Parks. We go to them to enjoy the preserved wonders of wildlife. Not really, but that’s their intended purpose. In a way, we do enjoy it, through all the possible and endless amounts of activities and events offered. From sports fields to camps to picnic tables, they offer us so much to choose from. Possibilities are endless if we ever find ourselves wanting a day out or some fresh air.
Parks can be as large as Golden Gate Park or as small as the playground around the corner. Most come with recreation centers, after school programs for younger children, and often are the host locations for summer camps in the city, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to offer for older audiences. Whether you’d like to play a game of soccer, baseball, go for a bike ride, or a simple walk through the park, they offer everything. Most parks even have picnic tables and space to hold a barbecue. Even if sitting down with some friends isn’t your thing, no worries! You can take classes in one of the rec centers or run a marathon. Occasionally, parks will even hold concerts or large events for the public.
We really do take our parks for granted. They provide us with so much room to enjoy nature and the outdoors while being conveniently in the city. They capture an image of wildlife and nature, preserving it for us, the public.
There are 58 National Parks in the United States. Now, that number may sound very big when you think about how large the parks are, but the parks only take up 14 percent of the U.S. Something that is meant to protect our wildlife and be this amazing historic example of beauty takes up less than a quarter of the country. Just think about how crazy that is!
Back in 2012, California had a budget crisis and individual groups were called upon to literally keep state parks from closing their gates to tens of thousands of annual visitors. The California State Parks Foundation is now the national gold standard in commitments, fund-raising ability, and responsibilities. The foundation gets a budget of $10 million for its mission, funded by money from taxpayers and donations! These parks really wouldn’t last this long without them. These are their roads and pavements, just not literally.
That being said, July is National Parks Month. Go outside and spend some time in a park. Just enjoy the wonders of spending time outside and the plenty of activities you can do at a park! Take a moment to really appreciate it all.
Nicole Stetsyuk
Roaming with the Wildlife
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