"There isn't a nook or cranny in the Almaden Valley that Ali Henry hasn't spent time in. She grew up here, camping, boating and fishing with her dad and her grandparents. Those long, sun-drenched days on the water often finished with fresh-caught trout sizzling over a campfire. Today, Henry is devoting her life to preserving and celebrating some of her favorite childhood hangouts as Santa Clara County Parks' first-ever woman chief park ranger."
"But as much as she loves the outdoors, it wasn't the places itself that motivated her to a life of service in the parks system. It was the people she explored those places with. Looking back, she said, it was the time spent with those family members outside. And now I want to give that to my kids. Henry's childhood memories are shaping the ones she hopes to help others now form."
"I see a shift and change in my kids for the better when we're able to spend time outside, she said. Most of Henry's childhood memories are outside. She attended Pioneer High School and was active in athletics, competing in swimming, cheerleading and dance. On the weekends, she was active and community-oriented. As the oldest of three children in her family, she felt like leadership was in her DNA."
Ali Henry grew up in Almaden Valley camping, boating and fishing with her father and grandparents, forming most of her childhood memories outdoors. She now serves as Santa Clara County Parks' first woman chief park ranger, focusing on preserving favorite childhood hangouts and encouraging children to spend time outside, be social and experience nature. Henry emphasizes family outdoor time and aims to replicate those experiences for her own children. She attended Pioneer High School, participated in swimming, cheerleading and dance, embraced community involvement, and felt leadership responsibilities as the oldest of three. Henry began working seasonally at Coyote Lake in 2011, where supervisors noted her enthusiasm.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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