Month: April 2021

National Park Week Thanks

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

As National Park Week wrapped up yesterday, I thought a lot about our national parks this past week. I thought about all the memories of our visits there.

I also thought about the junior ranger programs, the park rangers and volunteers, the history, the military service, the transportation options, the wildlife, the earth, the past, the nonprofit organizations, the mental health benefits, and the furry visitors to the park.

I smiled a lot during these thoughts. The national parks bring us great joy in addition to many other benefits. National Park Week provided us with a daily reminder of all the goodness within this great and unique system.

Thank you for coming along with me on this year’s National Park Week.

BARK Ranger Day

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

As part of National Park Week, today is Bark Ranger Day. Let’s take a guess what this might mean…..bark….like dogs!

BARK actually stands for:

Bag your pet’s waste

Always wear a leash

Respect wildlife

Know where you can go.

These are four great points to remember when bringing your pet to a national park.

Enjoy a photo of our dog, Evie, at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.

National Junior Ranger Day

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Happy National Park Week!  And Happy National Junior Ranger Day!  The junior ranger program allows people of all ages to “explore, learn, and protect” your national parks by doing some activities to earn their badge. Each park offers different activities or programs.

(And yes, they really mean all ages as I did the program at a national park as an adult and even before having kids as I thought it was so cool!)

I highly recommend checking this program out the next time you visit a cool place within our national park system.

Cheers to National Park Week!

Friendship Friday

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Everybody needs a friend! Even the national parks need friends. As part of the National Park Week, today marks Friendship Friday.

The national parks need our time by volunteering and our donations to help continue these great treasures. You can help by supporting one of more than 200 philanthropic organizations that partner with national parks nationwide.  In addition, many national parks have nonprofit associations linked to them. In addition, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of our national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service.

Take a moment to check out one of these friend organizations of the national parks today! Click here for a directory of these organizations.

Happy National Park Week!

Earth Day

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Earth Day is a global celebration encouraging education and stewardship of the planet’s natural resources.  This year celebrates the 51st anniversary of Earth Day!

Take a moment and go online to learn about how we can protect our only planet. Click here to learn more about earth sciences. Click here to learn about the leave no trace principles at our parks. For kids, become a junior explorer today by clicking here!

Cheers to our planet! Happy National Park Week!

Wayback Wednesday

Published on by Kathy Cherry2 Comments

Happy National Park Week! Today, we flash back to the past and honor our nation’s historic natural and cultural heritages preserved in parks and communities.

History and memories are made each day at the national parks.  Take a moment to reflect on one of your own favorite national park memories today!

Enjoy a photo of my own Wayback Wednesday of the national parks of a pretty special day in my life and then again 15 years later (almost two years ago):

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Happy National Park Week!

Transformation Tuesday

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Happy National Park Week! It’s Transformation Tuesday!

The National Park Service has been protecting our national parks for over 100 years! The parks have changed over this years. They have changed with the environment, lessons, and also with management styles as we learn and grow.

On this day, take a few minutes to listen to the National Laboratory Podcasts hosted by Point Reyes National Seashore and partners to examine the wildfires and the environment. Click here for the links and for more information.

National parks will continue to change over time and transform into even better places.

Happy National Park Week!

Military Monday

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

As part of the National Park Week, today is Military Monday. Today, we recognize and honor the service and sacrifice of the U.S. military and also discover connections and opportunities within the parks.

The National Park Service preserves and shares the stories of the American military over the last three centuries. The relationship between the national parks and our military goes way back.  The U.S. Cavalry served as the first park rangers at our first national park, Yellowstone National Park. Hundreds of soldiers were stationed at Fort Yellowstone.

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During World War II, many parks served as training and care locations for military personnel. Today, dozens of national parks commemorate military battles and achievements.

As you plan your next trip, discover the people who have protected our freedom here in America and learn about the places that shaped our military history and culture.

To honor today, take a minute and appreciate the the service and sacrifice of our military here.

Cheers to National Park Week!

VIP Day

Published on by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

As part of the National Park Week, today is Volunteer in the Parks (VIP) Day. Today, we say thank you to the more than 300,000 volunteers within our national parks. Without their hard work and dedication, these parks would not be the same.

For anyone looking to volunteer in the national park system, click here to see more information.

Thank you to our parks VIPs!