a nurse, a schoolteacher, an auditor, a computer programmer and four psychologists. All have their own horses.

“We are all professionals . . . who have been very successful in our fields,” said Sorenson, senior vice president for Ameriquest Mortgage Co. in Orange. “This is our way of giving back.”

Horses in the equestrian unit must be tested to ensure that they behave well in crowds and can handle rugged terrain. “No horse has ever flunked,” Miller said.

While volunteers are expected work at least 18 hours a month, some give much more.

Herndon “Spike” O’Connell is a retired tour-bus guide who joined the program six years ago after talking with a park ranger. The 68-year-old Orange resident has devoted 3,850 hours as a ranger reserve, guiding nature walks for children and performing other duties for the county.

“Every day, I learn something new,” he said.

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If You Want to Be a Ranger

Since the Park Ranger Reserve Program began May 5, 1987, Orange County has conducted eight academies to train volunteers, each class with about 20 graduates. Classes will begin again this year. Volunteers must:

* Be at least 18 years old

* Be a U.S. citizen

* Have a valid driver’s license

* Pass a background check including a fingerprint check

* Attend orientation class and pass an interview by a three-ranger panel

* Pass written and practical exams

Equestrian unit volunteers must have their own horses and be able to transport them to the parks where they will be working. After graduating, volunteers are expected to work at least 18 hours per month for the county. For information or an application: (714) 771-6731, Ext. 15.