Staff Spotlight - Ethan Hobbs

Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our conservation parks, you may not have had the opportunity to speak with our staff. When fully staffed, Hillsborough County's Conservation Parks and Nature Preserves have almost 200 staff members spread out throughout our county. Our staff spotlight is an opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's conservation areas thriving and beautiful for all to enjoy. Our staff do everything from mowing and fence construction to prescribed fire, invasive species removal, ecological restoration, guided programs and more!

Ethan Hobbs holding a mangrove crab for a group of students.

Ethan Hobbs is one of a kind. A benevolent, charming, ranger who will greet you with a smile, and even when exhausted remind you that “today is the best day ever!” – and with a Ranger like Ethan at our parks it always is a great day.

Ethan started his career with Hillsborough County in 2001 as a full-time temporary park ranger at Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park (UTBCP). He became full-time permanent shortly after at Edward Medard Conservation Park, bounced back to UTBCP, did a quick tour of duty at Lake Conservation Park, and  around 2006 returned to UTBCP where he remains, cheery as ever, as Senior Park Ranger.

Before he joined the department, he worked at a door fabrication company, a lumber company, did maintenance work at churches, and did missionary work. Ethan came upon the Ranger job by chance, he says, “it was open. I knew Skip Denham [the senior manager at Upper Tampa Bay Park at the time]. I knew the park pretty well – I grew up around here most of my life and I’ve always liked working outside. I enjoy nature and like learning about the plants and trees and ocean life – it’s always been interesting to me.”

It would come as no surprise to anyone who has met Ethan that one of his favorite parts of the job is helping others, “being able to step in and fill a need, something I can help them with… something to make [our guests'] day easier.” Ethan’s mission to help others is seen from every guest he assists in the nature center with the smallest of questions to supporting his coworkers who know he is always there to lend a helping hand. Some of the other aspects of the job that he loves are working prescribed fires, collecting specimens in the gulf for the Nature Center, and seeing wildlife – even unexpected wildlife like “seeing the Capybera at UTBCP, I love telling that story.”

The downside of the job according to Ethan? “There’s never enough time to get everything done that you want or need to,” following it up in typical Ethan fashion, “but there’s always tomorrow!”

Ethan Hobbs smiling during a prescribed burn.

Since 2001, Ethan’s watched the department evolve “for the better,” from what he says was a job where a Ranger mostly did maintenance and lawn care to a career where Rangers do that but also have a broader opportunity to be more involved and hands-on in land management, the ecological health and betterment of the parks and preserves, and able to do more interpretive work with the public. “It’s better and more of what people think of when they think of a Park Ranger – but there’s still maintenance and mopping and lawncare.”

When Ethan is not at UTBCP he loves to spend time with his family. He likes exploring or hiking new places. He also enjoys fishing and watching old movies. Ethan is aware that he is a bit biased, but he also says UTBCP is his favorite of all the parks and preserves in Hillsborough County.

When asked to give advice to new or future Rangers, Ethan’s simple answer is this: “Be flexible. The job may not always be what you want. You may not always have time to finish all that needs done, but if you can be flexible, you will always have good things to bring you back to thinking ‘yes, I’m glad I’m a Park Ranger.”   

If you want to meet Ranger Ethan Hobbs and ask him about his career, about giant South American rodents running loose in the park, or anything else – you can find him with a smile at Upper Tampa Bay Conservation Park.