4th graders and their families get a free parks, national monuments, and federal lands pass under Pres. Obamas initiative.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-picked-4th-graders-free-national-park/story
According to a White House official, the school grade was decided on for “logistical, educational and instructional reasons.”
“NPS and other land and water agencies already have 4th grade programming in place in many locations,” the official said. “Many states focus on state history during the 4th grade, which aligns well with what NPS and other land managers have to offer.”
I think this is great.
Several years ago Andi and I were hiking in the Grand Canyon. We were going down the South Kaibab trail to Phantom Ranch. We kept leapfrogging a pair of late twenties-ish hikers with three 9 or 10 year-old boys. There did not seem to be any familial connection between them.
At the ranger led campfire at the Ranch that night, the boys to everyone’s delight answered every question the ranger posed. She finally asked then how they knew so much about GCNP. The answer was wonderful to me. The boys, in chorus said, “Our teacher taught us!”
The ranger said you must have a good teacher. And then asked who is your teacher. Expecting the teacher’s name, I’m sure she was surprised when the boys pointed to the the woman accompanying them and again in chorus said, “She is.”
On the way back up to the rim the next day on the Bright Angel Trail, I got to talk with the couple with the boys. They were teachers at a private school in San Diego. Francis Parker rings a bell but I wouldn’t swear to it. The school had held a fund raising auction. These two teachers, the other adult turned out to be the boy’s PE teacher, had auctioned off a trip to GCNP. A parent had provided an RV to use for the trip.
It was a trip, I’m sure, the five of them will never forget. I haven’t.
What does this have to do with Pres. Obama’s initiative? It’s this. Getting kids and their families into the parks is the best way to preserve and expand the parks. If the national parks, monuments, and wild lands are seen as the preserves of old farts like me, they have a limited audience. But if families and kids engage with nature in the parks, the future is bright – not just for the parks but for nature.
PF
