With over 400 national parks throughout the country, it's important to celebrate them! This year, National Park Week is happening from April 22 to April 30 with the theme of "Your Park Story." Each day of National Park Week has its special topic that aligns with the overall theme. Examples of those special topics include:
- April 22 - Your park story about connection
- April 24 - Your park story about accomplishment
- April 27 - Your park story about ingenuity
- April 29 - Your park story about fun
- April 30 - Your park story about love
National Park Week 2023
National Park Week stems from the National Park Service (NPS) and its work to celebrate and appreciate the U.S. national parks. The National Park Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, was created in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson through the "Organic Act." The Act states that:
"The Service thus established shall promote and regulate the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments and reservations…by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
The National Park Service aims to safeguard all parks through the help of partners and volunteers and establish areas as parks. The first national park was Yellowstone, as it was put under federal protection in March 1, 1872. Since then, hundreds have followed including:
As part of National Park Week, NPS is hosting various events and programs. On the first day, April 22nd, NPS will be having an Entrance Fee Free Day for all national parks and will be celebrating Earth Day. Also on the 22nd, NPS is celebrating ParkRX Day, which is "a day for people to get out and celebrate the healing power of parks and the great outdoors and to show support for the growing ParkRx movement of healthcare providers referring patients to nature and parks for their health." On April 25th, NPS is hosting a Young Conservation Leaders Virtual Event where they will be discussing sustainability and environmental justice. Finally, they are also highlighting April 29th as National Junior Ranger Day for kids everywhere.
Earth Day
This year, National Park Week is starting on Earth Day! On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated with over 20 million people participating nationwide. The celebration "encourages education and stewardship of the planet's natural resources." It was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson, and later that year, Congress created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA accomplishes their mission to protect human health and the environment by:
- Developing and enforcing regulations
- Give grants
- Study environmental issues
- Sponsor partnerships
- Teach about the environment
- Publish information
Oklahoma Earth Day Events
There are a variety of events happening throughout the state of Oklahoma to celebrate Earth Day. They are all on April 22nd and include:
- Earth Day Fest | 9am-1pm | Love's Travel Stops Great Lawn OKC
- Local partners and vendors will be set up and tons of educational activities
- OptOutside Oklahoma | 12pm-5pm | Myriad Botanical Gardens OKC
- Inspire people to go outside and reconnect with nature
- Tulsa Earth Day Festival | 12pm-7pm | Guthrie Green Tulsa
- Features speakers, educational booths, live music, and more
Oklahoma State University is also hosting a couple of fun events surrounding the environment and Earth Day!
- Earth Fest | April 18, 1pm-4pm | Student Union Amphitheater
- Hosted by the SGA Sustainability Board
- Picnic & Cleanup | April 20, 5:30pm | Teal Ridge
- Hosted by the Environmental Science Club
- STW Arts Festival | April 21, 12pm-8pm | Prairie Arts Center
- Earth Month Art Contest | April 21 deadline
- Submit artwork related to the mission of Earth Month for a chance to win
Extra Resources
The Department of Interior's blog highlights the top moments in NPS history.
Get a quick rundown of the National Park Service here!
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