Nature Tech Family

The federal government has approved new border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas, including stretches that would directly affect Big Bend National Park. Historically, Big Bend has not had a continuous border wall.

Protecting America's Wild and Scenic Rivers Rivers make life possible. Wild and Scenic Rivers are our healthiest, cleanest, most intact waterways — protected for their beauty, natural and cultural significance, and recreational value. They prov...

Wild & Scenic designation is the strongest tool to protect rivers in the nation. However, today, only about 12,000 miles of rivers are protected as Wild and Scenic. That’s less than 1 percent of rivers in the U.S.

🌊 Learn more: www.americanrivers.org/threats-solu...

New research reveals how wildfires can be leveraged to increase forest resilience. By working with nature, we can create more fire-resistant forests and reduce the impact of high-severity fires. It's time to work with nature, not against it! https://nature.ly/4s3Kofb

Sorry about the glitch on #ParkChat last night but I’m back up on @bsky.app Let’s try it again next week with @campingkiddos.bsky.social

@naturetechfam.bsky.social

Just another plug for my upcoming trip along Route 66 and then to the Outer Banks with an all-electric RV. Be sure to follow if you want to come along for the journey!

A11 #parkchat I’ll be in Yellowstone doing three “Inspired by Yellowstone” artist shows this summer: in early May and late July at Old Faithful Inn, and early August at Lake Hotel. If you happen to be in the park, please come by and say hello and check out my “Wonderland Beadwork”

Parkchat promo image showing 4 iconic parks and the host logos with Wednesdays at 9pm ET listed.

A12 #ParkChat Next week we welcome a new host @campingkiddos.bsky.social to the host seat! Please join us again, 9pm ET.

#parkchat When we see kiddos coming to the ranger desk with their completed books, hubs and I like to stick around to hoot and holler for them after they’re sworn in, and we volunteer to take a family photo for them!

a beaver standing in the grass near a body of water with a stick in its mouth Alt: a beaver standing in the grass near a body of water with a stick in its mouth

A5: According to the book we're reading in our #ParkChat book club, it could very well be beaver habitat! Apparently beavers could help us with climate change and drought! The book is "Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter" by Ben Goldfarb.

This is very well put. Thank you! 👌 #parkchat

A9 some things, some places, are irreplaceable.

People who came before us chose preservation over profit. Long term over short term. Greater good over self.

Had these people not thought 150+ years in advance for us, what would we have now? Something very different.

#parkchat

A book cover with the title: Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb. It has a tan background with red and black lettering with a black beaver icon under the title.

The 2026 #ParkChat Book Club List. Feb/Mar Eager Beavers, Apr/May Ranger in Skirts, Jun/Jul Sea of Grass, Aug/Sep The Story of my Boyhood, Oct/Nov Our National Forests, Dec/Jan Wild Girls.

A12.2: #ParkChat Book Club is very much enjoying Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter (by @bengoldfarb.bsky.social). Learn about Beaver Deceivers, Beaver Whisperers, and the role beavers play in nature. Our second meeting is Tue, 3/17 at 5 PM Pacific. DM me for deets.

Absolutely. ❤️ #parkchat

A Junior Angler badge from Voyageurs NP.

The not-so-junior rangers booklet and medallion from Homestead

A10 #ParkChat Tough question, but if I had to say something that applies to EVERY park.... I'd say -- the Junior Ranger experience. Because I love seeing kids working towards it, I love seeing kids getting "sworn in" and I love doing my own versions to get my own badges. 😃

Stop Selloff Steve

A12.1: Former Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) is in the confirmation process for head of the Bureau of Land Management. There, he'll oversee 245M acres of public lands and push to private them (sell them). Check out the VetVoice Foundation 's website and take swift action: SellOffSteve.org #ParkChat

Please give Sam a heart-felt thanks for his moving questions tonight! Thanks so much for taking the reigns on #parkchat again, friend! 🙌🏼🙌🏼 @59nationalparks.bsky.social

😭 #parkchat 🫠

#parkchat Q11 and Q12
Does anyone have a question for @samahill.bsky.social tonight?
And does anyone have an announcement or something to share with the group?

SFGATE | Parklands Newsletter Your essential guide to national parks, straight to your inbox.

We’ve also got a great newsletter you can sign up for! It’s focused on the West and can be a bit California heavy some days, but still a great resource for paying attention to public lands. www.sfgate.com/newsletters/...

#parkchat

That's all from me, #parkchat! Thanks for chatting tonight.

Be sure to check out @sfgate.com's park coverage and follow my fantastic colleagues: @thatsmohrlikeit.bsky.social, @scattercushion.bsky.social (who is going to host soon, I think) and @ashleyharrell.bsky.social.

A10 #parkchat the “entering” signs. I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders when I see a park’s entry signage.

A NPS ranger at Arches NP looks over a young boy's junior ranger boom with him, talking about the answers he wrote down.

#parkchat A10 a smiling ranger face at the door waiting to share their passion with you and answer your questions. No AI will ever provide that to us.

Q10: What experience should never disappear from a visit to a national park — no matter how much the world changes? #parkchat

If they have the money for the latest tech, then the parking situation would be spotless and ample. Lol 😉 #parkchat

An educational sign about climate change at Acadia National Park.

A3: National parks should be allowed to continue educating the public on environmental issues (rather than being censored by current political figures). Educational exhibits in the parks legitimize the message. #ParkChat

I love this. 🥰 #parkchat

A2: I think many parks could benefit from a more robust public transportation system. We force everyone into cars and then complain about the traffic and parking? We're going to end up there eventually, let's be thoughtful about how to make it delightful. Imagine the possibilities!

#parkchat

I have had the exact opposite experience.

We are ramping up in CA and the turn out is great. Folks like National Parks Conservation Association, CalWild, CA Native Plant Society, VetVoice Foundation, etc. #ParkChat

A8. Selling off the land, loss of funding, reduction in staff, removal of protected status.
I'm worried, quite frankly.
Note to the future: don't ever take things for granted.
#ParkChat

This includes the new proposed head of NPS who has a huge conflict of privatization interests and the head of DOI who doesn't value the NPS. #parkchat