Earlier this week, while blankly going through social media, I came across a post that stopped my scrolling in its tracks. It was a post made by a National Park ranger who had been laid off, allegedly due to his lack of qualifications.
This was how I found out about the National Park budget cuts, leading to the layoffs of 1,000 National Pak Service employees.
I’m not quite sure why this particular news story stuck in my head longer after putting my phone down and going about my day. But, it led me to reflect on the many connections and memories in my life that have revolved around the nature and parks of the East Bay.
I grew up visiting Garin Regional Park in Hayward where my siblings and I would explore the Red Barn Visitor Center. The center had maps of the park trails, posters of animals and greenery of the area and historical photos of the land. We’d usually walk out with mood rings or a new shiny stone for our collection.
Lake Chabot in Castro Valley has been where my family has celebrated Easter for, at least the last 35 years. Once we have our hamburgers and hot dogs, we take a long walk around the lake, fish or rent pedal boats to race each other.
Studies have shown that regular positive experiences with nature during childhood helps create empathy and connection with the natural world around children. Having a close connection with nature leads them to care, appreciate and respect nature around them as adults.
With the National Park budget cuts, many services and programs have been affected. It has been reported that visitor center hours will be shortened and there will be fewer activities available. Many National Parks have specialized kids activities which includes the Junior Ranger program where children take an oath to learn and care about the parks.
With so many technological distractions, like phones, tablets and computers, it seems this is the most crucial time to guide children toward their natural environment and give them the opportunity to appreciate it.
Luckily for us in the Tri-City area, reconnecting with greenery, lakes and hills is not difficult with the East Bay Regional Park system. From Sunol to Martinez, there is an opportunity to escape from hectic routines and noise—either solo or with family. The EBRPD offers endless educational programs where kids have a chance to learn about different animal species, go on group hikes or even sit for story time and nature writing.
Removing these programs may seem inconsequential, but with the love and respect that children gain from activities like this, we are ensuring that there will be a new generation of environmental advocates to preserve the land that people hundreds of years ago fought hard to protect.
