Advocate for OUR National Parks & Public Lands!

Scroll directly to the bottom if you are seeking tangible ways to make a difference!  If you are new to this information, please read the entire blog.

If you've been following us for awhile, you know that educating and inspiring others to enjoy and learn about the natural world, living and traveling more sustainably, sharing our own story about making a huge life change, and bringing joy to others through visual imagery and storytelling are what keeps Freedom in a Can rolling down the road.  

We try to keep negative news out of our posts as there is so much of that in other places. But, after the abuse of federal power that's been ravaging our democracy for the past couple of months AND flies in the face of nearly everything we stand for and value, we simply had to speak out about the random acts of reckless UN-kindness that are happening across our country right now!  

The sweeping changes enacted by our current federal government are NOT acts of efficiency, they are acts of intimidation and terrorism. They are seeking to destroy what has been described by many as "America's Best Idea" and is one of the major economic engines of our country.  After exploring nearly every national park in the nation, we concur that these places are indeed some of the best things about America.

Thousands of federal employees have been fired with zero notice to their supervisors -- leaving them without jobs and healthcare to support their families AND our cherished public lands at severe risk!  While there has been a recent court order that has allowed many of those park employees to return to their jobs, their budgets have been slashed.  Additionally, legislation has been introduced that will allow oil drilling and mining to take place within our parks. We are gravely concerned that this chaos will have very negative consequences for many decades to come. 

If you too are feeling equally frustrated or helpless (or just want to scream at the top of your lungs)...PLEASE READ ON!

“This chaotic whiplash is no way to manage the Park Service, especially as they are welcoming 

millions of visitors right now. This administration needs to stop playing games with the

future of our national parks." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President & CEO

Many of these crucial federal employees work to protect and preserve America's National Park System, US Forest Service lands, Bureau of Land Management lands, USDA regulations, and more. Prior to this madness, the National Park Service already operated on a 1 paid staff member to 20 volunteers ratio, continuously struggles to keep up with growing visitor numbers, and has an enormous backlog of maintenance projects.  

Bottomline...the NPS simply cannot afford more staffing cuts at this time!

Did you know?  

In 2024, 325.5 million park visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions while visiting National Park Service lands across the country. These expenditures supported a total of 415 thousand jobs, $19.4 billion in labor income, $32.0 billion in value added, and $55.6 billion in economic output in the national economy. (NPS Website)

So, What Can YOU Do?

It's up to ALL of us to STOP this chaos!  Here are a few tangible ways to stay informed and become a part of the solution:

• Read: Read articles written by the National Parks Conservation Association, NPR, and USA Today.
  
  
• Connect: Join the Facebook group Alt National Park Service or on Instagram at Resistance Rangers and National Park Travelers to connect with others who are passionately speaking out about our public lands and keeping American's informed of recent changes.
  
  
• Protest: Participate in group protests happening at NPS sites across the country!  These protests are also often announced on the social media groups listed above.
  
  
• Volunteer: Check out some of the great opportunities to give your time and skills to the NPS and other underfunded federal agencies. It's up to us to preserve these places for our grandchildren's grandchildren.  WE own them, NOT our government!
  
  
• Advocate: Contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. Congress Members to advocate for your parks by expressing your thoughts and opinions about these current events.
  
  
• Share: Tell others about what's going on and provide tangible ways they can help out.

• Donate:  If you have the financial means, please consider donating to the National Park Foundation and/or the National Park Conservation Association.  These nonprofit organizations support national park programs and visitor services.
  
  
• Protect:  If you visit a national park during this chaos, take extra special care, be extra patient with rangers and other visitors, pick up any trash, clean up after yourself at campgrounds, in restrooms, and simply Leave No Trace.