Starry Night in the Dark Sky

Jane Taylor's simple rhyme from 1806 still hold true here, now 220 years later. There's nothing like a sparkling star-filled sky above, especially here in the summer. Of course, how much are any of us seeing in our neighborhoods given the light pollution we all encounter.

But imagine what all we would see in deep dark sky. DarkSky International is dedicated to helping you find that. On their website they have over 270 certified Dark Sky Places in 22 countries listed, ready and waiting for you to help you see the stars and all that nighttime nature that thrives under dark skies.

Makes you want to go out stargazing. Find the darkest place you can, or check out a Dark Sky Places to find a Dark Sky Sanctuary, Reserve, Park, Community, or Urban Night Sky Place near you. 

Twinkle Twinkle Image from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQOWkxTz-A, Protect the Night Image created using Perplexity.ai with this prompt: Use this website to create an infographic about the importance of dark sky locations that are free of light pollution: https://darksky.org/

Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity

I am a firm believer of "representation matters." 

I ran across this Field Mag article on the Children & Nature Facebook page, and felt it was the perfect follow up to my pride Month post: "Pride Month: Out In the Wild." In the article, aptly named "28 LGBTQ+ Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity in Nature," you get the location, mission, structure, Instagram page, and a donation link to 28 LGBTQ+ friendly organizations. The list is divided into both national organizations and regional groups.

Additionally, from Children & Nature's "LGBTQIA+ Youth & The Importance of Safe, Outdoor Spaces Stat Sheet" (see the side bar on this page), these statistics further emphasize why both representation and finding affinity groups is important: 

• 5% US high school teens are questioning their gender identity.
• 9.5% US teens (aged 13-17) identify as gay, bisexual, or transgender
• LGBTQ+ teens are twice as likely to feel sad, depressed, or a sense of hopelessness than their straight peers.
• 52% people aged 14-24 identified spending time in nature as improving their sense of calm and overal mental health.
• Suicide attempts are 2.5 times higher among LGBTQ+ teens who do NOT feel they are respected for their identity and pronouns than their LGBTQ peers who are.

So what are you into? Hiking? Camping? Adventure trips? Surfing? Snowboarding? Skateboarding? Climbing? Outdoor education? Communing with nature? Connection with a view? Community with a social justice slant? Environmental stewardship? If you are in LGBTQ+ and in need of finding "your people," definitely check out Field Mag's article "28 LGBTQ+ Outdoor Groups Supporting & Celebrating Diversity in Nature." 

Honoring & supporting pride should not be merely one month!

Image from https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/lgbtq-outdoor-groups-nonprofits

Pride Month: Out In the Wild

June. Pride Month. A time to honor our right to joy, resilience, and a reminder

that we all have the right to be free and to be our own personal selves. 

Nothing in nature asks for permission to grow--nor should we feel like

we have to ask for similar permission.

 

Pride month is a month of identity. It's biodiversity in human form. It's a good time to grapple with deeper questions like: Who gets to feel safe? Who gets to be seen? Who gets to belong? The answer is--we all deserve that right. 

The waving rainbow flags are pretty and the parades and events can be entertaining. But more importantly, they are empowering. Just as the planet needs biodiversity to thrive, so do we as humans. There's no thriving in nature on sameness. We need the richness of diversity to keep our food webs and habitats healthy; in doing so, we keep our plants and animal species from becoming endangered or extinct. Our wild variety is what maintains our environmental resilience. Our communities and cultures, like our ecosystems, are the healthiest and most vibrant when varied and diverse. Skin colors, sexual/gender orientations, religious beliefs, and all the differences in between. 

Nature seemingly is neutral--and yet, that isn't always the reality. Politics have creeped into environmental issues in more ways than one--and with the onset of social media, there's certainly way too much politics.

Additionally, the outdoor world isn't as gender-non-specific as you'd imagine. A lot of the outdoor industry is geared to straight, white males. That can make it hard for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) folks to feel comfortable out in nature. Instead, they can feel more "outsiders" than "out in nature-ers." Outdoor spaces may not always feel safe--both physically and as a place to feel emotionally safe to be out and openly queer. Hate crimes are real, and sadly, LGBTQ+ people are at a higher risk of being victims of these.  People not only deserve safe places, but they want and need to feel included, represented, and like they are a part of a community of like-minded individuals...where they are surrounded by connection versus limitations, segregation, or exclusion.

Along those lines, representation and seeing yourself in certain circumstances matter. People matter. Everyone's uniqueness matters. The right to feel comfortable in spaces where you want to be...they matter. Everyone is entitled to the right to be comfortable in their own skin, living a life that works for them, being treated with kindness and respected for who they are. Outdoors or environmental education affinity groups can help to build a more inclusive outdoors, as can the knowledge, the acceptance, and the intersection of LGBTQ+ pride along with racial or environmental justice and outdoor recreation too.

There’s a growing field of study known as Queer Ecology.  Queer Ecology counters the assumption that nature is rigid or binary. There's a lot of fluidity out there in nature: species that change sex (clownfish and slipper limpets) and same-sex partner paired animals (penguins, bonobos monkeys), and male-birthing seahorses. Imagine if we had that level of openness in our human species and greater communities.

So maybe for the remainder of this Pride Month, now that schools are out and kids, teens, and grown-ups alike are all out and about, playing outside more than before, we can celebrate not only the healthiness of nature's biodiveristy but that of our human kind too. Inviting anyone to climb trees, hike trails, and find their space and place in nature, in a safe way, in a welcoming way, in an everyday way!

For more resources that embrace the intersection of pride, planet, environmental & social justice, check out the following:

• National Forest Foundations' article: These LGBTQIA+ Leaders are Creating Space for Pride Outdoors

• Sierra Club's article:  Out, Proud, & Outdoors: 5 Organizations that Help Members of the Queer Community Experience the Outdoors 

• Pride Outside's resource page: Organizations and Initiatives Connecting the LGBTQ Community and the Outdoors

• National Park Foundation's article: Finding Pride Outside: The LGBTQ Community is Overcoming Barriers, Finding Joy, Sharing History, and Creating Space Outdoors

• Children & Nature's Celebrating Pride Month (which includes links to many resources, organizations, and inspirational stories)

• Muddy Paddle Club's post: Why We Need Pride in Outdoor Learning

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Postscript:

This Pride Month post was already in the works when this past Wednesday's decision came out that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is closing the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s LGBTQ+ Youth Specialized Services program, effective July 17, 2025 (30 days after the announcement).

Timing, as they say, is always everything.

Given this, please take note if you or a loved one need these of a crisis lifeline service, the Trevor Project is here for you. The Trevor Project provides advocacy, affirmation, eduation, and crisis support 24/7 for LGBTQ+ youth. Crisis services include:  

• Lifeline—The only national 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ+ young people under age 25, available at 1-866-488-7386.

• Chat—A 24/7 free instant messaging service for LGBTQ+ youth that provides live help from trained counselors, open daily.

• Text—A 24/7 free service through which LGBTQ+ young people can text a trained counselor of The Trevor Project for support and crisis intervention, available daily by texting START to 678678.

• To learn more, go to the Trevor Project's website.

"Biodiversity" image from https://www.muddypuddleclub.co.uk/post/why-we-need-pride-in-outdoor-learning; "Our Minds Matter" from https://ourmindsmatter.org/2022/05/31/lgbtq-minds-matter/, "It's Pride Month" image from https://www.nathab.com/blog/wild-about-pride-the-nature-of-belonging; Trevor Project logo from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/; Pride Month quote picture created at www.canva.com using their Magic Media tools

President Jimmy Carter's Environmental Achievements

With his passing on December 29th at the age of 100, his funeral on January 9th, and his body being in the DC U.S. Capitol this week for people to pay their final respects, President Jimmy Carter and his legacy have been very much in the news. Rightfully so. 

In addition to being a man of high ethics, strong faith, and moral integrity, he was an avid environmentalist and conservationist. He was a state senator and governor of Georgia and later our 39th President. He was the first and only president to live to 100.  

At the time of his presidency from 1977-1981, he was faced with a lot of challenges with the economy, oil embargo, and the Iran Hostage situation. Ronald Reagan did a major sweep of the 1980 election due largely in part to those two pieces. Yet Carter's legacy lived on for 44 years past his presidency. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for "his decades of untiring efforts to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” He was dedicated to Habitat for Humanity and in 2017 he used 10 acres of his land to supply solar panels which provide electricity for about half of Plains, Georgia.

Growing up on a family farm in rural Georgia, Carter had ties to both his community and the land. He was a charter member of the Georgia Conservancy in 1967.

Some of President Carter's achievements while he was in the White House include:

• Creating the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Atlanta in 1978.
• Installing solar panels on the White House in 1979 (which were later removed by President Reagan).
• Predicting the perils of use of fossil fuels and setting a goal of obtaining 20% of our energy from renewable resources by 2000. (Sadly, this did not come to pass.)
• Establishing The Alaska National Lands Conservation Act of 1980 federally expanded 157 million acres of protected lands which doubled the size of the National Park System. This stands as the largest act of expansion of its kind in history.
• Signing "15 major pieces of environmental legislation, including the first toxic waste cleanup and the first fuel-economy standards. His two major legislative accomplishments, the National Energy Act of 1978 and the Energy Security Act of 1980, transformed the energy landscape of America."
• Directing the National Academy of Sciences to analyze the greenhouse effects, becoming the first leader worldwide to view climate change seriously.

These are all the making of a great human being who has accomplished incredible things in his life time.

We thank you President Carter for your service. 

To read more, check out these articles, where I researched this post:

• NPR: Jimmy Carter's Environmental Legacy Set the Foundation for Today's Climate Action by Jeff Brady (12/29/24)
• Rolling Stone: Jimmy Carter: America's Greatest Environmental President by Jeff Goodell (12/29/24)
• CBS:  POLITICS For Jimmy Carter, protecting environment was an "exhilarating" challenge by Cara Korte (12/29/24)
• Yale Environment 360: Unheralded Environmentalist: Jimmy Carter’s Green Legacy by Kai Bird (3/29/23)
• Georgia Conservancy : Celebrating the Environmental Legacy of President Jimmy Carter

Quote image created canvas.com with quote from https://www.georgiaconservancy.org/president-carter-environmental-legacy, video from https://www.georgiaconservancy.org/president-carter-environmental-legacy

Watching Wildlife

As the weather is growing nicer in a lot of parts, here's some great advice from the National Park Service for anyone who may be out and about, exploring nature and doing some wildlife watching. 

Never forget--you are out in their natural habitat--THEIR zone... so leave them alone!

Video from https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=896DD4B2-2884-4A25-9EDF-DF574214BC22, title art created at Canva.com

Nutty About National Parks

Yes, it is back to school season, but just because the books are out and the classes are filled, that doesn't mean we are at the end of outdoor adventures.

Perfect time to plan ahead for local and state parks near you, and maybe even make some longer adventures to nearby National Parks.

Timing is definitely ideal if you have a 4th grader living in your hours, or if you want to share it with a few of your favorite fourth grade classes!

The Every Kid Outdoors Program started in 2015. It grants outdoor passes for free entry to all US National parks, starting September 1 and remains valid through August 31st the following year. The purpose it to stir up excitement and enthusiasm for our public lands. The only way to be a true steward of the Earth is to learn to love it. Through some research, it was found that 4th grade is the optimal time for that stewardship to grow and blossom. Additionally, the program counters the digital draw of devices and the fact that kids younger and younger are getting sucked into the seductiveness of them. Getting them to unplug and get outside exploring has wins on every front.

Some resources affiliated with Every Kids Outdoors:

• Get your pass here. You can also find educator and parent resources there too. Passes cover all entry and day-use fees/charges and will cover up to 4 adults in the car. (Kids under 15 have free entry to public lands.)
• Additional resources can be found at Teacher Goal's article.

Other websites regarding the bounty and benefits of National Parks:

• Recreation Northwest's article by Tod Elsworth: "3 Key Benefits of National Parks" (4-20-2022)

• Monterey Bay Parents' article by Sandi Schwartz: "Ten Reasons to Take Your Family on a National Park Road Trip" (1-29-2022)

• USA Today's article by Lydia Schrandt: "These are the 10 Oldest National Parks in the United States" (5-11-2021)

• The National Park Service website, especially the teacher resources section

Quote image from Canva.com and Every Kid Outdoors logo from https://everykidoutdoors.gov/about.htm, Nautty about National Parks squirrel image created at Adobe Firefly using thus prompt: cute cartoon squirrel with nut in front of sign that says "national park" advertising the importance of going to national parks with kids.

11 Outdoor Adventures to Have This 4th of July Weekend

July 4th weekend is here! Trying to figure out what to do? Here are 11 ideas on some outdoor adventures (because 11 is the perfect number mathematically, given the holiday's date: 7/4....7 + 4 = 11!) 

Who's to say you need to do just one?! Whatever you do, have a fun one and see if you can get outdoors!

For 39 more ideas on how to spend the weekend, check out Erin Cavoto's article "50 Fun Things to Do on July 4th to Keep the Whole Family Entertained" from The Pioneer Woman's website which inspired today's post and imagry!

Image created from Canva.com.

October Colors Surround

During the fall, it almost seems like every day of October, the colors shift so subtly yet significantly--sometimes changing right before your eyes day by day.

Due to that, I love the visualization on the Fall Foliage Prediction map created by SmokeyMountains.com. By using the sliders on the bottom of the map, you can plan your leaf peeping.

Here's what is predicted nationwide for the week ahead:

Additionally on the website below the interactive map are details as to why leaves turn the colors that they do. It showcases the science and chemistry behind the colors that we see on our leafy trees... and why those same leaves fall to the ground.

Makes you want to get out there to go see them while you can!

Image from https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/ as set for October 17th; quote image created on Canva.com

Cherry Blossom Season

Washington, D.C. is a beautiful city in the spring...especially when the Cherry Blossoms pop. I've been fortunate enough over the years to live close enough to meander about the city just in search of the perfect photo op. This year I didn't make it down there, but my Facebook feed was filled with photos from friends who were able to make it there. Simply Gorgeous! 

If you are like me and can't make it to DC (or don't care to wrestle with the inevitable crowds of everyone else wanting to see the scenic view too), you can find a bunch of photos on the @CherryBlossomWatch's Instagram page or follow the beauty on their Facebook page.

According to Cherry Blossom Watch's website and its work with the National Park Service, peak bloom was predicted to "spring" into floral glory this past week, March 22 to 25th. Historically, the peak occurs around April 4th. While the peak bloom only lasts a few days (depending on weather conditions--especially wind and rain), the Cherry Blossom Festival now runs for almost a month. This year, the festival is from March 20th to April 17th this year. The festival annually is predicted to fall when peak season occurs, however it's always a bit of a guessing game. Late winter warmth can make the blossoms appear earlier, whereas a cooler winter pushes the season later. So it's a science of appearance that only nature truly knows.

The cherry blossom trees were a gift of friendship to the United States from Japan in 1912. The original gift of 3,020 trees were planted around the city, and after careful cultivation through the year, cuttings from these original trees have been replanted to maintain the original genetic line of the trees. Now the iconic blossoming views are around the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial are part of our American culture; and here we are, 110 years later, still enjoying their beauty. 

Given global warming temperatures, the trend of when these trees blossom has been creeping earlier and earlier in the year. National Park Service has been tracking peak bloom dates since 1921. This winter, with the second warmest December on record and mild weather in February and March, the 2022 peak dates have come about a week earlier than the averages over the last 30 years. In fact, this year marks the third year in a row of earlier arrivals than normal. The reason? Warming trends and earlier blooms are a result of a warming planet. Grist.org has an excellent article that goes even deeper into the science of climate change and its effects on the cherry blossoms. The biggest reason that this is a big deal is because of the timetable of when the pollinators mature and can visit and fertilize the flowers... which then affects the timing of the resulting food chain of critters who feed on these pollinators. Further studies on the cherry trees in Japan and their blossoms indicate the same climate trend, where trees in Kyoto, Japan had their earliest blooms ever last year on March 26th, 2021.

This 2016 video created by the National Park Service Climate Change Response Program details the reasons behind the earlier season (along with some amazing views).

Photo from https://cherryblossomwatch.com/peak-bloom-forecast/, Video from https://cherryblossomwatch.com/climate-change-nps/

Tips for Taking Care of Our Hiking Trails

Back in February I shared my friend Holly's Hiking Manifesto. She's been embarking on the 52 Hike Challenge this past year. She had some stunning realizations on one of her recent hikes--Hike 32 that she's allowing me to share here. May her words inspire you to make good decisions while out hiking to help protect the lands as you move through the end of summer & the autumn. Have your hiking adventures keep you and our planet in good shape!

#Hike32 last week was beautiful but also made me very, very sad. 

The state park I have frequented often over the last 2 years has been one of my favorite places to hike when I just want to do a short hike close to home. I've hiked there regularly, and I know the trails there better than I know my way around my neighborhood!

 

But since I started hiking there, I've seen how the trails have changed--especially with increased traffic during the pandemic while people have flocked to outdoor spaces. Each time I visit, the damage and erosion has gotten exponentially worse. It's not that I want to discourage people from getting outside, but I also don't want to contribute to the abuse that some of these areas suffer from with the overcrowding.

If you are recreating outside, please remember if it has rained recently to stick to paved trails when possible. Also, please. please, please stay on the blazed trails! When you stray from the marked paths, you are contributing to the damage and erosion I mentioned earlier! I hiked the same trail I did last week only a month ago, and there were parts of it this trip that were almost unrecognizable because of obvious heavy traffic and people not staying on the path (after just a month!)

If there are faster hikers that you want to allow to pass you, try to step to the side in an area that isn't too fragile. And just step to the side and STOP - don't keep frolicking through the forest off of the path! And if you are the one doing the passing, please avoid just traipsing through the forest on unmarked paths to do it! Wait for the people in front of you to step aside! It's also totally fine and appropriate to ask nicely if you can pass. We're actually all totally capable of sharing the trails in a respectful and responsible way! 

Anyway, for now I think I'll be seeking some less trafficked trails but I will still be making every effort to take care of every trail I set foot on! 

Happy hiking!

Special thanks to my friend Holly for once again sharing your wit and wisdom and love of hiking and the great outdoors. The picture credit goes to Holly! The title photo created at www.canva.com.

Great American Outdoors Act

Things that are important are worth doing, doing well, and spending valuable time on.

Since 1964, 5+ decades worth of time has been spent by members of Congress, environmental activists, businesses, and more to do just that to support the Land & Water Conservation Fund in order to bring the Great American Outdoors Act to fruition. I happen to know one of the key players who was working hard for at least the last eleven years to push through this Act and get it to the President's desk. I know she was doing a lot of celebrating this spring as the bill passed each of the following:

• Introduced in the House of Representatives on March 28, 2019 by the late John Lewis;
• Passed the Senate on June 17th, 2020 by a vote of 73-25;
• Passed the House of Representatives by a huge bipartisan vote of 310-107 on July 23rd, 2020;
• Signed as a bill on August 4th by our current president.

What will the Great American Outdoors Act ensure? It sets aside major funds to safeguard & protect parks, forests, and trails on the local, state, and national level, without a 50 year time restriction (as has been done in the past). For the next five years, $1.9 billion per year will come from energy development revenues to provide facility maintenance and infrastructure assistance for "national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas, and American Indian Schools. It will also use royalties from offshore oil and natural gas to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund to the tune of $900 million a year to invest in conservation and recreation opportunities across the country."With over 325 annual visitors to the national parks, repairs are backlogged (to the tune of $12 billion), and this money will go far for improvements.

For some it may be a bit of a surprise given Trump's environmental track record, especially when his administration worked in the past to shrink protections from national monuments such as the Bears Ears National Monument, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National monument and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. According to The Hill, Trumps' reversal stems from the fall re-election of Senators Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) and Steve Daines (R-Montana) and hoping to hold those seats in the Senate.

To celebrate, this year all public land fees were waived on August 5th, and going forward the same will hold true for all future August 4ths to commemorate this environmental win.

To learn more:

• Go to the Land & Water Conservation Fund Press Release
• See the Bill at Congress.gov
• Visit the Legislative & Congressional Affairs Page on the Great American Outdoors Act at National Park Service

Images: https://affta.org/news/518590/Great-American-Outdoors-Act-Passes-the-House.htm and https://twitter.com/TWWPioneer/status/1290672923238260736/photo/1

Google Adventures with the National Parks

Escaping to exotic locales is high on everyone's wish list right now, but not at all in anyone's reality. Sounds like the perfect time for a virtual tour. This one in particular is well timed because National Parks Week this year is April 18th through 26th... timed perfectly for Earth Week!


As part of the U.S. National Parks Centennial, when the National Park Service turned 100 on August 25, 2016, Google created two ways to let you trek without ever leaving your tech.

By way of virtual reality and 360° videos, Google has invited folks into the National Parks from the comfort of your own home.

The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks is an interactive documentary and part of the Google Arts & Culture that launched in 2016. It focuses on these 5 National Parks:

• Alaska's Kenai Fjords 
• Hawai'i Volcanoes
• New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns
• Utah’s Bryce Canyon
• Florida’s Dry Tortugas

Not only can you experience these 5 parks online, but also on the Google Arts & Culture App and in the Google Expeditions classroom app.

In Google Expeditions, a classroom teaching tool, students can visit over 200 places spanning the world. When used with the Google Cardboard view, it turns it into a virtual or augmented reality experience in class. If you can't get out and about in reality, you might as well experience something new, virtually!!


Images from https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/earth-day.htm and https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/25/google-now-lets-you-explore-u-s-national-parks-via-360-degree-virtual-tours/ and https://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/index.htm; videofrom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn_g80FXA-0&feature=emb_logo.

Trailforks: Making It Easy to Trailblaze

In the attempt to unplug and get more hours out in the great outdoors, hiking and biking are two great ways to go about that. State or National Parks make sense for that, but sometimes you just want a little something closer to home. With that though, sometimes you don't know where to begin that quest. Trailforks makes it easy!

Trailforks is a trail management system that ties with its own app to help you find where to go and what level of difficulty the trail holds. It's crowd-sourced with the help of GPS to create a common community. This means that users can update the information to help you know about the condition and other user-data that may be helpful. It gives recommended rides, notes the popularity of the trail, and reviews. You can also check out trail-specific photos and videos other people have uploaded to the database. You can also use GPS to map your trail while traversing on it. Not only does it accommodate the hikers or bikers out there, but it provides information for skiers, snowshoe'ers, snowmobile'ers, ATV'ers, horseback riders, dirt bikers, and electric bikers too.

Makes you want to go forth and plan some outdoor adventures!



Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNPkKe3U6I4; logo from https://www.trailforks.com

#SaveQuiet

As the recent host of a slumber party with seven 14 year old boys in my house, I know loud. These were perhaps some of the loudest people in America (or so it seemed on that Saturday night). But they were having clean, wholesome fun so how bad can that be.

Just as "loud" has a place in our world, so does "quiet." More often than not, though, quiet is quite the commodity. Background noises such as binge-watched television, show streaming, or catching a half-dozen Youtube videos is what more and more of us are gravitating toward in our free time. Or music--often with headphones (that would be my two teens at home--though back in the day a generation or so ago, it was loud music blasted from the stereo). Even social media these days is more often in video versus visual form with snaps, Insta-stories, or other videos. When my students get overly chatty at school, I discuss how we need to cut back on the "noise pollution," and we have enough pollution as it is!

As mindfulness is on the rise, so too is the move to #SaveQuiet. This is a hashtag started by Quiet Parks International. From their "About" page, looks like I might be onto something with this "noise pollution" thing. Much like animals, "quiet" is becoming an endangered species. With air zones overhead, highways near by, city sounds surrounding, noise is everywhere. A startling statistic from this page: "90% of children will not experience natural quiet during their lifetime." Yikes! That makes my ears hurt just writing this!

Even more startling from their page is the effect of noise on our health. It can lead to "cardiovascular disease, hypertension, sleep disturbance, annoyance, cognitive impairment, hearing impairment and tinnitus, and reduces quality of life, well being and mental health."

Like I said, sounds an awful lot like mindfulness, where the benefits are equally as high.

So Quiet Parks International is on a mission... a mission to quiet things down. They are working to create "a set of classifications, standards, testing methods, and management guidelines for the certification of the world’s pristine and endangered quiet places. Quiet Parks International has established the world’s first Wilderness Quiet Park and developed a list of over 262 potential sites around the globe that should be certified and preserved."

Not only do they certify quiet locations, they also have a list on their websites of the following:

• Wilderness Quiet Parks
• Urban Quiet Parks
• Quiet Trails
• Marine Quiet Parks
• Quiet Residences & Communities
• Quiet Hotels

Quiet finds nearby may just be a click away!

Screenshot from https://www.quietparks.org/about; video from https://vimeo.com/328582149, Rumi quote from https://wisdomquotes.com/silence-quotes/

A Golden Experience, Biking the Bridge

We've just returned from a whirlwind trip to California. We packed about as much into a week as we possibly could in the Silicon Valley area, including San Francisco area & a hop over to Napa. When your days are numbered, your days are full! During our week (because this summer I am counting), we spent at least 52 hours outdoors. Odds are high, we spent at least that same amount of time engaged in techie activities as well. Given all of that, you can imagine the number of blog posts waiting to be written!

One of our highlights of the trip was our day of greatest outdoor adventure: we rented bikes and pedaled 14.6 miles in San Francisco. Not bad for a girl with bad knees who hasn't been on a bike in over 2 years. Remarkably, the bike was far kinder to the knees than all our walking had been! (Many a day we cranked out over 15,000 steps...one day totaling over 20,000 with the hills of San Francisco!)

Our sights that we saw: Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Angel Island (the West Coast Immigration entry point from 1910–1940), Crissy Field, The Presidio, and Fort Point (at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge). We then biked across the Golden Gate Bridge (despite the huge number of bikers and pedestrians that were often in the way)! I'm still a little in awe as I write it again here. It was a pretty amazing adventure indeed.

Not only was it so good to be outside all day (oh my, the weather was perfect!)... but the wealth of sights that we saw and the ground that we covered in the city. It was remarkable watching the fog roll in—especially while we were on the bridge. It would go from clear to foggy and back again. At one point it was almost like a white curtain wall came down next to the fence, blocking our sight of the water of San Francisco Bay! The same fog made the towers ahead of us on the bridge completely disappear for 7 minutes or so.

After crossing the bridge, we then trekked down to Sausalito for lunch, ducked into a shop or two, and took the ferry back across the Bay--with Alcatraz on one side of us and Angel Island on the other. (After the bit of a bike ride back to the bike rental shop--which of course was just over that one last hill-- an Über ride back to the hotel and a nap were both well-placed!)

Prone to being a thinker anyway, I spent a lot of time in mental meanderings during the ride and given the view. A large goal of my trip (which is why it started in Silicon Valley) was to be in the innovation center. The bridge was known as an engineering feat when it was created--the longest bridge span at the time. Likewise, I was struck by the innovative history of the cable cars, historic streetcars, and electric trolleys. Fast forward to their Muni metro system, their electric buses, and even our Über. The dichotomy of all was something I found fascinating. Naturally, San Francisco is a city ripe with history as well as known for its forward thinking. All of it adding richness to my whole experience!

To learn more on the history of each of these, check out the following links:

• History of the Design & Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge
• 5 Minute "Explore Engineering" Video: Golden Gate Bridge - Engineering Marvel
• Golden Gate Teacher & Student Resources:
• Kindergarten to 5th Grade
• 6th Through 8th Grades
• High School & College
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Via National Park Foundation)
• Golden Gate Going Green (environmentally speaking)
• Muni History
• Cable Cars
• Historic Streetcars
• Electric Trolley Buses
• Muni Metro & Light Rail

Images: from my camera, compiled in the LiPix app. Map from Map My Run app.

Park Match From "Funny Or Die"

Leave it to "Funny or Die" to take a twisted turn on the National Parks #FindYourPark and the many National Park Service apps that are out there. The comic geniuses created a fun tongue-in-cheek video comparing the app to a dating app where you can find "love....exciting and new" at a national park near you!

It's a fun way to get inspired to go to your nearest app store and check out one of the following apps to help you navigate to your nearest national park.  (All listed below are free!)

• National Park Service Virtual Tour
• National Parks by National Geographic
• REI--National Parks Guide & Map
• Passport to Your National  Parks
• Oh, Ranger! Park Finder
• National Parks by Chimani

Then, once you #FindYourPark...perhaps it will inspire you to grab your hiking shoes or your camping gear to get you outdoors, moving and grooving and enjoying nature.  What a great plan for the summer ahead! Plus, humor is ALWAYS a grand companion! Might be a great way to celebrate America this 4th of July weekend!

Park Match pic from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY_aMdY_UyE, "Find Your Park" pic from http://www.seviernewsmessenger.com/2015/04/06/great-smoky-mountains-find-your-park/; video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY_aMdY_UyE