I spent my spring break this year hiking with my parents at various national parks in Utah and Arizona. We made stops in Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park. I had arrived with the notion that every park was pretty much the same, with a lot of rocks, sand, and dirt roads. I thought the hikes were going to get boring after the first day, as we would become accustomed to seeing the same thing over and over again. I was wrong.
At Zion, we climbed Angel’s Landing, literally walking along the ridge of a mountain. Being slightly afraid of heights, I definitely felt the adrenaline rushing. At Bryce, we walked by snow-capped hoodoos and forged our own path due to the muddied normal trails. At Grand Canyon, we headed 6 miles into the canyon before coming back up to see the sunset.
At every stop, the views were breathtaking, the air was fresh, and the experience was unique. Being completely surrounded by nature, with no other humans around, was an experience I’ll never forget. All we had were the backpacks we lugged around, the camera hanging from my neck, and the sound of rustling birds and mountain wind. It’s an experience I wish everyone could enjoy, as this type of feeling can never be replicated in a movie or conversation.
Unfortunately, the inauguration of Donald Trump may put many of these parks in jeopardy. He may decide to limit the size of some parks, and may even open some to fossil fuel development. His recently proposed budget wanted to cut the EPA’s budget by over 30%, a crippling number. He has been known to claim climate change is a hoax and that business always comes first.
This can’t happen. America’s national parks are not just refuges for wildlife, they are also invaluable treasures that remind us that humanity should harmonize with nature, not destroy it.
Sources :
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/11/trump-public-lands-waters-united-states-environment/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/15/us/politics/trump-budget-proposal.html?_r=0
At Zion, we climbed Angel’s Landing, literally walking along the ridge of a mountain. Being slightly afraid of heights, I definitely felt the adrenaline rushing. At Bryce, we walked by snow-capped hoodoos and forged our own path due to the muddied normal trails. At Grand Canyon, we headed 6 miles into the canyon before coming back up to see the sunset.
At every stop, the views were breathtaking, the air was fresh, and the experience was unique. Being completely surrounded by nature, with no other humans around, was an experience I’ll never forget. All we had were the backpacks we lugged around, the camera hanging from my neck, and the sound of rustling birds and mountain wind. It’s an experience I wish everyone could enjoy, as this type of feeling can never be replicated in a movie or conversation.
Unfortunately, the inauguration of Donald Trump may put many of these parks in jeopardy. He may decide to limit the size of some parks, and may even open some to fossil fuel development. His recently proposed budget wanted to cut the EPA’s budget by over 30%, a crippling number. He has been known to claim climate change is a hoax and that business always comes first.
This can’t happen. America’s national parks are not just refuges for wildlife, they are also invaluable treasures that remind us that humanity should harmonize with nature, not destroy it.
Sources :
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/11/trump-public-lands-waters-united-states-environment/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/15/us/politics/trump-budget-proposal.html?_r=0
