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WNPA publishes a digital newsletter several times a year. Park happenings, research stories, WNPA news and more helps to keep you connected to our national parks. Browse the newsletters or sign up to receive them via email in the footer of this website.

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Mar 24

Spring has officially sprung! One of our national parks is a great place to enjoy the beauty that comes with the changing of the seasons.

📍: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
📷: Andrew Cattoir / NPS

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#findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #wnpa1938 #spring #springishere #SpringEquinox #firstdayofspring🌸

Mar 23

Did you know it’s World Meteorological Day? Changing weather patterns have a huge impact on our national parks and recreation areas. Lake Meredith in northern Texas hit an all-time low depth of 26.14 feet after years of drought in 2013, but after several rainy seasons it bounced back by over 40 feet.

📍: Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
📷: NPS Photo

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#findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #optoutside #travelgram #wnpa1938

Mar 22

An environment like this may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear it’s World Water Day, but the gypsum dunefields of White Sands National Park are actually an oasis of life formed with water. Groundwater can be found only 12-36 inches below the surface keeping the dunes at 99% humidity year round. The presence of the high ground water is essential for keeping the world’s largest gypsum dunefield from blowing away.

Susan Lamb’s new book on White Sands National Park is an intricate exploration of a place like no other. Store link in bio.

📍: White Sands National Park
📷: NPS Photo

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#findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #WorldWaterDay #RiversNPS

Mar 20

Happy First Day of Spring! Did you know that March 20 was also designated by the UN as the “International Day of Happiness”? Visiting a national park, like El Malpais National Monument, is a wonderful way to find happiness among the beauty of nature!

📍: El Malpais National Monument
📷: NPS Photo / John Kuehnert

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#findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #wnpa1938 #spring #springishere #SpringEquinox #FirstDayOfSpring

Mar 18

Born in what is now Nevada around 1844, Sarah Winnemucca achieved lasting fame as an activist for the rights of American Indians and as the author of the first known autobiography written by an American Indian woman.

For Women’s History Month and all year long, you can learn about the stories of American Indian women like Sarah at parks across the west.

📷: NPS Photo

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#findyourpark #nationalparks #wnpa1938 #InternationalWomensDay #womensday #womenshistory #womenshistorymonth

Mar 17

Why is St. Patrick’s Day a great time to start planning a visit to one of our national parks? Because they’re a great place to discover different shades of green!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to park lovers of Irish heritage–and anyone else who wants to join the party!

📍: El Malpais National Monument
📷: NPS Photo

📍: Big Thicket National Preserve
📷: NPS Photo / Scott Sharaga

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#nationalparks #nationalparksadventure #nationalparkstravel #IrishAmericanHeritage #StPatricksDay #green

Mar 16

Our March featured park, Golden Spike National Histoical Park, is a small park but it tells a big story–one that stretches from coast-to-coast. Visit Golden Spike and learn how the completion of the transcontinental railroad changed the US overnight. https://wnpa.org/discover_parks/golden-spike/

📍: Golden Spike National Historical Park
📷: NPS Photo

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#findyourpark #nationalparks #wnpa1938 #GoldenSpike

Mar 13

WNPA is proud to support #Whiskeytown National Recreation Area’s Artist-in-Residence program. Whiskeytown has announced Obi Kaufmann and Carrie Katzenmeyer have been selected for this spring’s residencies. They’ll spend two to three weeks camping and exploring Whiskeytown this spring where they will gain inspiration from the park's land, water, and history.

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#findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #optoutside #travelgram #wnpa1938 #Whiskeytown

Mar 12

Happy 111th birthday to the Girl Scouts! From the humble beginnings as a group of 18 members that Juliette Gordon Low founded in 1912, the Girl Scouts and Girl Guides now include over 10 million members in 145 countries. The National Park Service and the Girl Scouts have partnered to create the Girl Scout Ranger Program. Learn about how scouts can earn a certificate or patch in one of our national parks: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/youthprograms/girlscoutranger.htm

📍: Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
📷: NPS Photo

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#GirlsScout #findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #wnpa1938

Mar 11

This camel couldn’t help but make a funny face when he heard you haven’t visited one of our national parks lately.

Can you guess which national park site has a history with camels?

Camels traveled through El Morro National Monument in the 1850s as part of the US Army Camel Corps testing them as pack animals in the 1850s.

📍: El Morro National Monument
📷: Wendy Parrish/NPS Photo

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#ElMorro #Camel #FunnyAnimal #nationalparks #wnpa1938

Mar 10

Each year, WNPA recognizes individuals and organizations through awards and grants. In 2022, Rianne Kravitz of Ukiah, California was named the first recipient of the James E. Cook Nature’s Classroom Grant. She plans to use the grant to fund a trip to Pinnacles National Park for eight girls who have never been camping. They will spend two days helping researchers monitor the endangered California condor and will also spend time beautifying the park with cleanup activities and trail maintenance. Congratulations to Rianne and our other award and grant winners!

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#findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #optoutside #travelgram #wnpa1938

Mar 8

For International Women’s Day, read and listen to highlights from an interview with Cherry Payne, who built a remarkable career with the National Park Service after starting out as a young ranger in an era when relatively few women pioneers worked in our national parks. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/oral-history-spotlight-cherry-payne.htm

📷: Cherry Payne

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#findyourpark #nationalparks #wnpa1938 #InternationalWomensDay #womensday #womenshistory #womenshistorymonth

Mar 7

Our March featured park, #GoldenSpike National Historical Park, is a dream destination of train enthusiasts! During the winter months you can tour the engine house with two replica 19th century locomotives, and during the summer you can see them in action! Start planning your visit today.

📍: Golden Spike National Historical Park
📷: H. Harvey/NPS
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#findyourpark #nationalparks #wnpa1938 #GoldenSpike

Mar 6

Congratulations to WNPA board member John Koprowski, who was named the 2022 recipient of the Aldo Leopold Memorial Award—the most prestigious honor given by The Wildlife Society. Read about John’s wildlife conservation work that’s taken him from Arizona to Nepal on our website.

📷: Kathan Bandyopadhyay

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#findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #optoutside #travelgram #wnpa1938

Mar 5

With opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, bird watching and spending time with loved ones in nature, #nationalparks are a great place for a family trip during spring break. Get tips on how to get the most fun and education out of a park visit with kids and start planning your trip today.

📍: Santa Monica Mountains
📷: NPS

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#springishere #firstdayofspring #spring #findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks

Mar 4

Today we take a break from our “regularly scheduled programming” to recognize our employees! Your dedication helps our partner parks create unforgettable experiences for visitors and helps preserve our national parks as a treasured legacy for future generations. Thank you! 🤗✨

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#EmployeeAppreciation #wnpa #rangers #wnpa1938

Mar 3

March 3 is #WorldWildlifeDay, a day to celebrate all wild animals and plants and the contribution they make to our lives and the health of the planet. Our #nationalparks are a great place to observe and appreciate wildlife–plan a visit today.

📍: Channel Islands National Park
📷: Tim Hauf, timhaufphotography.com/NPS

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#WorldWildlifeDay #ExploreNature #WatchingWildlife #findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #wnpa1938 #nationalparkphotography

Mar 2

Invasive species proliferating in our national parks can have disastrous consequences. One example is the introduction of invasive buffelgrass to many parts of the United States, including Tonto National Monument.

Buffelgrass is a fire-prone species that can quickly spread across the landscape, threatening native plant and animal communities, as well as increasing the risk of catastrophic wildfires. In addition, Buffelgrass can displace native vegetation, reduce biodiversity, and alter ecosystem functions. Understanding and managing the threat of invasive species is an important job for national parks staff. Lear more about national parks in the link in bio.

📍: Tonto National Monument
📷: NPS

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#InvasiveSpecies #findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #optoutside #travelgram #wnpa1938

Mar 1

Our March featured park is Golden Spike National Historical Park! Tracks from the east and west were linked on this site in 1869, completing the construction of the US transcontinental railroad–one of the greatest technological achievements of the 19th century. Visitors can learn about the challenges of building the railroad, the lives of the people who built it, and view two replica 19th century locomotives. Learn more about our resources at the link in bio!

📍: Golden Spike National Historical Park
📷: NPS

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#findyourpark #nationalparks #wnpa1938 #GoldenSpike

Feb 28

You probably didn’t know that it’s Invasive Species Awareness Week but #invasivespecies are a complex challenge for our #nationalparks. Monitoring and removing invasive species that disrupt ecosystems is an important job for park staff. WNPA funds research work like this study of how nonnative fish impact the population of a species of snail unique to Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

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#InvasiveSpecies #findyourpark #encuentratuparque #nationalparks #recreateresponsibly #optoutside #travelgram #wnpa1938

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