National Park Service

Drum roll, please! Get ready to press play on an amazing visit to a national park. National Park Week kicks off April 19th through 27th. The week’s theme of “National Park Playlist” celebrates musical connections to national parks and the American story. The week includes an entrance fee-free day, National Junior Ranger Day, Earth Day, and the 250th anniversary of the revolutionary “shot heard around the world.” More than 430 national parks offer a wide variety of experiences that are sure to strike a chord with visitors. Each day of the week, we're riffing off a musical theme to create a tour de force of the spectacular places around the country that can resonate with visitors. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eZhtKcrR

“I’mma stab the bugs out of this tree with my face-knife!⁣” We all need a hobby. But does all that pecking lead to a nasty headache? A woodpecker’s anatomy is specifically designed to absorb the force of banging one’s head into the side of tree which prevents the woodpecker from getting injured. Its specialized beak and skull direct most of the energy associated with this force into the rest of its body. This protects the brain and prevents concussions or injury when pecking up to twenty times per second and 12,000 pecks per day! What the peck!!?! More fun facts, you say? Did you know Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet? Zygo what? That means they have two toes in front and two in back, perfect for climbing and gripping onto a tree trunk. Woodpeckers also have advanced hearing that allows them to detect vibrations from bugs moving beneath the bark of trees, so they can strike with precision. Peck on. Image: A Pileated Woodpecker on the side of a tree with head in motion at Yosemite National Park. #birds #birding #woodpeckers #nature #nationalparks

Harry S Truman National Historic Site is hiring a seasonal maintenance worker. The successful candidate will help preserve eleven historical structures in the park. Their duties will include the repair and maintenance of structures and grounds, minor plumbing repairs, minor carpentry repairs, and routine maintenance. For a complete list of duties go to https://lnkd.in/eXdtxiWt. Initial cut off for applications is Friday, April 25, 2025. Harry S Truman National Historic Site includes the main Truman Home in Independence, Missouri, and the Truman Farm Home in Grandview, Missouri.

“Oh yeah. It’s all coming together.” - Barn owl when humans invented barns. What came first, the barn, or the barn owl? Called the barn owl for its tendency to choose a nest in a barn or shelter (Sounds better than “shed owl” or “outhouse owl?” Gazebowl? Okay, we’re done), this medium-sized owl, with its white belly and face, has a ghostly appearance when flying. Boo! Sorry. Hoooo!!!! Did you hear that? No, you didn’t, because Barn owls don’t hoot the way most owls do; instead, they make a long, harsh scream that lasts about two seconds. Relatable. Multiple times a day. Barn Owls are mainly nocturnal and give new meaning to the phrase “night owl”. When not hunting prey, they can be found endlessly scrolling Instagram, watching late night infomercials, and ordering outdoor party plates that say “owl up in your grill.” Unfortunately, they’re were all sold out of “Barn to be wild” aprons. What’s for dinner? Grab a party plate! Barn owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. About twice a day, they cough up pellets instead of passing everything through their digestive tracts. The pellets make a great record of what the owls have eaten, allowing scientists (and countless school students) to study them. Really, right after lunch period? If you take a good look around Petroglyph Point at Lava Beds National Monument you may find evidence that a barn owl had been dining nearby. Or not. They may be actually sleeping. Image: A barn owl perched at Lava Beds National Monument. NPS/ Nathan Charlton

Join the team! The National Park Service hires seasonal employees each year to welcome and educate visitors, conduct research, protect resources, and so much more. There are many different ways you can become involved. All seasonal vacancies are posted on USAJOBS.gov. For more information about the seasonal hiring process, visit: https://lnkd.in/e6w5tkmT 👉 USAJOBS: https://lnkd.in/e5kkCraH Image: Two hats and a badge in the foreground and stone fort in the background.

A major rehabilitation project has been completed at the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California. The project, supported by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the National Park Foundation, and the hands-on work of park staff, the Historic Preservation Training Center's Maintenance Action Teams, and FIELD’s César Chávez Environmental Corps, included repairing and painting historic stucco surfaces, cleaning and retiling the Paseo Fountain, painting and recarpeting the visitor center theater, rehabilitating park landscapes, and improving trail drainage and irrigation systems. The César E. Chávez National Monument commemorates the life and work of César E. Chávez, a civil rights activist who fought for the rights of farmworkers. The monument, established in 2012, is located within La Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (La Paz) National Historic Landmark, which served as the headquarters of the United Farm Workers starting in the early 1970s. Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/cech #CesarChavezDay

Help preserve and share the story of the Natchez Trace Parkway by joining a maintenance team as a seasonal worker. The National Park Service is hiring six seasonal maintenance positions at various locations along the Natchez Trace, including Kosciusko, Ridgeland & Tupelo, Mississippi and Leiper's Fork & Hohenwald, Tennessee. Applications are open through April 9, 2025 so don't delay! Interested? Find the application at: https://lnkd.in/ei7f5f6U.

Bloom there it is! Peak bloom has arrived. We’re so excited, we wet our plants. Something like that. Let’s move on. Peak bloom is defined as the day when at least 70% of the Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) blossoms are open. The length of the blooming period depends on weather conditions. Cool, calm weather can extend the length of the bloom, and a rainy, windy day can bring an abrupt end to the ephemeral blossoms. So get going and see those blooms! But first, a warning. NOW, a warning?!?! More like friendly tips. When visiting remember to: 🌸 Protect the Trees: Don’t pick the blossoms. Duh! Removing flowers harms the trees and disrupts their natural cycle. Also, avoid climbing the trees, or placing unwanted stress on their branches. They don’t want to hear about your life choices or the struggle you just had trying to parallel park in DC. 🌸 Plan Your Visit: Bring water and snacks, as facilities may be limited and crowds can make access challenging. Be prepared for walking. Around lots of people. But the Tidal Basin and surrounding areas have plenty of great viewing spots. 🌸 Respect the Environment: Stay on designated paths and sidewalks to avoid trampling tree roots, which can harm the trees or yourself when tripping on the roots. Follow Leave No Trace principles by leaving blossoms and other natural objects undisturbed and disposing of your trash properly. 🌸 Keep Your Voice Down (The Blossoms Are Introverts. We assume. Some are pretty showy): Screaming “OMG, SO PRETTY!” might feel right in your soul, but cherry blossoms thrive in peace and quiet. 🌸 Don’t Hog the Best Spot: Everyone wants that perfect photo, but share the blossom love and the space. 🌸 Finally, watch out for low-hanging branches: Those blossoms might look innocent, but they’re secretly plotting to take you down a notch. Nothing ruins a perfect photo op like a tree giving you an unexpected ‘bloom boom.’ Keep your eyes focused on the path and not your phone and save the trees from your noggin. That branch came outta nowhere!!! No, it didn’t. Images: Views of the cherry blossoms in bloom around the Washington Monument and Tidal Basin.

Take time to smell the flowers…. Spring is a time of rebirth often bringing warmer temperatures, new life, and dramatic splashes of every imaginable color in nature. With the end of the cold winter season, many of us venture out to play in the great outdoors. Cultures and communities across the country partake in springtime traditions, some passed through generations and shared with each other in national parks. Experience the spring season in national parks or in your own community with opportunities through our programs and partners. Or stay connected with parks virtually, including joining the conversation with us on social media. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eyvRqtmv Image: A moose at Grand Teton National Park takes a moment to stop and smell the flowers.

Have you had a marmot-thon of a day or just getting started? Ah, the marmot scale. While you’re contemplating, did you know Marmots are the largest members of the ground squirrel family? Big, if true. Wait, it’s true. They prefer to live in mountainous regions at elevations ranging from around 6,500 to 13,500 feet and spend much of their time foraging, sunning, grooming, and sleeping. Sign us up. Did you pick a number? Image: A collage of nine marmots in various stages of daily life with the text, “On a 1-9 marmot scale, how are things going today?”