As the National Park Service begins its annual week to draw attention to its properties around the country in the hopes of encouraging tourism, it comes at a time when budgets have been reduced by the Department of Government Efficiency. The Washington Examiner is taking a closer look at those impacts, along with how you can celebrate at a park near you in the coming days and weeks. In part one of our series, National Park Week: The state of America’s outdoors, we take a look at how young people can get involved.
The annual National Parks Week kicks off with National Junior Ranger Day across the country on Saturday.
The National Parks Service marks the day every year to spotlight its Junior Ranger program, which allows children and families to participate in activities that educate them on the specific parks and sites they are visiting. As part of the celebration, entrance fees to national parks are waived on Saturday.
To mark National Junior Ranger Day, Independence National Historic Park, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is providing free admission to its Benjamin Franklin Museum, which is dedicated to the history of one of the nation’s Founding Fathers. George Washington Birthplace National Monument, likewise, is doing events to tie into the holiday, including a hike on Saturday afternoon and giving attendees a map to find the first president’s survey points.
“National Junior Ranger Day will be celebrated on Saturday, April 19 from noon to 3 p.m. at the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center, located on the south side of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool,” National Mall and Memorial Parks chief of communications Mike Litterst told the Washington Examiner. “The hands-on activities will teach Junior Rangers about the horses at the stables and the history of the Mounted Patrol on the Mall.”
Beyond the events taking place on Saturday, the National Park Service is also encouraging visitors to partake in its Junior Ranger programs, which are available at most parks. Yosemite National Park, for instance, will give attendees a handbook that allows them to tour the park themselves and complete activities throughout their visit.
TRUMP RIGHT ON FEDERAL LAND SALE PLAN
National Parks Week will conclude on April 27. This year’s theme to celebrate National Parks Week is “National Park Playlist,” which allows visitors to listen to NPS podcasts, audio tours, and use nature sounds to create their own posts for social media.