Obstacles Our Children Face with Our National Parks?

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park

There has been a lot of talk lately in many of my circles about engaging the Millennial generation in our National Parks. Is it too late to reach this generation? This generation certainly has it's share of obstacles. From technology addiction to limited jobs and income, it all factors into the equation of this problem. Here are 5 issues I see as relevant to the success of National Parks in future generations.


1. Time
I suggest that the problem is derived much earlier in childhood. Parents in general do not make getting outside a big enough priority in life. Many times, it is because they can't. Let's face it, vacation travel is a large endeavor for most families in America and time is a precious commodity for the majority of households. Society has changed dramatically with the advancement of technology. We can work from anywhere in many jobs thanks to cell phones, wifi, laptops and tablets, etc.

This adds to many parent's struggle with work life balance in today's society. Prioritizing nature and the outdoors is hard to do for parents when you are constantly worried if you are near wifi or if you can check email. What kind of example does this show our kids?

Unfortunately, I have to add that many kids are splitting weekend time between two families due to divorce as well. It has had a snowball effect on the youth and I fear the perfect storm has rolled in on the Millennial generation.


2. Education  
Recently, I was distraught to learn that many of the Recreation, Parks & Tourism programs in the University of North Carolina system were being phased out. The reasons are many, but less interest in the field must be a key factor in this. Where does this passion for learning more about our parks and wild areas come from?

Right now, it seems it is completely up to us as parents to introduce our children to both State Park systems and National Park systems. Right now, all 4th graders in the US are entitled to a Every Kid to a Park Pass. This is a free pass for the 2015-2016 year to EVERY National Park in the US. While I believe this should extend to every child under 16, it is a good start. That being said, I am curious to know how many families even know about this. From my personal conversations, not many people in my community have ever heard of this.

It is one thing to extend a program like Every Kid to a Park, but how do we educate the public on this program and others and get these kids and their parents to actually visit the parks?


3. Accessibility
We live in an "on demand" world. Accessibility in the digital world of internet, texting and social media has spoiled us. We expect information to be brought to us with as little effort on our part as necessary. So, how do we bring the National Parks to the community in a tangible and relevant way to engage further desire to learn?

I would love to see better partnerships between National Parks, State Parks and Municipal Parks. I feel this is one avenue that is grossly under utilized considering the majority of our population has immediate access to some State or Municipal park. Maybe a local park could host a National Park Day with Rangers present. It has to start somewhere, right?

Getting to know the ranger at Hanging Rock State Park

4. Visibility/Exposure
Luckily, we have the 100 year anniversary of our National Parks in 2016 to drum up publicity. The National Park Foundation has done a decent job with the #findyourpark campaign. But, what happens after that?

There is a great show broadcast on the CW on Saturday mornings called Rock the Park. Jack and Colton are visiting every National Park and are sharing their experiences on this program. It is a fantastic program for kids and adults to learn more about our National Parks System. How do we expand upon this?


5. Money
Let's face it. All of the problems listed above boil down to the same factor, not enough money. More exposure and more involvement can lead to more people getting involved monetarily with our parks. More involvement makes our voice a little louder to government when deciding on spending for our National Park System.

We can always contribute on our own through charities like the National Park Foundation, but many feel (and they are correct) they already contribute every year on April 15th when they pay their taxes.

Money is going to be a driving influence on any program or initiative that is put into action. The key is to initiate involvement and interest in our National Parks. I have heard this more than once, but it is so true..."Just get them to the park and let nature take over".