Hello! I am so glad you are here.

I was going to start this webpage with something light-hearted to ease into the topic, but as I type this, a bill has been introduced mandating the sale of 2.5 million acres of public lands in the west.

So buckle up, buttercup. We’ve got places to be and things to do.

I made this sticker because I was worried about the changes happening to the natural spaces we have here in the states. Our National Parks System is more than the preservation of unique landscapes but also an impressive collection of culturally and historically significant places. Recently, however, Park Rangers have been fired en masse and the National Park System has undergone severe censorship to the history they were created to protect.

Unfortunately, it isn’t just the National Parks that are facing threats right now. To address the revised ‘big beautiful bill’ and its suggested sale of public lands directly, I highly suggest checking out this resource. The sale of public lands is suggested to address housing concerns, but as this analysis by Headwaters Economics points out, the opportunities for safe housing on federal land is severely limited due in part to wildfires, drought, and flooding risks.

Additionally, the process to purchase public lands for oil and gas extraction in Colorado has been shortened to six months and the administration is reinvesting in coal mining, even though it is a nonrenewable energy with terrible environmental impact that has been been declining in use since 2008.

I cannot express to you how special I think our landscapes are and how much I believe they are worth saving. When Mormon settlers discovered southern Utah, they were so enthralled by the stunning rock formations, they named the area “Zion” which means “sanctuary” in Hebrew. This feeling was not unique to them- the Southern Paiute living there at the time also believed the area was sacred. Although we know how the arrival of settlers changed their way of life, we should not censor our history any more than we should diminish our landscapes. Zion is still stunning, is still sacred- a unique biodiverse landscape that should be cherished forever.

We cannot change our history, but we can change our future. 

We are going to save the National Parks and we are going to maintain the protections on natural spaces.

Here’s how we are going to do it:

Connecting with a community- in your region, or even across the country- is a phenomenal way to make positive change. Our voices are louder together. Find a conservation group that you find inspiring and sign up for their newsletter. It sounds like a silly way to start getting involved, but conservation groups are great resources to understand our shifting landscapes (both metaphorically, and literally). I find resource groups are also a great source of hope.

I receive newsletters from the Oregon Natural Desert Association and the Mojave Desert Land Trust which is why I made this suggestion- I’ve learned about the regions I care about, work that is being done to protect them (including how I can help take action), volunteer opportunities, photography tips, suggestions for places to visit or things to do, events happening, and more.

I highly recommend looking around your community and your state. What resources or conservation groups are near you? I’ve listed some resources below to help you get started:

Better Together: Connect to Protect!

Park-Specific Conservation Partners:

Wider Reaching Conservation Partners:

Beyond our National Parks

Preserving the National Parks is part of a much larger challenge because the problems facing the Parks are prevalent throughout natural spaces in the states.

Organizations like the Oregon Natural Desert Association and the Mojave Desert Land Trust protect regions vulnerable to the challenges we are seeing today.

Which is why I encourage you to search for conservation groups in your area- you might be surprised by the unique efforts that are being done in your neighborhood and even your cities!

To help you along, I've included two links. One is to find a land trust alliance near you. Land trusts are a type of conservation group that works to keep land safe for wildlife and recreation. Similarly, the other link is for the Conservation Lands Foundation "Friends Grassroots Network" that will connect you to conservation groups in your state.

These links both offer ways to connect with the landscapes where you live and to connect with others. Check them out!

Write Now: Protect our Parks!

This is a photo from Cooper Mountain Nature Park in Beaverton, Oregon just outside Portland. The sign says that this park is protected by voters like you and me.

I invite you to write your message out on paper- and in turn, support both the National Parks and the United States Post Office. By all means, if you prefer emails, that’s just fine- it is more sustainable, and that is indeed what we are here for. I just find writing a postcard by hand feels cathartic in a way that writing an email just doesn’t so get yourself a stack of postcards, a cute pen, and some fun stamps.

If you join a newsletter, your organization most likely will send you updates keeping you informed which is why I suggested that first. However, many conservation organizations have advocacy pages that enable you to learn about new challenges and to easily become informed and to take action.

I’ve listed ‘take action’ pages from several conservation groups, online shops that sell postcards where sales directly support the Parks, and I’ve included information on contacting your representatives. Let’s go!

Visit National Parks- especially the least visited parks- and practice Leave no Trace principles. Enjoy and celebrate our natural spaces in all their wonders.

But also find natural spaces near you that you find beautiful or peaceful, like Cooper Mountain in the photo above. I live near a dark sky sanctuary where you can see the Milky Way on a clear night. I’ve also lived in cities that have ‘greenbelts’ like in Boise, where you can bike along the Boise River for miles and it connects Boise to neighboring cities. You can access it straight from downtown parks. 

National Parks and city parks might seem worlds apart, and often they are, but the need to preserve both is imperative because nature connects all of us. It does not disappear at the foot of a skyscraper or at the doorstep of a suburban home. If anything, eroding natural spaces makes it more likely for nature to show up at your doorstep and often nobody is very happy about that- the coyote who has a patchy habitat or the human on their back patio. So let us move forward with spaces for all. 

Please be kind and have fun- together, we can make a better and more beautiful future.

All my best,

Kathleen

P.S. I would love it if you wanted to send me photos of your sticker outside- on your water bottle, on your car, or your bike. You can contact me at karpal821@gmail.com

Go Outside: Enjoy our natural spaces!