Protecting Our Parks

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The recent buzz of building new infrastructure—from data centers to apartment complexes—has sparked concern over open land in communities all across the United States. In today’s edition of The Environmental Edit we will explore some of America’s most important landmarks—our parks—by providing examples of specific parks across the nation that provide to communities and ecosystems in incredible ways.

Local Parks are commonly owned by the city that they are established in; they provide walking trails, playgrounds, and fields for recreational sports. Local Parks provide a place for community members to exercise, socialize, and enjoy being outdoors. The importance of these green spaces is emphasized in the 100,000+ local neighborhood parks in the United States alone.

The example we will use today in Central Park in New York City—one of the if not the most well-known local park in the world. Central Park is located in the heart of Manhattan and spans 843 acres and 50 city blocks. Each year 42 million people will visit central park; making it a must-do when visiting New York City.

Central Park also contributes to cleaner air in an air-polluted hotspot. There are more than 18,000 trees that work nonstop cooling and cleaning the air. Central Park is also the home to various native plant and animal species; strengthening the city’s biodiversity.

State Parks are different than local parks in that they conserve larger areas of land but are similar in how they provide recreation. They often shield historic landmarks, unique geological formations, and vital local waterways from expanding commercial developers.

An exceptional example is Adirondack Park in New York. Though managed with a unique state and private mix, it stands as the largest state-protected area in the contiguous United States, swallowing up a massive 6 million acres! That is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Glacier National Parks combined.

The Adirondacks contain more than 10,000 lakes and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams. This massive footprint serves as a giant ecological safety net, filtering freshwater for millions of people and providing a contiguous, uninterrupted habitat for native wildlife like black bears and moose to roam freely without hitting major highways.

National Parks are the heavyweights of federal preservation. These are sprawling, federally protected lands managed by the National Park Service, strictly designated by Congress to protect completely unaltered ecosystems and spectacular natural wonders.

To see their ecological power in action, we look at Yellowstone National Park, which spans 2.2 million acres across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Yellowstone is a global biodiversity fortress, acting as a crucial sanctuary for the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states, including grizzly bears, wolves, and the oldest herd of wild American bison.

Beyond saving wildlife, these massive national parks act as incredible "carbon sinks." Their vast, ancient forests absorb millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere every single year, serving as our planet’s natural lungs and one of our strongest defenses against global climate change.

In the end, whether it is a small playground down your street or a million-acre wilderness out west, every single park matters. As our cities expand and the demand for new infrastructure climbs, protecting these lands is a constant battle. Parks prove that we don't just need places to build; we need untouched spaces to breathe.

Earlier this month, President Trump signed official proclamations dramatically shrinking both the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in southern Utah.

The directives slash both protected sites by roughly 90%, cutting their boundaries down to a combined total of less than 303,000 acres. This marks an incredibly deep cut to federal land protections and has immediately sparked intense concern from conservation groups. Environmental organizations warn that opening these adjacent public lands to corporate development could severely disrupt wildlife migration corridors and threaten irreplaceable cultural sites.

What year did the US National Park Service officially become established?

A. 1776

B. 1916

C. 1872

D. 1950

Correct answer at the end of the newsletter!

You don’t have to manage a million-acre national forest to help protect open green spaces! The most direct way to support your local parks is simply through your foot traffic and your wallet.

When you are out exploring your community trails, always practice the "Leave No Trace" golden rule. Pack out every single piece of trash you bring in and stick strictly to marked paths to stop soil erosion and avoid trampling delicate native plants.

Want to do even more? Look up your city's local park website and sign up for a volunteer trail clean-up day. If you are visiting a National Park this summer, consider buying a park pass or purchasing a souvenir from their official visitor center. The revenue goes directly toward critical trail maintenance and wildlife conservation funds, helping shield these pristine landscapes from deteriorating!

That will wrap up this week’s edition of The Environmental Edit. I hope this sparked some appreciation for the green spaces right outside your front door! The answer was B! President Woodrow Wilson officially signed the act creating the National Park Service in 1916, ensuring that our country's natural wonders would be protected for generations to come. Though Yellowstone was named the very first national park earlier in 1872, it didn't have an official, dedicated agency to protect it until 1916. Be sure to share this newsletter with a friend who loves hiking or camping to inspire their next outdoor adventure! Have a fantastic rest of your day, and go get some fresh air!