National Park Service Founders Day

National Park Service Founders Day is celebrated on August 25th every year. It is dedicated to the people who first took care of preserving the United States’ most valuable resource, the national parks. Today, the National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for protecting not only natural parks, but also other important territories and objects, such as nature reserves, coastal areas, recreation areas, former battlefields, and military installations.

History

Initially, there was no centralized service for overseeing national parks, and the Ministry of the Interior managed each one separately. Businessman Stephen Mather and his colleague Horace McFarland proposed the creation of a single agency to oversee the country’s natural and historical treasures. They were joined by journalist Robert S. Yard, and a large public awareness campaign was launched. As a result, the bill creating the NPS was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25th, 1916. This is why National Park Service Founders Day is celebrated on this day.

Interesting facts

The NPS encourages visits to national parks. Many of them have created networks of special trails for visitors that meet safety requirements. Before visiting, select the trails suitable for you on the park website. Some of them may be difficult for inexperienced hikers, but there are specially designed trails that you can visit even if you are visually impaired or use a wheelchair!

How to take part

• Visit one of the national parks in your country, or in a country you’re visiting. There are 63 national parks in the USA, and many other countries have beautiful natural areas protected by the state.
• If you know NPS employees, congratulate them on their professional holiday.
• Become an NPS Volunteer to be personally involved in the conservation of protected areas. Suggest it to your friends on social networks; use the #Npsfundersday hashtag.

When is National Park Service Founders Day celebrated in 2024?

National Park Service Founders Day is observed on August 25 each year.

Observations