We have been writing about problems in the national parks recently. But there is always good news! National Park Week is coming up, and there will be celebrations all around!
The first National Parks Week was celebrated in 1991 when Pres. George H.W. Bush established the holiday in honor of the National Park Service’s (NPS) 75 birthday. It used to be in August to align with the NPS’s birthday, but it was moved to make Earth Day, April 22, its centerpiece.
From April 19 through April 27, the parks will be celebrating. To kick things off, all national parks will be free on April 19. While most are free every day, some can be expensive. If there is a pricier one you want to visit, it could be a good opportunity to go!
You can use the hashtag #NationalParkWeek all week to join the fun from home. You can follow the news and events and use the tag to share your own pictures, memories and thoughts about the parks. It’s a fantastic way to talk to other people and meet other park enthusiasts!
April 19 is also National Junior Ranger Day, with plenty of activities planned for children and families. There are online activities for people who can’t visit a park in person.
Some parks celebrate National Volunteer Week. That is held between April 20 and April 26. If volunteer work is important to you, you can reach out to parks in your area to see if they have any events you can participate in. It doesn’t have to be a national park! Earth Day generally spans a bunch of local community clean-ups. There is most likely something close to home. If you are interested in that, you should check it out! You’ll meet other people in your area who like getting outdoors and who you might like to go for walks with. Some volunteer projects also allow families to help, and it can be fun to do with children in your life to teach them more about the importance of nature.
The national parks are an incredible piece of American history. Learning about them or seeing them in person connects us to our past and our fellow Americans. It is also always beneficial to get out into nature. Whether or not you can make it to a national park, plan to get out into a green space on Earth Day; it will do your heart good!
