NEW! The iconic National Park Service park ranger hat, which was designed by landscape architects more than a century ago, is rich with meaning as well as practicality. At the NPS Museum Conservation Lab, archivist Nancy Russell walks a giddy Adam Savage through both the history of the hat(s) and the exercise of tying a hat band, one of the ranger rites of passage. Link in comments.

It’s that time of year where wildlife and visitors both get more active in the park! That increases the chances that the two will meet. While glimpsing some of our wildlife can be an awesome part of our national park experience, here are some tips to help make sure those encounters stay memorable for the right reasons.

· Stay on the trail. This is the most important tool we have to keep ourselves safe. Whether it’s ticks, snakes or bears, staying on trail minimizes our chances of having negative encounters with our native wildlife.

· Our most common negative wildlife encounters in the park this time of year are with ticks. Please make sure to check yourself after you spend time outdoors.

· Give nature space. Whether it’s a squirrel, a snake or a black bear, never approach wildlife. Always, give the creature more space than you think it needs.

· Black bear encounters in our park are quite uncommon. Good #BearAware habits can keep bears from seeing visitors as a source of food. When camping, keep food and trash in bear approved containers or in your vehicle. If you use one of the park’s picnic shelters, please always take trash and food scraps with you at the end of your visit.

By keeping these ideas in mind, we can all help make sure to keep our time out in our park safe, both for ourselves and the nature around us.

Image Description: A closeup of a black bear looking towards the camera with leaves in front of them.
Image Credit: NPS Image/Neal Lewis

#NPS #NewRiverGorgeNPS #Safety