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College of Natural Resources
Forestry and Environmental Resources

Matthew Kearns: Cinderella, Dressed in (Neon) Yella

December 11, 2025
The image shows Matthew standing outdoors in front of a white truck. The truck has a North Carolina State Parks logo on the door. Matthew is holding a taxidermy display of a largemouth bass, supported on a wooden base with decorative aquatic plants. Matthew is wearing glasses, a gray T-shirt, and light-colored pants. Behind the truck, there are trees with fall foliage.
Pictured above is me holding a large mouth bass model used for educational programs in front of my work truck, which I found to be the most “NC State Parks” picture of me.

Over the summer, I spent most of my time suspended in the classic fairy tale Cinderella. Unfortunately for me though, I was not assisted by crafty talking mice, nor was I adorned with custom glass slippers and a billowing ball gown, or bestowed with a magical pumpkin carriage to escort me to wherever my heart desires. In my case, the talking mice were nagging squirrels that loved to rip up trash bags, my ball gown was a grey uniform and a neon yellow safety vest, and my magical pumpkin carriage was a white Dodge Ram 1500 that was certainly older than me and had quite the attitude. However, one thing that was synonymous between Cinderella and I was the cleaning, and let me tell you, I cleaned a lot of messes this past summer.

For context, I worked as a Park Technician at Falls Lake State Recreation Area on a six month contract lasting from June until December. In this position I am responsible for maintaining all park facilities (including cleaning bathrooms, taking out trash, and upkeeping picnic shelters), addressing the landscaping needs of the park, collaborating on building projects, assisting Park Rangers with Informational and Educational Programs, and any odds and ends that you could imagine arising in a state park. Alongside these duties, as an employee of North Carolina State Parks, I am required to uphold their mission which is conservation, recreation, and education. I ensure that I am practicing conservation by being a steward of the environment and cleaning up litter, removing invasive species, and promoting healthy growth of native species (of which we host swamp milk weed, valley red stem, water willows, and so many more). To promote recreation in my position I work to ensure that the park is a safe space that families and individuals want to spend their day at. This means checking that all facilities are clean, encouraging conversations between park-goers and Park Rangers, and keeping an eye on recreational activities to ensure that all participants are safe. Lastly, education is my favorite part of my job, as it allows me to share my knowledge and passions with those who are interested or may not be informed. On a daily basis, this includes informing park visitors about rules and regulations to increase understanding and safety, as well as answering any questions about the park and all that we have to offer. My favorite aspect though is the opportunity to assist Park Rangers with Informational and Educational programs (I&Es) which are aimed at informing local youth and groups about the environment and can take many forms such as nature walks, fishing programs, and “Ranger Talks.”

I was lucky enough to be able to facilitate one of these I&E programs between Falls Lake and a group of students I mentor as a Peer Leader for the Environmental First Year Program. I chose to lead a day trip where the ENVFYP students learned about Falls Lake through a hike, alongside volunteering to pick up litter. After the hike, the students engaged in the “Ranger Talks” I&E, where Park Rangers speak on their experiences in the position, share their story on how they got there, and provide hands-on experience with gear and tools they use on a daily basis. I was very proud of the connections that were built and the program that I had hosted, as it allowed students to not only think about their future, but connect with real opportunities that are available to them. This was one of the most transformational experiences I had during my job, as I got to share my passion for the environment and make a positive impact on others. From this moment on, I began to understand what it meant to be a steward of the environment. By acting through passion and excitement, I could invigorate others to create similar impacts by picking up that piece of litter, pursuing careers in sustainability, or simply sharing their interests with the world.

The image shows a group of people gathered outdoors in a wooded area near a large body of water. There are tall trees around them, and the water is visible in the background under a cloudy sky. The group consists of about fifteen people, including one person in the center wearing a park ranger uniform and hat. The others are dressed casually in outdoor clothing. Some people are standing while a few are kneeling in front.
Pictured above is me, Ranger Caleb Blackwell, Student Success Coordinator of the ENVFYP Kaly Wall, and fellow Peer Leader and ENFYP students.

While a day filled with I&Es is my version of Cinderella going to the ball, a more realistic day in summer beholds one of my absolute least favorite tasks: traffic control. Falls Lake is one of the most visited State Parks in North Carolina, with nearly 1.5 million visitors in 2021, making traffic control imperative to the success of the park. As we have all either seen or experienced ourselves while driving, getting behind the wheel really seems to bring out the worst in people. Particularly when they are inconvenienced in 100 degree heat and like Cinderella, I saw many ugly step sisters while directing traffic. Though I had a plethora of nasty things yelled at me while trying to explain to people that our parking lot was full, I wanted to share one of the most memorable experiences I have. A car full of people drove by and instead of yelling obscenities, they all rolled down their windows and stuck their thumbs down with a resounding “boo!” which was concise, effective, and to the point. While I truly dreaded having to direct traffic, I did understand the importance of the task and without it there would be anarchy. I also learned how to effectively communicate with the public to eliminate frustrations and by the last day I directed traffic, there were zero verbal assaults, a true park record! By reframing an inconvenience as an opportunity, people were more receptive to parking further and even walking. Instead of saying ‘this lot is full please go to overflow parking,” I proposed the opportunity to park at a “more accessible lot just a brief drive down the road with its own beach and bathhouse!” While I hope to never have to direct traffic ever again in my life, learning how to effectively communicate with the public will serve me very well in my future career and personal life.

The image shows Matthew standing outdoors next to a bright yellow sign that reads “LOT FULL – OVERFLOW PARKING” with an arrow pointing to the right. Matthew is wearing a neon yellow safety vest with orange reflective stripes, a green hat, sunglasses, a gray shirt, shorts, and hiking boots, and giving a thumbs-up gesture. The setting is parking area near a wooded park, with trees, several parked cars, and traffic cones visible in the background. The weather is sunny with a bright blue sky and scattered clouds.
Pictured above is me (sporting my “neon yella” safety vest) directing traffic at our main Swim Beach parking lot on Labor Day, one of the busiest days of the year for Falls Lake.

As I approach the end of my contract, I have heavily reflected on what this experience has meant to me. Falls Lake has become a very special space for me and has allowed for exuberant personal and professional growth, and it will never be just a part of my past. As I go into my next semester starting as a lab intern for water quality research at NCSU, joining the Sustainability Stewards on their Community & Culture team, and stepping into the role of Co-President of Epsilon Eta, I will work ardently to apply the skills and lessons that I have learned to be a strong leader, worker, and student. As I begin thinking about what a career will mean for me, I know that leadership and advocacy are two crucial aspects that I need in order to feel fulfilled. I’ve begun thinking about pursuing Environmental Law to advocate for individuals, the environment, and communities, while uplifting my personal beliefs and engaging in a career that will push me to be a leader, creative thinker, and nuanced advocator.

Even though most of my summer was spent in the exposition of Cinderella, with plenty of cleaning, ugly step sisters, and thoroughly devoid of magic carriage rides, learning how to blend my passion for the environment with advocacy and education has been the fairytale magic that transformed my hiking boots into glass slippers.