Amid the coronavirus outbreak, many of the national parks are temporarily closed. However, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate National Park Week while "parked at home," as the Park Service puts it.
"National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park," according to the Park Service's website. "Parks across the country host a variety of special programs and events with a focus on digital experiences in 2020."
To help participants keep track of the digital events, the Park Service has made a checklist of "20 virtual ideas for 2020."
Here is a sampling of ways to celebrate National Park Week virtually:
- Take a virtual visit: For starters, you can find your virtual park. A full list of virtual visits can be found here. Or, check out a calendar of virtual live tours here.
- Share your memories: You can reminisce on past visits to national parks. The Park Service is inviting folks to use the hashtags #NationalParkWeek, #FindYourVirtualPark, #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque when posting pictures of the parks on social media.
- Earn ranger badges: Young ones, or the young at heart, can take this opportunity to become a junior ranger. New this year, the junior ranger online program features "digitized booklets and activities for at-home fun" to earn badges while learning about nature and park history.
- Celebrate Earth Day: On Wednesday, celebrations around the world will mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The Park Service is offering a variety of online activities for "citizen scientists."
- Explore your own neck of the woods: Across the country, NPS has sites beyond just the major parks to explore. Take a gander at the National Register of Historic Places, national historic landmarks, national natural landmarks, national recreation trails, and national heritage areas lists to find something in your neck of the woods to learn more about.
A full list of digital activities from the National Park service can be found on its website.
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