Sustainable Action Network, Keep Oil Drilling Out of Our Parks, Oceana and Keep Our Oceans Clean, Deforestation & Forestry, National Parks Show at SAN TV and The mothers who inspired national parks!
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This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating women whose dedication, generosity, and advocacy shaped some of our most beloved national parks. We celebrate these mothers by sharing their stories, and you can also honor a special mother in your life by sending an eCard to share your appreciation and love of our national parks. Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., was Mary McLeod Bethune’s home and the first headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women, which she founded. Bethune also served as an advisor on African American affairs to four presidents. She was appointed Director of the Division of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration by President Roosevelt and was the first African American woman to hold so high an office in the federal government. The site features her Victorian townhouse, the offices of the National Council of Negro Women, and a carriage house where the National Archives for Black Women’s History is located. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial designed by Maya Lin honors members of the military who died or were declared missing in action during their Vietnam service. This simple black wall of granite inscribed with more than 58,000 half-inch-high names has become a must-see spot for visitors to Washington, D.C. A Chinese American, Lin was born in Ohio, where her parents were professors. Although she had little personal connection to Vietnam, she did experience the cascading effects of the war. Because of this, she wanted a commemoration with a fiercely modern design. Lin was still an undergraduate at Yale University when she beat out more than 1,4000 competitors to design the memorial. Today, those with friends or relatives who fought in the war search for their names and rub impressions of them onto paper. Offerings like letters, medals, photos, and dog tags are left almost daily. First lady Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Johnson was the mother of two daughters, Lynda and Luci — but in a sense, she was also the mother of the National Park Foundation. She was well-known for her beautification projects, first in Washington, D.C., and then across the nation as a whole. But don’t let the term “beautification” fool you. “[I]t involves much more,” Lady Bird said. “Clean water, clean air, clean roadsides, safe waste disposal and preservation of valued old landmarks as well as great parks and wilderness areas.” Lady Bird was one of the first advocates for the National Park Foundation, and it was largely through her efforts that Congress enacted our charter in 1967. Her legacy lives on in the actions of people nationwide who help protect our parks. These are just a few of the mothers to whom we owe a debt of gratitude today and every day. If you know a mother, or special person in your life, who loves our parks, send an eCard today. Or you can make a donation in honor of someone you choose so that together we can protect our treasured spaces and build the next generation of national park stewards. Thank you for your friendship and support! |
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