Today is National Park Founders Day. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act. This federal law established the National Parks Service (NPS) and put all the national parks and monuments under one department. At the time, there were 14 national parks, but today, that number has grown to 61. If you can, try to get out and enjoy one this week! NPS and the National Parks Foundation offer a neat tool called Find Your Park to help you find a national park that matches up with your interests, or that is located close to you (or both!). Texas has 14 areas to visit, including Padre Island National Seashore, which is the longest area of undeveloped barrier island in the world, and the San Antonio Missions, right here in town. The San Antonio Mission Trail allows you to see history and nature in a beautiful setting by bike or by foot. Be sure to take plenty of water and make time to rest in the shade if you go during these hot summer months!
BiblioTech also offers resources to help you learn about the national parks and enjoying the great outdoors.
- On the BiblioTech cloudLibrary app:
- Take a tour of all the parks with Lonely Planet's National Parks of America
- Read A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the Nation's First National Park
- We also have lots of books to help you amp up your camping or hiking skills!
- On the RBdigital app you can check out these amazing magazines:
- We also have a neat historical collection about the national parks (like the poster that illustrates this post!) on our BiblioBoard app.
Whether you are headed to a city park or national park this week, enjoy the great outdoors and, as always, enjoy your BiblioTech Public Library resources!