Since its creation in 1916, the National Park Service (NPS) has protected and preserved America’s natural and cultural heritage. From nurturing endangered species to forging friendships with private organizations, the agency has spent nearly a century safeguarding an impressive 84-million-acre collection of lands. But today, a trend is emerging that impacts the future of parks—many traditional visitors are aging. With visitation growing and park fundraising groups more popular than ever, does the graying of park fans and supporters really matter?
In earlier times, national parks were the cherished places where Sunday picnics and family vacations unfolded. Now, the Internet, digital games, and cable television, coupled with rising obesity and declining outdoor recreation, mean that national parks are not as familiar to younger generations. Children’s disconnect from nature is a disturbing realization and books like Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods highlight the increasing number of kids who don’t know how to climb a tree or identify a tadpole. With such a trajectory, will our population care about wilderness in 50 years and still provide the financial support that is critical to the future of our park system? Carolyn Richard, Grand Teton’s chief of interpretation warns, “If you don’t go to national parks, how will you understand them? If you don’t understand them, why will you care about them and want to protect them?”
The NPS has long worked to attract young visitors and park staff who will share the story of parks and more accurately reflect the changing face of America. Grand Teton reaches youth with its Junior Ranger program as well as kid-centric visitor center exhibits, and the Youth Conservation Program (YCP), a teen work-and-learn crew that rehabilitates trails, is five seasons strong. Richard says Grand Teton’s efforts to increase ethnic diversity, however, have not achieved similar success. Until now.
The Children in Nature Multicultural Engagement Program, made possible with $25,000 from National Park Foundation and $25,000 from Grand Teton National Park Foundation, has reenergized the park’s efforts to engage Jackson’s growing Latino community. The program debuted in late March with two weeks of spring break programming for approximately 26 teens and tweens. Three weeks of summer programming will reach an additional 39 kids. Both sessions bring Teton Science Schools, Teton County School District, Teton County Library, and other park partners together to identify, encourage, and welcome the young Latino population.
“We hope to open doors—doors that lead to understanding the park as well as doors that may channel kids toward career opportunities,” Richard said. The program blends recreation, interpretation, and mentorship into a fun, engaging program and incorporates participants’ families at the end of each week. “We think mentoring and leadership is a great skill set to have. We hope it’s a way to get the kids thinking about a leadership role in the park.”
With support from Grand Teton National Park Foundation’s donors, YCP and the multicultural program are reaching a younger, more diverse audience and helping Grand Teton lay the groundwork that will influence good decisions about national parks in the future. “Every time you have an opportunity to connect with others,” Richard says, “you have an opportunity to create future park stewards.”
Interested in supporting youth programs in Grand Teton? Contact Leslie Mattson at 307-732-0629.
