FEATURE

FSU Recreation and Parks Management

Professor Dr. Natalia Buta and Recent Graduate Asa Gardner '24

BY MIA CROSS M'03

For us, we feel like recreation and parks management is a ‘discovery major,’” said Dr. Natalia Buta, associate professor and chair of the FSU Recreation and Parks Management program. “It’s easy when you love it, and that’s why for a lot of our students, when they discover us, find that they have a passion for something and realize they can make this their career, it’s easy.” 

Buta says students join their major for their personal interests, but also to make a difference in the lives of others. “This is a career that will allow them to help others attain a better quality of life.”

FSU’s is the only Recreation and Parks Management program in Maryland. Students can choose from four concentrations to individualize their degree, including community recreation, adventure sports, hospitality and tourism and sport promotion and communication. And job security is a big attraction.

“Artificial intelligence isn’t going to take recreation jobs,” said Buta. “So outdoor recreation is here to stay. The need for these positions to be filled is great, and the likelihood of our students getting jobs after graduation is high.”

natalia buta
Dr. Natalia Buta, associate professor and chair of the FSU Recreation and Parks Management program

Buta is also in charge of FSU’s Center for Advancement of Natural and Outdoor Experiences (CANOE), which was implemented to connect FSU students to the outdoors through a myriad of activities, access to resources and opportunities for careers in the outdoor recreation industry.

The CANOE program is funded through a grant that has allowed them to purchase outdoor recreation equipment to support the program’s vision. The funds have also helped to develop a paid internship program for students to connect them with industry professionals and inspire environmental stewardship.

canoe fishing
CANOE program student experiences fishing in a local river

“Over the years, we realized that we have a lot of students on campus that come from areas where they don’t have the opportunity to experience the outdoors in our region,” said Buta. “We wanted to give them the chance to really experience our trails and lakes and rivers and cliffs and to introduce them to something that may be a lifelong appreciation for nature.”

Buta has found that providing students with “Instagramable” experiences, ones that are unique and spark their interest, are the best, such as hiking, water-based activities and biking. It is also her hope that once students have these experiences, they may ultimately choose to enroll in FSU’s Recreation and Parks Management program.

Designate FSU CANOE to support this program at www.frostburg.edu/makeagift.


One student who has fully discovered his passion for an active and adventurous career is Asa Gardner '24. “My mom used to take me to visit different state parks in the summer, and that really got me into the outdoors. Then I hiked the Appalachian Trail, and that just sealed the deal for me.” Gardner knew from that moment on that he wanted to be outside, something that was especially good for his mental health.

Originally from Annapolis, Md., Gardner is currently working as a back-country ranger in Wyoming where he goes on eight-day hitches with not much besides what he can carry in his backpack to care for trails and campsites, interact with guests about safety and in the event of an emergency, serve as a first responder 

asa gardner
Asa Gardner as a back-country ranger in Wyoming

“Dr. Buta put me on the Student Conservation Association, and that gave me the opportunity to apply for more than 40 internship positions through the SCA,” said Gardner. “I heard back from a lot of them in places like Idaho, California, Colorado and Alaska, and so I had some tough choices to make.”

After Wyoming, Gardner plans to work at a YMCA in Colorado during the winter and then hike the 2,700-mile Pacific Crest Trail, which will take him nearly five months.

“When I tell my friends, the ones who aren’t part of my trail family, about my travel plans, they definitely get a little jealous, especially when they realize this is going to be my career,” said Gardner. “I just make sure to tell them to use me as an excuse to travel, and since I’ll be familiar with the area, I’ll be able to take them to some pretty cool spots.”

Designate the Recreation and Parks Management Fund or the Wildlife and Fisheries Development Fund to support future opportunities for students in these programs at www.frostburg.edu/makeagift.
Appalachian Festival