Some of the first park rangers in America, weren’t rangers at all. They were Buffalo Soldiers – African Americans who served in the U.S. Army after the Civil War. They got their famous nickname from Cheyenne warriors, who likened their dark curly hair to that of buffalo hides. From 1899 to 1904, they were among the first people to work in Yosemite, Yellowstone and Sequoia national parks – more than 10 years before the creation of the National Park Service. These dedicated men protected wildlife from poaching, put out wildfires, built trails, roads, buildings and other infrastructure, and forged a proud legacy in our nation’s history. Photo of Sequoia National Park by Nathan Close (www.sharetheexperience.org).