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Author name: Kathy Cherry

sPark Innovation

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Today’s theme for National Park Week focuses on innovation. The National Park Service works to create new technology to support conservation and preservation efforts while working to improve current conditions at the parks as well. For example, did you know that parks like Petroglyph National Monument are going green with newer technology, such as electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels? They have projects that range from multi-year waste reduction initiatives and all-electric bus fleets to the installation of water bottle refill stations, solar panels, LED lights, and more. These measures are helping parks think and plan long-term for a greener future, ensuring they are resilient and sustainable for the benefit of both parks and the people who love them.   To celebrate today, go online and watch a webcam at one of the national parks. See the technology first hand and check out somewhere new! Click here for your choice of parks to visit online. Happy National Park Week!

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sPark Collaboration

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Today’s National Park Week theme looks at the many partners working to help our national parks. 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!

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sPark Creativity

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National parks have inspired artistic expression and creativity for many, many years. Today’s theme asks what can the national parks inspire you to create? The national parks have definitely inspired me! Our national parks inspired me to write children’s book set in a national park. I created a magical national park, Erutuf National Park, as the setting for my children’s book, Turtle Tube: An Erutuf National Park Novel. It’s not a real national park, but an idealistic and magical one. What creative spark do the national parks ignite in you?

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sPark Discovery

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National Park Week kicks off the week with a free day at the parks. No fees today! Today’s theme encourages people to find something new by visiting a national park. If you have been there before, look for something new this time. I love to learn and discover something new while visiting national parks. The Junior Ranger programs provide great opportunities for both children and adults to learn in greater detail about the park and its’ unique details. The visitor centers also provide a great resource for discovering something new. Stop in and enjoy some fun facts there! Talk to the Park Rangers and ask them some questions. If you can’t get to a national park today in person, visit one virtually online. Explore it virtually! Whether you go in person or online, what might you discover? “Learning never exhausts the mind,” ~Leonardo da Vinci

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National Park Week

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It’s one of my favorite weeks all year! National Park Week starts tomorrow, April 16th, and goes through the 24th this year!  This year’s theme is “sPark Connections”. I love the play on the words Spark and Park here with this theme. Each day will present a new theme with the sPark and I’ll highlight them each day on this blog to celebrate this fun week! Let’s all enjoy our amazing national parks!

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National Pet Day

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Happy National Pet Day! Did you know that…owning a dog decreases the risk of death by heart disease by 36%; or there are about 5000 tigers kept in captivity in the U.S. (only 6% in accredited zoos); or there are 200 million stray dogs in the world? Give your pet an extra belly-rub or treat today! If you don’t have a pet, consider adoption! Happy National Pet Day!

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National Crayon Day 🖍

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Happy National Crayon Day! As a huge fan of color, I love crayons! Binney & Smith created Crayola crayons in 1903 as a safer and cheaper alternative to the art utensils in use at that time. They came in an 8 pack of colors: Black, Brown, Orange, Violet, Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow. Now, 12 million crayons are produced every day! That’s a ton of crayons!! To celebrate this fun day: enjoy a book about crayons; color with a box of crayons; or you could even make a crayon candle by melting some crayons. Robert Fulghum, the American author, once said, “We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.” Have a fun, colorful National Crayon Day! 🖍

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Fun Facts about Green Sea Turtles

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Enjoy some fun facts about green sea turtles: They feed on jellyfish and crabs as juveniles. As adults, they eat mostly sea grasses and algae. These creatures weigh an average of 400 pounds! They can swim up to 35 miles per hour. They can be found off the coast of around140 countries, but are still on the endangered species list. They are estimated to live about 80 years old. Sea turtles cannot breathe underwater. They must come to the surface for some air. And last, did you know that Emma is a great name for a sea turtle? 😉 For more information about Emma, check out my book, Turtle Tube: An Erutuf National Park Novel.

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