My family and I have tent camped in national parks from the east coast to the west coast always impressed by the beauty and, sometimes, solitude. This story is instead about 800 teenagers who have been introduced to the parks since 1978. In that year the biology teacher and I started the Hudsonville High School (MI) Summer Science Institute. This is a three-week intensive science course offering credit in biology and geology. It was started with the idea of showing the young people ( 20 to 26 each year) how to experience the values of the parks. They tent camp, prepare meals, hike mountain trails (stopping for note-taking on biology, geology and park history), play in mountain streams. The course includes study in the Badlands and Black Hills, Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone and Tetons, Rocky Mountain, Glacier. While in Yellowstone there is a day of service to the park.This is an adventure they fondly remember, even though it includes a final exam when returning home.Many of the students return to these parks, sometimes with their parents, and expand their scope to many other parks. The class of 2016 was the 39th Summer Institute which will continue with the support of the school.
Sincerely,
Yellowstone National Park
America's first national park is named after the river that runs through it. Within the park's massive boundaries, visitors can find mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and some of the most concentrated geothermal activity in the world. The park has 60% of the world’s geysers, as well as hot springs and mud pots. It is also home to diverse wildlife with the largest concentration of mammals in the Lower 48 states, including grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk.
State(s): Idaho Montana, Wyoming,
Established: 1872
“Many of the reasons are in the story above. The parks are outstanding family experiences where you can get lost in the beautiful places of this country. To destroy or in any way degrade them would be a terrible injustice to those who follow us..”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
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Greetings from Yellowstone National Park
The joy, beauty, serenity and amazement of the natural world, readily accessible, is wonderful. I wanted to have my son who is part of the next generation explore and appreciate the beauty of what our parks have to offer. We protect what we love and appreciate. It feels so harmonious…
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