Wilderness Act

On this day 58 years ago, Congress established the Wilderness Act in 1964. Congress wanted to protect undeveloped and wild areas as an enduring resource for the American people. Today, this act protects nearly 112 million acres of wilderness preserving more than 800 wilderness areas in 44 states.

Denali Wilderness, Denali National Park and Preserve

Many benefits exist today from this land conservation including providing habitats for wildlife; clean air; clean drinking water; boosting local economies with tourism and recreation; and providing some really amazing places to escape and appreciate this great land here!

Fun fact: The smallest wilderness area in the National Wilderness Preservation System is the five and half acres Pelican Island Wilderness in Florida.

Enjoy this anniversary and get out in the wilderness today!

106 Years Old!

Guess who’s turning 106 years old! The National Park Service!

President Woodrow Wilson created the national park service (NPS) back on August 25, 1916.

The act stated that the NPS “is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Pick a park to visit and celebrate this important birthday of these amazing treasures!

Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska
Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska

Happy 106th!

Happy Book Birthday! 🎉

Happy 1 year to Turtle Tube: An Erutuf National Park Novel! 🎈🐢📚

It’s been a wonderful year from seeing the printed book in person for the first time to reading sweet reviews to meeting new fans to visiting my book in an actual bookstore and receiving an award! I’m really looking forward to year 2 and also book 2 coming out!

For those of you on Instagram, I am hosting a giveaway to celebrate the one year of publication by giving away 6 signed copies of my book. Head over to my Instagram account to check it out and enter the giveaway which ends on 8/25. Good luck! 🍀

If you haven’t had a chance to review my book, please take a few minutes and just write a sentence or two online for it. Each review makes a huge difference in the algorithms online!

Thank you all for your support!!! 🐢📚❤️

Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The time is always right to do what is right.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday celebrates and honors Martin Luther King, Jr. in America. Today, we take a moment to reflect back on his great life and achievements.

National Park Service sites will have free admission for everyone on Monday, January 17, 2022, as the first fee free day of the year in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

The National Park Service offers opportunities across the country to honor this important person.

In Georgia, there is the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park. In this location, you can walk through his neighborhood of Atlanta where he had his birthplace, home, church, and burial site. 

In Alabama, there’s the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. Here you can retrace the steps of the 1965 Voting Rights March led by Dr. King on this 45-mile long trail.

In Alabama, there is also the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. At this national monument, you can visit places where Dr. King and his fellow activists coordinated for civil rights.

In Washington DC, there’s the Lincoln Memorial. Here you can stand where Dr. King gave his famous “I have a Dream” speech.

Also in Washington DC, you can visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. The memorial honors Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice.

Take time on this Monday to honor and celebrate this great man. Educate yourself and act.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Muir Woods National Monument

Happy 114th anniversary to Muir Woods National Monument!

On January 9, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Muir Woods National Monument in California named after conservationist John Muir. Muir Woods became the 7th National Monument and was the first one created from land donated by a private individual.

Did you know that the first movement to save Muir Woods was organized by women? Check out this link for a short video about it.

Muir Woods is a great place to see some amazing redwood trees, check out the history here, and take in a few hikes. I highly recommend that you check out Muir Woods National Monument if you’re in the Northern California area!

Cheer to 114 years!

A Calendar

Merriam-Webster defines the word calendar as “a system for fixing the beginning, length, and divisions of the civil year and arranging days and longer divisions of time (such as weeks and months) in a definite order”. It sounds so clinical and boring. A calendar represents more than that.

If we look at the calendar from last year, it’s filled with more than numbers and systems. It’s filled with memories, goals, adventures, and events.

As we enter this new year, the 2022 calendar highlights the 150th anniversary of our first national park, Yellowstone National Park. My calendar also features a milestone birthday on it (although I keep telling everyone that I’m celebrating 36 again 🙂 ) and also shows the 1st anniversary of my children’s book. It’s exciting to look ahead at the upcoming days, weeks, and months.

A new calendar makes way for new memories, goals, adventures, and events. Cheers to this calendar and what will come for us all.

Happy New Calendar!

White House

Happy 229th anniversary to the White House!

Construction started on this iconic building back 229 years ago in Washington DC. Every President except George Washington has resided here since 1800. The White House stands about 55,000 square feet, six floors, and has 132 rooms.

A few fun facts about the White House:

• John Quincy Adams established the first flower garden.
• There are 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases and 3 elevators in the White House.
• It would take 570 gallons of paint to cover the entire outside surface of the White House.
• A swimming pool was added to the White House in 1933 to help polio-stricken Franklin Roosevelt exercise his upper body.  In 1969, Richard Nixon had the pool filled in to create an area for press to gather. Gerald Ford had an outdoor pool built in 1975.
• President Carter had the first computer and laser printer installed in the White House in 1978.
• The White House has a bowling alley, flower shop, dentist office, and carpenter’s office located on site.

Happy 229th!

Sequoia National Park

Happy 131st anniversary to Sequoia National Park! On this day, President Harrison signed legislation creating America’s second national park. It was the first national park created to protect the giant sequoia trees from logging. 

At this time, the KNP Complex fires are still growing in the national park and the surrounding areas. Lightning caused these two fires back on September 9th. As a result of the fires, the parks evacuated employees from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the parks are closed to the public. 

John Muir reflected that giant sequoia groves are “not like places, they are like haunts.”

To celebrate this anniversary and help the national park at this time, you can make a donation to the Sequoia Parks Conservancy. As stated on their website, donations to this fund will support sequoia conservation, lost habitat restoration, repairs to damaged historic and cultural sites, trail work, and wildfire mitigation efforts.

105 Years Old!

Guess who’s turning 105 years old! The National Park Service!

President Woodrow Wilson created the national park service (NPS) back on August 25, 1916.

The act stated that the NPS “is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Pick a park to visit and celebrate this important birthday of these amazing treasures!

Yosemite National Park, CA

Happy 105th!

Grand Canyon

Happy 102 years to the Grand Canyon National Park!

grand canyon 1

President Teddy Roosevelt urged Americans to protect this great canyon, “What you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American should see.”

For more information on this amazing park, check out a previous blog by clicking here.

If you visit Las Vegas or Arizona, take the time and check out this grand national park! Definitely worth the time and journey!

Cheers to 102 years!