national park system

Wilderness Act

Published on September 3, 2022September 1, 2022 by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

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!

Published on August 25, 2022August 23, 2022 by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

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!

Happy 106th!

Juneteenth

Published on June 20, 2022June 13, 2022 by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Happy Juneteenth National Independence Day!

Today celebrates the date of June 19, 1865, when enslaved people of African descent located in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom from the slavery system in the United States.

While the Emancipation Proclamation granted freedom and was signed on January 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln. Texas was the farthest of the Confederate states, and slaveholders there made no attempt to free the enslaved African Americans they held in bondage. President Lincoln’s proclamation was unenforceable without military intervention, which eventually came nearly two and a half years later.

Juneteenth is an important date on the timeline of slavery history in the United States and now a federal holiday just signed into law last year.

Take a moment today and reflect on the importance of this holiday.

“Sheer brilliance….An empowering, transformative read. Bravo.”—***Jewell Parker Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Boys***

Flag Day

Published on June 14, 2022 by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Happy Flag Day! This holiday commemorates the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for its first national flag.

Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park

Did you know that the designer of our current flag was a 17-year-old Boy Scout named Robert Heft? What grade do you think he received for this look? A grade of B-minus. His Ohio teacher said the design was unoriginal, but offered to raise it to an A if the design was accepted nationally. So, the boy wrote to his congressman and the rest is history. And yes, he ended up with an A.

Happy Flag Day! 🇺🇸

Memorial Day

Published on May 30, 2022May 16, 2022 by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Remembering and honoring our nation’s heroes today on this Memorial Day and beyond.

Crater Lake National Park

Published on May 22, 2022May 16, 2022 by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Happy 120th anniversary to Crater Lake National Park located in Oregon!

About 7,700 years ago, Mount Mazama erupted creating the deepest lake in the United States and the 9th deepest in the world. With a depth of 1,943 feet, Crater Lake is the one of the most beautiful lakes you will ever see. The water’s intense blue color is an indication of its great depth and purity. Surrounded by cliffs, the lake is fed entirely by rain and snow. Scientists consider Crater Lake to be the cleanest and clearest large body of water in the world.

Enjoy a few photos from our last visit there in 2020. As you will see, it was a bit hazy from fires in the area. But, even with the smoke and haze, it’s still a great national park!

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend checking out this national park as it is one of my favorites!

National Park Week Thanks

Published on April 25, 2022April 8, 2022 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 sPark discovery, creativity, collaborations, innovations, opportunities, preservations, actions, curiosity, and memories. I love the sPark!

I smiled a lot during all these thoughts and memories. 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.

sPark Memories

Published on April 24, 2022April 8, 2022 by Kathy Cherry1 Comment

Happy National Park Week!

To end this fun week, today’s theme focuses on memories. National parks provide families and friends with so many wonderful and lasting memories.

Enjoy two photos from my own amazing memories from the same area in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming 15 years apart.

What’s your favorite memory from one of the national parks?

Time to start planning the next national park trip to create more memories!

sPark Curiosity

Published on April 23, 2022April 8, 2022 by Kathy CherryLeave a comment

Today’s National Park Week theme focuses on curiosity.

I can’t think of a better place to go and be curious than our national parks! They all offer so much to learn, explore, and just be a part of.

Merriam-Webster defines curious as “marked by desire to investigate and learn”.

To celebrate today, take a look in person or online at a national park and investigate and learn something new. There’s so much to explore and learn out there!

Are you curious about Crater Lake National Park? Here are some fun facts about it: