Have you found your park yet?
Perhaps you've seen You Tube clips, billboards, or social media postings with the words "Find Your Park." This campaign - featuring stunning images of nature and history - is part of a year-plus celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. The goal is to introduce - and reintroduce - our parks to a larger and younger audience.
I found my first park (and my first job) in the early 1970's as a Park Ranger at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. As a recent college graduate, I had the rare opportunity to share my love for one of our nation's most cherished sites. I worked with and helped visitors from the community and around the world.
I found my first park, but the National Mall was hardly my last.
The National Park Service boasts 407 sites covering more than 84 million acres located in every state and territory. These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historical sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and, notably, the White House grounds.
If you haven't found your favorite among these yet, now would be a good time. The National Park Service recently kicked off its centennial celebration (1916-2016) with the national "Find Your Park" campaign. Its website is an excellent introduction to parks all over the country.
This centennial celebration reminds us how beloved parks are. Actress-singer-dancer Bella Thorne helped launch the campaign on April 2 in New York City. As a "Centennial Ambassador," she is joined by well-known public figures such as Bill Nye the Science Guy -- who found his love for science at Rock Creek Park near Washington, D.C. -- and singer-songwriter Roselyn Sánchez, who married her husband at San Juan National Historic Site in her native Puerto Rico.
Combined, these three ambassadors have more than 8 million Twitter followers who are getting a steady dose of park reminders.
I may not have as many Twitter followers, but I do have the pleasure of serving on the House Natural Resources Committee, which oversees the parks. As a member of this important committee, I work every day to find ways to protect a tradition that began in 1872 when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the law that established Yellowstone National Park, the nation's first. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson established the National Park Service.
Documentary historian Ken Burns calls our national parks "America's Best Idea." In part, this high praise is based on the public access to our parks, versus the European tradition of rich-only exclusivity.
As we approach the centennial of our park system, we know that our parks face challenges: outdated infrastructure, invasive species, climate change, drought, air pollution, wildlife management and a backlog of road repairs.
In addition, park visitation skews older, lacking in diversity. Research shows that millennials seem aware of top parks like Yellowstone, but those places seem distant.
As the "Find Your Park" website makes clear, parks, monuments and trails are always close by. And each of them offers recreation, contemplation and the discovery of a shared history for everyone, young and old.
So it really is time to "Find Your Park." When you get there, tell them Park Ranger Don sent you.
Learn more about Rep. Beyer at beyer.house.gov, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram at @RepDonBeyer.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.