The National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service oversee some of the country’s most treasured natural resources, from the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone to 154 national forests. Budget cuts and layoffs – more than 4,400 park rangers and other staff were fired in February — have put these lands and their stewards in jeopardy, but a grassroots initiative called “Adopt-a-Ranger” aims to help.
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Sandra Ramos, known as @nationalparkpatchlady on Instagram, launched the movement when she realized many people wanted to lend a hand but didn’t know how, she said on the Rangers of the Lost Park podcast earlier this month. Built on the “idea of community and mutual aid,” the program allows public lands staff to sign up to be ‘adopted’ by a supporter, while members of the public can  sign up to ‘adopt’ and employee. Ramos and her colleagues make the matches, and ensure each adoptee receives a care kit for the winter holidays.
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More than 500 people signed up to participate when Ramos launched the initiative – far more than the 50 she had initially expected. “Things are rough all around, but the generosity and abundance of spirit we are seeing on this project is so, so good,” Ramos wrote after seeing the response.

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‘a park ranger is a protector.

you protect the land from the people,

the people from the land, the people from each other,

and the people from themselves.”

-kurt caswell

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source credits: NPS, Good News, Nice News, photo image: joe raedle