Southern Company retiree shares story on quest to help improve sustainability in Yellowstone
Southern Company retiree Ken Darby hiked to a premier location for a view of Yellowstone River’s Lower Falls. (contributed)
After working at Southern Company for 35 years, Ken Darby retired in June, but he knew it wasn’t the end of his professional career. It was the start of a journey that allowed him to use his experience for the greater good, while also having the adventure of a lifetime.
“My dad and I took a trip to Yellowstone 20 years ago, and I noticed employees around the park had name tags with their home states, so I asked them how they were able to work at the park,” said Darby. “I learned that many of them were retirees and seasonal workers. I was so intrigued, and I always felt it was something I’d like to pursue if I ever had the opportunity.”
About two months after his retirement, Darby began thinking about things he could do to use his skills, and the seasonal program at Yellowstone National Park was the first thing he researched. To his surprise, the Risk and Sustainability specialist position was available – usually a full-time job from April through October. It was a perfect match with Darby’s expertise and, after applying, he was offered the position. On Aug. 24, Darby began his adventure at Yellowstone.
“Yellowstone is such an incredible place and I’ve wanted to come back to visit for so many years,” said Darby. “This experience is so much better than a visit. Even though I work 40 hours a week, it doesn’t feel like work when you walk through a breathtaking scenery to go to the office or dining area, seeing elk, bison, fox, mule deer and even a black bear along the way.”
Q: Briefly describe your work experience at Southern Company.
Darby: I worked at Alabama Power’s Plant Farley for 24 years, initially as a radio-chemist, next as a control technician for in-plant computer systems, and finally as a site environmental specialist. I moved to Birmingham in 2010 to serve as an environmental specialist and finished my career as a nuclear emergency preparedness coordinator.
Q: What are your job responsibilities at Yellowstone?
Darby: I oversee the safety and sustainability programs at Yellowstone’s Canyon Lodge. We have 690 guest rooms at this location and 200 to 400 employees, depending on the time of year, including a full-scale maintenance department and the largest kitchen in Wyoming. As the oldest and largest national park in the country, Yellowstone has a responsibility to set environmental standards. As you can imagine, sustainability programs like recycling are enormous efforts.
Q: What part of your work experience with Southern Company has benefited Yellowstone?
Darby: First, having the experience of working in a place like Southern Company made it easy to understand the business dynamics and fit into a new organization. Also, my position at Yellowstone is very similar to my responsibilities as the environmental specialist at Plant Farley. The benefits of Southern Company’s strong safety culture helped me to identify areas for improvement and offer guidance for safety solutions, such as opportunities for more investigative work on injuries and safety issues to shift the safety program to a more preventive approach.
Q: What are some achievements you’ve had at Yellowstone that you’re proud of?
Darby: Workwise, it’s been rewarding to bring a fresh set of eyes and experience to the organization. I’ve been able to fill a need here that has helped the departments meet their safety and sustainability obligations. I’ve also worked with the Risk and Sustainability directors, who have responsibility for all five locations within the park, on future improvement projects.
Personally, I achieved Yellowstone’s 100-mile hiking club. Every hike here is so wonderful, but hiking to the top of Avalanche Peak has been my most rewarding hike. It was only 2.5 miles to the top, but it’s a 2,000-foot elevation gain to the 10,500-foot peak. It took me over two hours, and I stopped numerous times to catch my breath, but I eventually made it. The peak was above the tree line and still had snow from a couple of weeks earlier. There was about a 30-miles-per-hour wind chill, but the view was 360 degrees and worth the effort. I found a dry spot behind a small, stone windbreak and was able to call home while enjoying the view for about 45 minutes before coming back down.
Q: What is the best experience you’ve had during your time at Yellowstone?
Darby: Riding around the park after the first significant snow was such a cool experience. Just beautiful! There were four of us who got out at daybreak, and we were like four kids getting into Disney World before the park opened.
One of my more memorable experiences was witnessing wolves hunting their prey in Lamar Valley. Early one morning, we were watching the wolves digging around a burrow for about 20 minutes when they suddenly started running. We counted a total of 21 wolves, adults and pups, running about 200 yards and jumping on a coyote that had wandered too close to their gathering spot.
Apart from the scenery and nature, I’ve really enjoyed meeting so many people from all over the country. I have hiking buddies from Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and a retired firefighter from Wetumpka.
Q: What’s next for you in your retirement goals/adventures?
Darby: My wife, Connie, has been so gracious and supportive of me being gone for nine weeks, but I don’t think either one of us are up for me working an entire season. I’d love to come back to Yellowstone, but if I return, it would likely be with Helping Hands, a program with part-time positions that work a few weeks in the spring and fall when college students aren’t available.
For now, I’ve got some catching up to do with family, especially my grandson, and I have a kitchen to paint. After that, I hope to find something a little closer to home where I can have a positive impact, and I look forward to continued adventures.
