My mom, daughter, and I visited The Grand Canyon several years ago when my daughter was in middle school. I had become an avid birder (I still am) and at one of the overlooks I noticed the Park Rangers had a telescope focused on a cliff. One of the Rangers explained that they were monitoring a California Condor nest. He then gave me all the history about the Condor conservation work - I knew a little because I live in L.A. County & the L.A. Zoo was part of the effort, but I wasn’t aware of how close the birds had been to extinction. Right after he finished talking to me, one of the Condors soared right in front of us, as if on cue. I will never forget that moment and how much the Ranger clearly cared about his job and educating the public about conservation.
Sincerely,
Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument
For public lands enthusiasts willing to forego paved roads and cell service, Parashant offers remote overlooks of the Grand Canyon, dark sky viewing, and backcountry camping in a wild landscape replete with desert cactus, ponderosa pines and rugged rock formations.
State(s): Arizona
Established: 2000
“National Parks and Monuments are essential to habitat preservation, honoring history and indigenous land, and providing public access to nature and information. They also provide employment to thousands of people.”
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