CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you see Shatora Wilson at the park, you may assume she’s there to play. But up close, you’ll see she’s a park ranger who's there to keep you safe. 


What You Need To Know

  • During the pandemic, parks across the country saw a rise in visitors.

  • Park Ranger Shatora Wilson says this was a welcome addition.

  • Wilson says the parks gave locals the opportunity to get active when gyms closed. 

“We’re looking for any missing bolts, anything loose, anything that can cut a child. Basically everything is intact for the children to play,” Ranger Wilson said. 

During the pandemic, parks across the country saw a rise in visitors. Some statistics show as much as a 63.4% increase in park visitation.

“We gave a way for people to come somewhere and still play with their families, get some air,” Wilson said. 

Wilson says this was a welcome addition, as people from around the country discovered local treasures hidden in plain sight. 

“I’ve seen more people actually coming to the park and enjoying the park and saying 'oh wow we didn’t know this was here,'" Wilson said. "We opened up our fields and everything for people to come work out because the gyms was closed and they didn’t have anywhere to go."

She says rangers not only continued ensuring park safety during the pandemic, but they doubled as COVID educators, explaining to kids why playgrounds closed.

Wilson says she’s glad to do the work each day, helping  the community whenever and wherever they need it. 

Wilson wants people to know they can flag down any ranger to answer questions about park rules or renting a space.