As much as we love national parks, we’re not being the best stewards of the natural gift entrusted to us, and they’ve become embroiled in divisive politics. Here is an excerpt from the introduction “The National Parks Inspiration Guide” about five threats facing national parks.
How many former national parks can you name? In the 100+ years of the National Park Service, a few places that used to be full-fledged national parks have been reclassified. Oklahoma is home to what was, until 1976, Platt National Park. What difference does that make?
Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument prioritizes scientific research and natural ecological recovery, transforming the dramatic blast zone into an invaluable, evolving laboratory. Would it fit into the national park system?
One common national park souvenir sticker is an oval, usually white with black lettering and an outline, with a four-letter code for a national park. Here are some tips for figuring out what those four letters represent.
I don’t expect to find wisdom in packaging, but a t-shirt from North Cascades National Park had a pleasant surprise: a vision for National Parks over the next century.
Not all holy ground and sacred sites are part of the National Park Service. Visiting Wyoming’s Medicine Wheel reminds us how deep our history reaches.
We may be sheltering-in-place for a while, but our imaginations are still free to road across the country. “America’s Holy Ground” and “America’s Sacred Sites” provide 112 easy roadtrips from the comfort and safety of your favorite armchair.
This spring my daughters and I went on a Saturday afternoon hike that…. well…. It ended up overwhelming us. That got me thinking, “What goes into a successful trip into nature?” Developing that list was how my mind diverted itself during the last (and longest) mile of the hike, when most of the complaining occurred. …
Thanks to Geist Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis for hosting both Bruce and Brad on June 16. It was our first chance to present together – what a great experience! (And what great peach ice cream, too!) Thank you to the volunteers and staff at Geist who made it possible! If you’d like …
Read more “Book signing: Geist Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana”
Note: This was written during the first few weeks of the 2019 federal government shutdown. The National Park Service exists to ensure Americans are good stewards of the gifts of our planet. Right now, as the government shutdown leaves our national parks vulnerable and unmaintained, NPS can best protect our national parks by closing them down. Over a century …
Read more “A Faith-based Argument for Closing Our National Parks”