Faces of Greenbelt: Phil McGowan, Seasonal Stewardship Ranger, Loyal Supporter

Phil McGowan just might have one of the best jobs at Greenbelt. Between the months of April and October, he spends two days a week outdoors, visiting our properties across Essex County and making sure they’re safe, clean, and welcoming to visitors.

As Greenbelt’s part-time Seasonal Stewardship Ranger for the past decade, Phil regularly visits all of Greenbelt’s public properties to ensure that parking areas are cleared of litter and accessible, trails are free of obstructions, and signage is properly in place. If he encounters larger issues requiring additional staff or heavy equipment, he reports them to the Stewardship team.

While out in the field, Phil also connects with visitors as needed — answering questions, offering trail guidance, and sharing information about Greenbelt and its mission. On occasion, he’s been known to help lost hikers find their cars and to offer friendly reminders to dog owners about leash rules and other trail policies.

“It’s great to get out to all the properties, walk the trails, and generally keep an eye out for any issues — large or small — that may arise,” says Phil, who has lived in several North Shore communities over the years and now calls Merrimac home. “This area is truly beautiful, and it’s great to spend time outdoors and help care for these amazing places.”

On Thursdays, Phil is joined by his friend Andrew, a 25-year-old with special needs, who helps out while also enjoying the health benefits of nature and opportunities to interact with others.

In addition to his role on the Stewardship team, Phil is also a Greenbelt Guardian — along with his wife, Marguerite — as a monthly membership supporter. He has also benefited from Greenbelt’s land conservation expertise. While living in Rowley, he worked with Vanessa Johnson-Hall, Director of Land Conservation, to place a Conservation Restriction on part of his property, protecting it from future development.

As someone who knows Greenbelt’s properties better than most, Phil certainly has his favorites. While he enjoys some of the larger, better-known locations, he also highly recommends hidden gems like Arthur Ewell Reservation in Rowley, Echo and Elizabeth How Reservations in Ipswich, and Warren Weld Woodland in Essex. “You really can’t go wrong visiting any of the properties — they’re all special in their own way,” he says.

Before joining Greenbelt, Phil held a variety of roles throughout his career, most recently working in the transportation department at Charrette in Woburn, a company that specialized in drafting equipment, graphic design materials, and reprographic services.