Pretty Neat: New 'Find Your Park' Site Launched by National Park Service

Photo: Findyourpark.com

Hanging out around Newton and thinking it’s a good day to go to the park? There’s a new site where you can plug in your whereabouts, and it shows you the nearest one - and facts about that park, with others sharing their stories about it.

This week, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation launched Find Your Park, “a public awareness and education campaign celebrating the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and setting the stage for the next 100 years,” according to a press release.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Mrs. Laura Bush are serving as honorary co-chairs to promote the celebration of the 2016 centennial and to encourage people to connect with their favorite parks and public lands.

The goal of Find Your Park is to urge the public to see national parks as more than “places,” as they can be a source of pride and a wonderful escape for the mind.

“I am thrilled to be serving as the honorary co-chair of the National Parks Centennial Celebration with First Lady Laura Bush,” said First Lady Michelle Obama in a release. “Since the launch of Let’s Move! Outside in 2010, the National Park Foundation has been encouraging kids and families to get active, get outside, and take advantage of America’s great outdoors. I look forward to celebrating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary and encouraging people across the country to ‘Find Your Park,’ whether it’s in your backyard, in your hometown, or in one of our beautiful national parks.”

“From Acadia National Park on the East Coast, to Yosemite on the West; from Glacier National Park in the North, to Big Bend in the South; I’ve collected national parks like stamps. I’ve even lived in a national park, the White House,” said Laura Bush in the release. “Our national parks are the treasures of our country. I am happy to celebrate 100 years of America’s best idea, our national parks. I invite all Americans to join me in Find Your Park.”

According to a study conducted for the National Park Foundation, only 38 percent are familiar with the organization, though 80 percent have heard of the name.

The Foundation oversees 407 national parks.

“As we approach the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service, this is a perfect time for all Americans – especially young people – to Find Your Park, from neighborhood parks to national parks and all public lands in between,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell in a release.

Try it out here.