Bermuda’s parks get a good to fair grade, but they are in need of upgrade. This was the verdict from Bermuda’s first park ranger, Jeff Tiberi, who was recently on the Island for a visit with his family after a two-decade absence.During his time in Bermuda during the 1980s he played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for the 1986 Bermuda National Parks Act. He now lives in the mountains of Montana with his wife, Vicky, and three children.Mr Tiberi was in Bermuda in October. It was exciting for him to tour Bermuda and see the national park signs in different locations, the fruit of his former labours, but he had a few words of advice for the Island.“Many of the man-made facilities look tired and worn, including the signs that attract visitors,” he said. “This is often a sign of not enough dollars to maintain the infrastructure. Perhaps you could have a national contest to design a new truly Bermudian entrance sign? The outstanding natural beauty of Bermuda continues to overwhelm most visitors in subtle ways. Use that concept in your planning efforts.”He said being back in Bermuda after 22 years was a lot of fun. He was a little disappointed he didn’t find as many old friends as he would have liked. He did find a few. Mr Tiberi was appointed by Hubert Jones (former fisheries and parks chief) in 1981, and it apparently it took a number of years to convince Walwyn Hughes, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, that Bermuda needed a park ranger.“Hubert’s point was simple, we need to start paying more attention to the natural and cultural resources that weave the magic and mystery of this little archipelago of 181 islands,” Mr Tiberi said.He helped Mr Hughes and Mr Jones create the Bermuda National Parks Act which sought to legally protect Bermuda’s natural assets. This was one of the highlights of his 40 plus year career.“While in Bermuda I became aware that, indeed, it is true that geography makes us who we are,” he said. “The sense of place is strong in Bermuda. Those who live in Bermuda are some of the luckiest people in the world.”He said the most striking change he saw in Bermuda was the increase in the number of buildings.“That will happen anywhere you go,” he said. “That was a big adjustment for me. Before, the Hamilton view from the water was very quaint and perhaps indicative of a small Island in the middle of the ocean. Coming back and seeing the bigger buildings was a change. It is a metropolitan centre now, and I hadn’t expected to see that at all.”He and wife skipped renting a moped.“We’re getting too old for that,” he said.But he found walking along Bermuda’s roads a little unnerving.“It was always a bit like that,” he said. “But the traffic is definitely heavier now. The world is about two decades away from robot driven cars. Google is leading the way, and the first one to cross the finish line will be a hero. Your island would be a great place to implement the changes that will arrive with robot drivers. This will help with your problems, but I am afraid that there will be suffering drivers and pedestrians for quite some time until that day.”Mr Tiberi said Bermuda hasn’t necessarily “gone wrong” but it is important to protect the South Shore beaches if we want to protect our future.“I was disappointed to see all the big grey buildings down there (the condos across from the Swizzle Inn in Warwick),” he said. “Why didn’t the Government put some colour on them? Managing general impressions is your key to success. The general impression of Bermuda is one of your most precious and valuable assets. This is a difficult idea for most governments, as there is little to hold on to. Your leaders can actively manage this impression, using caution and care. Once a building is erected, options are gone for hundreds of years, perhaps forever.”Today, Mr Tiberi works with farmers and ranchers in Montana. He said it is a lot different from Bermuda.“If you superimposed Montana over the east coast of the United States it would stretch from Washington DC to Chicago, Illinois. In terms of average, it is the size of many countries around the world.”He and his wife, Vicky Weller Tiberi, were married in Bermuda at Admiralty House in Admiral’s Cave. Mrs Tiberi had trouble handling the cold when they first moved to Montana.“She left England to move to Bermuda when she was 16 and had not experienced sub zero temperatures,” he said. “The first year we lived in Montana the temperature went to -35F (-37C). The finishing nails in the trim would conduct the cold into the house. She was a good trooper and figured out ways to cope.”Their three children, Bovard, 27, Orrin, 25 and Palma, 22 were born in Bermuda.“I would go back to Bermuda tomorrow if I could,” Mr Tiberi said. “Hopefully, when I retire I will be able to get down there more.”