"It Is Obvious We Need To Educate The Visitors"; 12/30/15

Kurt Repanshek, National Parks Traveler; "It Is Obvious We Need To Educate The Visitors" :

"How should we act in a national park? That might seem to carry an obvious answer, but it's not always so obvious these days.

As different generations, different racial groups, and different cultures enter the National Park System, not everyone seems to be there to enjoy the natural beauty on display in the landscape parks, content merely to walk about, gaze at the setting, hike or backpack, paddle or climb, or watch wildlife.

The parks are backdrops for enjoyment, that's for sure, but some visitors don't understand that barriers are there to preserve the landscapes and protect visitors...sometimes from each other..

“We had an interesting conversation with staff, because a lot of trails are crowded with folks and you hear a lot of people and you see a lot of people, and one of the staff members said, 'Well, that’s not a good park experience.' And I threw a, 'Why do you say that?' And he said, 'Because it’s not quiet and it's not solitude.' And I said it depends on what you define as peaceful and solitude, not hearing horns being blown, or helicopters or airplanes," the superintendent recounted. "It’s all relative, and so I think we have to give the next generation of users and supporters space for them to define what is the park experience for them, because I think it’s going to change. And I think like anything else we have to change with it.""