Articles in the National Parks Category
Conservation, Environmental Education, Events, National Parks, Parks »
Get out Saturday to enjoy and support your local public lands.
National Parks are free to enter!
Click to find a location near you!
What is National Public Lands Day?
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the United States. In 2011, NPLD will be held on September 24, 2011. Register a site for NPLD or volunteer.
NPLD began in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers. It proved to be a huge success and NPLD became a yearly tradition, typically held on the last Saturday in September. Since the …
Family, Field Report, National Parks »
Contributed by Outdoor Afro Gloria Knox of Los Angeles, CA
This summer my family took the opportunity to reconnect with nature. In planning the obligatory summer vacation, my husband and I realized we were short on time and funds. We decided that a trip to an in-state National Park would maximize our summer vacation experience and be cost effective. We visited both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, and it was one of the best experiences we could have had.
Our initial plan was to rent a recreational vehicle to take to the …
National Parks, Parks, Women »
Teresa Baker shared on Facebook her time today at the Muir Woods National Monument.
Where were YOU spotted on Sunday in the outdoors?
Alaska, Environment, Hiking, National Parks »
Ice Age Hiking in Alaska
After our visit to the wildlife refuge, we leisurely moved along the scenic road toward the coastal fishing town of Seward that edges Resurrection Bay along the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. We landed at the Seward Military Resort, a popular yet understated destination for US active duty or retired military personnel and their guests.
The manicured grounds were beautiful, yet sensible. And they have a selection of yurts, guest rooms, or townhouses from which to choose. Since Mark is a US Army officer, it was an easy selection – and a …
beaches, Conservation, Diversity, Environmental Education, Events, Field Report, National Parks, Outreach, Reflections, Urban Nature, Youth »
Recently, I had the pleasure of spending time on Maryland’s Eastern shore with colleagues, Akiima Price, Chief of Education Programs at the New York Restoration Project, David Greaves, the Black Employment Program Officer for the EPA, and Nick Clemons, a National Park Ranger at Assateague Island National Seashore. Hosted and organized by the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and Assateague State Park, Get Out! Get Green! Get Paid! was an important opportunity to connect with nearly 200 youth, ages 14-25, to help them consider a sustainable career and lifestyle within nature.
The Maryland Coastal Bays Program …
Americas Great Outdoors, National Parks »
National Park Week – April 16-24, 2011
Get out and discover something new about your 394 national parks! This year’s focus, Healthy Parks, Healthy People,highlights the connection between human and environmental health and the vital role America’s national parks play in both. You might be surprised by how close the national parks are to where you live, and there are many in urban areas: Find National Parks near you!
Whether your prefer a 20-mile backcountry hike in Yosemite or a leisurely stroll around Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, moving outside is good for you and offers a …
Americas Great Outdoors, Conservation, Environment, National Parks, Policy »
Many in the Outdoor Afro community are elated by the announcement of the greatly anticipated America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative by the Obama Administration. Following in the tradition of Lincoln, FDR, and Teddy Roosevelt — Presidents who each made great strides toward conservation, President Obama left his own mark today by initiating an historic initiative that is likely to change the way Americans perceive and engage with the outdoors.
Read or watch the President’s Remarks:
From the America’s Great Outdoors website, “AGO recognizes that many of the best ideas come from outside …
Adventurers, Camping, Field Report, National Parks, News, Outreach, Women »
It sure has been a great week to love the outdoors and be African American! Last Friday and today, as I tuned in to Oprah and Gayle to see their adventure in Yosemite National Park, I was completely enamored. Beyond the expected funny quips and comical equipment mishaps, I experienced (as if for the first time) a magical moment: moving images of people who looked like me enjoying a National Park.
The show theme was prompted by Outdoor Afro friend Shelton Johnson by a letter he wrote a couple of years …
Adventurers, Hiking, National Parks, Women »
Submitted by Outdoor Afro Contributor, Terri Davis-Merchant, of the fun blog: Try Anything Once
Faux hiking? Oh yeah! I’m not really into outdoorsy stuff. Perhaps you’ve noticed that. I mean I guess I’m not really destined for it. Having grown up in a Black working class neighborhood in New York City in the 80′s and 90′s, sleeping in a tent in the cold with no bathroom wasn’t exactly what many considered a vacation. Just sayin’. Even Oprah noticed the lack o’ folks o’ color during her recent trip to Yosemite. (By …
Adventurers, Camping, Environment, Field Report, Fishing, National Parks, News, Outreach, Parks, Women »
A memo from National Parks Director Jonathan B. Jarvis shares:
“On October 29 and November 1, Oprah Winfrey will devote two entire shows to her overnight camping trip in Yosemite National Park earlier this month. Ms. Winfrey’s visit originated with a letter of invitation from Park Ranger Shelton Johnson. While in the park, Shelton shared his Buffalo Soldierpersona – Elizy Bowman – at an evening campfire chat with Ms. Winfrey and others staying at the Lower Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley.
While the shows highlight Ms. Winfrey’s visit to the Mariposa …
