ST. PAUL, Minn. - Two district park rangers were on hand for the May 17 St. Paul Saints home opener to talk about the importance of water safety.

Park rangers Brad LaBadie and Sara Bellefeuille, both from Eau Galle Recreation Area in Spring Valley, Wis., passed out coloring books and frisbees during the pregame festivities for military appreciation night. In addition to the rangers, Rick Magee, operations, brought Seamoor, the water safety sea serpent, to talk to kids about remembering to always wear a life jacket, or personal flotation device, while on the water and always swim with a buddy.

LaBadie said this was his second year participating in the event, and he thought it was a great opportunity to get out the water safety message. “The game is a family atmosphere,” he said. “It gives us the opportunity to talk about being outdoors while being safe.”

In addition to talking about safety, LaBadie said he likes attending these types of events because he gets to meet all sorts of interesting people. “A lot of people that we meet are surprised that the Corps of Engineers has park rangers,” he said. “I love telling them that the Corps has lots of outdoor recreation activities.”

Bellefeuille agreed. She said, “A lot of people don’t realize that we are [park] rangers and that we are with the Corps. One person even thought we were with the Boy Scouts.”

In addition to talking about water safety, Bellefeuille, a recent University of Wisconsin- River Falls graduate, said one of the best parts of her job is the variety that comes with it. “I like to do a lot of different things,” she said, “and every day is something new.”

LaBadie said he enjoys the variety, too. “There are so many things that park rangers do,” he said, “but what I really like is the recreation part of my job. I like just being able to improve the park and to see all of the people enjoying it.”

In addition to the recreation, Bellefeuille said she also does a lot of interpretive work at the park. From nature hikes to tree and insect identification, she said she is frequently giving school-age kids tours and teaching them. “I really like working with the kids and teaching them something they didn’t know.”

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