Can one day with one person change your life? Half a century ago Dick Ewart arrived in Yosemite Valley — with his 1967 Saab, and some might say it was love at first sight with the Valley walls, the impressive peaks, the luscious meadows. His hunger for connection and knowledge was instantly insatiable; he turned to the National Park Service and more specifically a walk with Ranger Roger McGehee and found inspiration.
Decades later, standing on a beautiful, cool morning at Glacier Point, now retired ranger and Conservancy naturalist Ewart reflected back to Cory Goehring, Senior Naturalist with Yosemite Conservancy, that it was McGehee’s deep understanding of Yosemite married to “his love of the place” that sparked Ewart’s lifetime of service to one of America’s preeminent national parks.
Ewart’s Range of Jobs in the Range of Light
For more than 50 years, Dick Ewart has shared his love of Yosemite with the public.
If you’ve been fortunate enough to listen to Dick Ewart for 3 minutes let alone a few hours during a Naturalist Walk, Outdoor Adventure Program, or Conservancy donor event, you’ve heard hints of his legendary life. Or perhaps you were lucky enough experience Ranger Dick Ewart during his tenure with the National Park Service and learn from him on a ranger program, High Sierra loop trip, or snowshoe hikes.
Where some of us may spend only a few hours, a few days, or a few years exploring Yosemite, Ewart’s rich tapestry of experiences is something we can all appreciate. His career includes educational programs, search and rescues, clearing roads, assisting wildlife technicians with bear captures, and so much more. Watch his eyes twinkle in the video as he retells his firsthand experience of the infamous 1996 rockfall in Yosemite.
Throughout the interview, Ewart impressed upon the fact that he was always in search of how to be most useful to the people and the park. Many of the roles he worked over the years continue today with support from Yosemite Conservancy, from interpretive ranger programs to search and rescue support.
The People Who Paved the Way
Woven throughout the various positions has been his ongoing support of the then Yosemite Natural History Association (YNHA), which would later become what we know today — Yosemite Conservancy. It was Henry Barry of YNHA who gave Dick Ewart his first job in Yosemite as a volunteer. Ewart also helped to lead seminars (today’s Yosemite Field School programs) and worked in the winters as a hut keeper alongside Howard Weamer at Ostrander Ski Hut.
His early mentors, Carl Sharsmith, Bob Fry, Nic Fiore, and Ferdinand Castillo – each Yosemite legends in their own right — gladly shared with Ewart their unparalleled depth of knowledge about the park.
Now Ewart carries on their legacies, still sparking inspiration within new generations of park visitors. He and the Conservancy’s naturalist guides carry a vast depth of knowledge about the park and are eager to share their insights on the programs they lead. Ask them anything about Yosemite, sit back and watch the story unfold…
A Commitment to Collaborative Conservation
From the early days, he’s seen firsthand how the relationship between the National Park Service and the philanthropic partner enhances, protects, and improves Yosemite. From visitor experiences to important infrastructure and personal investments over time, Ewart has witnessed important changes in the park thanks to the generosity of Conservancy donors. He continues his work in the park, today with Yosemite Conservancy as a naturalist guide on the Outdoor Adventure team.
What has remained consistent over time besides his unfaltering love of Yosemite, is his desire to cultivate the next generation of park protectors. Cory Goehring, Senior Naturalist, credits Ewart with sparking his own curiosity in the park.
How many people can say they love their job as much as Cory Goehring and Dick Ewart?
“When I came out here to Yosemite, I had a Ranger Talk right here at Glacier Point with Ewart and he was the inspiration for me,” shared Goehring. “And Ewart’s legacy here of course will live on because of all you have done inspiring the next generation.”
Today Goehring and Ewart work together crafting experiences to deepen the visitors’ knowledge and appreciation of the park through Conservancy programs. Ewart believes in the importance of getting people out of their cars and into the wilderness. Adventures lead to understanding — and hopefully, understanding makes way for stewardship.
This September, Yosemite Conservancy is delighted to celebrate all that Dick Ewart has given to Yosemite National Park during his 50 years of service. Anniversaries can be an invitation for reflection. As we look back, it’s easy to see the margin of excellence both Ewart and Yosemite Conservancy supported in Yosemite National Park.
As times change, Yosemite Conservancy remains committed to providing the excellent support of the National Park Service exemplified by Ewart’s tenure in the park.
And why do we persist? Because we love Yosemite.
