Have you heard the phrase, “Not all superheroes wear capes?” Well, not all superheroes wear park ranger uniforms either. Sure, we applaud them for the great work they do for the parks including protecting wildlife, educating young minds, and enforcing park rules to keep nature safe from reckless visitors. Do you want to be a hero without the cape or uniform for nature parks? It’s a lot easier than ever to do your part to help out our national and state parks. 

Donate money to fund maintenance

As someone who has worked for a non-profit food bank for the last four years, I can testify that donations make a world of a difference. They are our lifeboat during government shut downs, programs getting cut, or retail food supply chains struggle to fill our shelves. 

Donating to state and national parks helps in many ways. They help fund the maintenance and upkeep, funds preservation of the park, and also funds educational programs. 

Volunteer to clean or educate

Volunteering may seem like mediocre work, but it is quite the opposite. It is very important work which leads to big changes. For example, beach clean-ups are made up entirely of volunteers. Organization groups like 4Ocean, and One Tree Planted, rely heavily on the support and help of volunteers. It’s great because the volunteers join because they believe in the mission or the cause. Volunteers want to dedicate their time to helping whatever needs helping without the expectation of a paycheck. I’ve done several beach and neighborhood clean-ups. I’m currently on the search for my next one.

Volunteer work at state or national parks can range. Perhaps you can sign up to be an educator, a tour guide, or help clean up any trash in the park. There are many ways to help. In fact, one unique example, my boyfriend has a retired friend who lives in his RV in different state parks. He offers to do tasks for the park rangers in exchange for his RV being parked there free of camping charges and him and his wife enjoying the park. They stay for a couple of months and then move on to the next park. The good life, right? Apparently, it is a popular thing for many RV folk living out on the road. 

For information on volunteer opportunities with state parks, visit your state park government website in your state. If you live in Florida, like me, the site would be Florida State Parks. 

Book eco-conscious tours when traveling

Booking eco-tours when traveling for outdoor fun is an awesome way to help nature parks. The greatest benefit is supporting local businesses and minimizing pollution. You’re probably wondering how so, by joining a tour group, it is a set group of people touring at the same time. This creates less damage to the natural environment, less trash pollution (especially if you have a tour guide supervising you), and reduces carbon foot printing. Surprisingly, a group of ten can create less damage than ten individuals going about their own tour. 

As for supporting local business, why not? Supporting the local economy helps everyone thrive including the park. Local citizens work in these businesses, so by booking through their local business, you put income in the pockets of these local workers and keep their business thriving so that they may serve more and more visitors in the coming years. But, WAIT! As a caution, always do your research when it comes to booking these “eco” tours. Make sure that they are indeed an eco tour organization. Greenwashing is a very common scam among businesses who pretend their business practices are eco-conscious or sustainable. Don’t fall for the hype. Usually a business who is truly eco-conscious will be certified in some way. Check out the Global Sustainable Tourism Council for tour operator businesses that have been certified. 

At the end of your contributions, you may not get a hero’s welcome home party or the key to the city, but helping out your local parks makes the biggest difference. Donations and volunteer work are excellent ways to contribute to the functionality of our nature parks. It also helps these beautiful destinations not to be solely dependent on government funds. Everyone could use a rainy day piggy bank. If you have friends who’d like to contribute, bring them along with you. Let them see the true difference they are making in the world for the present and future.