Our national parks are places we all love. They are home to wildlife, beautiful nature, and special memories for millions of people. But when the government shuts down, parks often stay open without enough staff to care for them.

In the past, this led to trash piling up, bathrooms overflowing, and damage to the land. Park workers were told to stay home, and there weren’t enough people to keep the parks safe and clean.

Now it could happen again. If parks are open, they need to be protected. That means basic staff to pick up trash, clean restrooms, and keep people safe.

We shouldn’t let these special places get ruined just because politicians can’t agree.

We’re asking Congress and the Department of the Interior to make sure there’s money to keep essential park workers on the job during the shutdown. If the parks stay open, they must stay protected too.

We all want to enjoy our public lands. But we also want to leave them better than we found them. Let’s speak up now—before more damage is done.

Photo: NPR