Celebrating National Park Week, April 18-26...Virtually!

Next week is National Park Week! Join Mississippi Park Connection and the National Park Service each day for a virtual celebration of America's greatest conservation triumph.

Catch a web talk from a ranger, then head out for some properly distanced perusing of your local national park. To see the full list of events, visit the event page.

National Park Week: Junior Ranger Day                                                                   Saturday, April 18 - 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Junior Ranger Day celebrates a program that engages youth with national parks across the country through workbooks and activities. Mississippi National River and Recreation Area will host a Junior Ranger follow-along activity on Facebook Live at 10 AM CST.

National Park Week: Volunteer Appreciation Day
Sunday, April 19 - All Day

Volunteers are an integral part of practically everything Mississippi Park Connection and Mississippi National River and Recreation Area does to serve the community through youth education, environmental stewardship and public programming. Learn about their impact today and how you can get involved.

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National Park Week: Military Monday
Monday, April 20 - All Day

Perched above the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota River, Historic Fort Snelling will be celebrating its bicentennial anniversary in 2020! Learn more about this and other historical topics on the park’s website.

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National Park Week: Transportation Tuesday
Tuesday, April 21 - 10:00 AM  10:30 AM

Mississippi River Paddle Share is a self-serve kayak program that lets you rent a boat for up to three hours and paddle to a destination downriver. It is one of the most immersive ways to experience this national river park. Its fifth season in operation brings new routes and ways to have an on-water experience in the park. Join Ranger Lauren for a #CoffeeWithARanger presentation on Facebook Live to learn how the Paddle Share system works, get tips for planning your trip, and ask questions.

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National Park Week: Do-It-Yourself Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22 - All day

The holiday to honor the earth and promote healthy and sustainable environmental practices was founded 50 years ago in the United States in 1970. We believe that Earth Day is a state of mind and can be practiced and celebrated every day of the year, wherever you are. Learn how you can take action and make a difference.

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National Park Week: Throwback Thursday
Thursday, April 23 - All Day

To commemorate the centennial anniversary of the 19th amendment, we are debuting an online series of stories of women who’ve had a great impact on the Mississippi River and the river park. Do you know of someone, a historical figure or someone still alive today, who should be included in this series? If you would like to contribute your own essay or nominate a notable person to be featured, contact Anna at awaugh@parkconnection.org.

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National Park Week: Friendship Friday
Friday, April 24 - All Day

In times of joy and peace or sorrow and uncertainty, parks are an essential community space and resource. Just within the boundaries of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, we see people benefiting from outdoor spaces in a myriad of ways. Parks bring the community back in balance by providing needed support. When we care for the river, we are caring for our community. Nearly every national park in the country has a friends group or co-op that gives monetary, programming, staffing and/or operational support. Mississippi Park Connection works side by side with the National Park Service to bring educational programming, environmental stewardship opportunities and fun events to the community surrounding the park.

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National Park Week: Discover Your MN Park
Saturday, April 25 - 10:00 AM  2:00 PM

In honor of National Park Week, NPS sites in Minnesota will host short virtual talks about trip planning and recreation so you can discover new parks from home! Tune into Facebook Live on April 25th to learn about exciting opportunities that await you at Minnesota’s national park sites.

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National Park Week: BARK Ranger Day
Sunday, April 26 - All Day

The BARK Ranger program is a fun and inclusive solution to help dogs and their owners enjoy the park while keeping it safe through stewardship.