A special post by Kelsey Nelson
Introduction
When was the last time you walked in a National Park? How did that make you feel? Was it calming? There are 4 reasons that will be introduced to prove that National Parks are helpful to humans, animals, and the environment.
Reason 1: National Parks affect us everyday.
National Parks are great for the economy (they contributed 28.6 billion dollars in 2021 back to the economy!). Visitors at the parks spent around 14.5 billion dollars. They also are great at providing jobs. In 2021 they provided 234,000 jobs for people. So just going to the parks helps the people around you.
Going to the National Parks can improve your own health. They do this by increasing your physical activity because of all the hiking options. In Anchorage, Alaska they created a wellness plan at their local park that had walking trails for all abilities. This encouraged people to be in nature and some even started to have meetings for work whilst walking a trail. Visiting nature can also improve your mental health. It allows you to take a break from the stress of the day and sit out in this beautiful world. Going to national parks can also help you learn because of their many historical sites, monuments, and battlefields. Overall, the parks can do as much for you as you can for them.
Reason 2: The National Parks preserve history.
The National Park Service (NPS) puts a lot of work into preserving and protecting history. The NPS has over 400 different sites that keep history safe. The main types of sites that have the potential to help save history are a National Historic Site, a National Monument, and a National Memorial. They preserve many stories from colonization to Japanese Internment. These places work to educate the next generation of their history so they can take pride in their culture and country or learn from their mistakes. In conclusion, there are many places where you can learn about history.
Reason 3: National Parks protect the environment and animals.
The National Parks help preserve the environment. They preserve the environment by providing clean air and water. They also help provide natural resources and reduce carbon. They also promote ways to protect us from natural disasters because of the way they protect wetlands which are known to stop flooding. They also help the ocean by protecting waters with restrictions on activities allowed there and helping prevent coral diseases.
The National Park Service also helps animals. They manage habitats to protect animals and limit activities performed there. Some parks will even completely close for periods due to animals’ seasonal activity. It is also illegal to feed them because then they become dependent on humans. In conclusion, the parks do so much to help protect animals.
Reason 4: The world would look different without National Parks.
The world would look very different without National Parks. We would have less animal populations because of less protection and land for them. The environment would be worse. People would also be less healthy because living by a park is proven to improve health and the economy would be worse.
Conclusion
Overall, our National Parks are very important and can do so much for us and the world around us. National Parks are also helpful to humans, animals, and the environment. Next time you go to a National Park remember to think about how it’s helping you and how by visiting you’re helping others.
Works Cited
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