Protecting the Parks
While the parks movement was big in the early twentieth century, Elton explains that baby boomers "grew to expect that our parks would always be there; we thought our policy makers would understand they are a fabric of the American experience. We didn't think we'd have to advocate for them."
"As a result park budgets, staffing and improvements are looked at as niceties instead of necessities."
That, combined with a technology-dependent society and a lifestyle that leads to obesity and increased attention deficit disorder, makes the task of reigniting the parks movement that much more essential, and that much more difficult.
Elton knows that if he wants to impart change and make an impact, it has to start with the younger generation.
"I recognize I'm not the future of this—or any—movement," Elton says. "Millenials are."
Which is why he's a big fan of the Ambassador Program, a youth-led movement that promotes state parks and encourages a healthy, outdoor lifestyle. Ambassadors (16-28 year olds) pledge to:
- Visit parks
- Engage in park activities like hiking, kayaking and horseback riding
- Blog about their experiences
- Share photos and videos through their social networks
- And post on state parks web pages
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It's Elton's hope that enthusiasm among the younger generation will help create lasting impressions and a more deeply rooted commitment to preserving the parks. It's when you're exposed to these experiences at a young age that appreciation for nature is instilled. It becomes a part of who you are.
What Can You Do
Elton encourages older generations to "get the young people out in the parks." He says, "It will help them understand how vast and beautiful this country is and it will get them exposed to the outdoor activities and how much fun they are."
