Olympic NP, July 2012. Holds the distinction of
being my FAVORITE NP.
I know I'm late to the party, but I hope that everyone had an amazing holiday weekend and a great 4th of July. If you are a puppy, or if you love a puppy, then I hope that Thursday wasn't too stressful for you! I always think the 4th of July is really interesting, and I do try to take time and reflect on things that I really appreciate about the USA. I know we aren't a perfect country, but we are a country of big bold ideas. And one of the biggest and boldest of those ideas is the American National Park Service and the system of parks they manage. I am absolutely in love with visiting national parks, and as of 2010, I made it my 10-year goal to see all of my country's national parks. A lofty goal, perhaps. A worthy journey, most certainly.
The National Park Service does a lot more than just manage the 59 recognized national parks in the system. They also look after national lake shores, battlefields, historic sites, heritage areas, sea shores, rivers and so much more (get a full list here)! But, as that bring the count of parks to see way (way) up, my goal is just to see the 59 official parks. As I am writing this, I can say I have been to 16 parks and driven through another two, though I don't plan to count those unless it comes down to the wire. I have plans to visit Alaska, which boasts a high score of 8 national parks, once I finish my PhD. So, between then and now, I guess I have to see the rest!
Great Smoky Mts. NP, April 2009
Great Smoky Mts. NP, April 2009
The rest of this post will just be pictures from each park I've visited. The thing that inspires me about the US national parks, and why they make me truly proud to be an American, is their diversity and the respect they inspire. There are so many different species, vistas, and ecosystems protected under the same governmental system! What's more, every time I visit a national park, I hear three or more different languages being spoken. Tourists from all over the nation and all over the world recognize the significance and importance of the US national parks. These places can inspire us all. They most certainly inspire me. So, happy late Independence Day. Take a listen to Woody Guthrie, and gander at my current progress toward my favorite long-term goal.
My typical Friday afternoon goes a little something like this:
4pm- Begin simultaneous watching the clock and repeating the mantra "Be productive, stupid." (Note: graduate school not always the best for increasing self-love.)
4:30pm- Start to feel like I'm really hungry and, I mean, it's almost time to go anyway. Desperately try to make final progress on whatever task I have been attempting.
4:45 pm- Give up. Start filling in my OCD meal planning spreadsheet and making my shopping list.
So, just based on this 45 minute snap-shot, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that my approach to picking the groceries I purchase might be a little different than your own. Meal planning spreadsheet you say? List you say? It may sound weird, some might say it's unnecessary, but these are a part of my household's weekly shopping ritual. What's more, I'm confident that these things, plus others I will discuss, help me to save money and cut back on the waste I produce. So I felt compelled to share, and another instillation of "5 Weird Things" was born.
As always, I would encourage you to not be overwhelmed by the thought of totally upending your shopping mojo. I didn't wake up one morning and decides that I was going to do all these things at once. Like most life choices, these have come to me through a gradual evolution in my thoughts and actions based on lots of research and some provoking conversations. Maybe pick the one that interests you the most or that you think might make the most difference and give it a try! Then come back next month and pick up another one! That said, here we go.
Note from Rachel: I'm really excited today to have the very first guest post of this blog's (short) history! Allow me to introduce my kid sister, Sara. When I describe her to people I usually give these stats: she's a scientist, she plays competitive roller derby, she's way smarter than me, and she's one of the coolest people you could ever meet. She just graduated with a BS in Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Wildlife Management from my alma mater Western Kentucky University. In college, she had some pretty amazing adventures and some really cool scientific experiences. Check out this write-up of her long-term internship with the National Parks Service and this article about an African wildlife management course she participated in last summer (here is a video about the course...she's basically the star). After her graduation and the completion of her honor's thesis this spring (she examined song bird use of restored old-fields), she decided to take a much deserved break from the world. And what better way to get away from it all than to go hiking, right? Never really known for moderation, my sister doesn't just decided to go camping for a few weeks. No, no. She decides to hike about 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail. And, because I think a big portion of this blog should always be dedicated to enjoying nature, I've asked her to write a few guest posts along the way. So here you go. Two girls, two hammocks, one dog, and about a million trees. What could go wrong? Ecologist on the Appalachian Trail- 6/29/13
