Latest news with #NationalParkFoundation
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Viral, raunchy ‘ParkTok' trend aims to raise awareness of spending cuts to national parks
The 10-second video begins with a close-up on the abs of a sweaty, shirtless man wearing low-slung, gray sweatpants. But three seconds in, it cuts to a panoramic video of Havasu Falls in Arizona, with its striking turquoise water cascading down from red rocks. Welcome to ParkTok. The video — from an unofficial account posting about Grand Canyon National Park and other nature sites in Arizona — is emblematic of a trend that's gone viral on TikTok in recent weeks that pairs sexually suggestive clips or music with scenic images and footage of America's natural wonders. Unofficial accounts representing state and national parks, mountains and rivers have participated in the trend, sometimes trading playful barbs about which has the 'biggest trees' or 'longest lakes.' The videos are funny and moderately unhinged in the way TikTok trends often are, but they have a serious aim: to raise awareness about threats to US public lands amid the Trump administration's efforts to gut national parks staffing and designate more of America's wild lands for drilling, mining and logging. Many of the videos encourage viewers to donate to organizations such as the National Park Foundation or to call their local representatives to advocate for protecting public lands, part of a long tradition of using social media to organize social and political movements. 'This does go way beyond the thirst traps,' Kim Tanner, who runs the unofficial Joshua Tree account @joshuatreenp with more than 250,000 followers, told CNN. 'It's a way to pull people in, it's a way to hook them, and it works. But at the same time, you're showing them that beautiful imagery (of the parks) and hopefully, even if subliminally, you're educating them.' ParkTok emerged last fall, long before their videos started with sexy teasers and ahead of President Donald Trump's second term. At the time, many of the account holders just wanted to promote the beauty of their local parks, like Phoebe, a nature enthusiast who started the unofficial Multnomah Falls account @multnomah_falls to share her love of Oregon's Columbia River Gorge. Phoebe asked CNN not to use her last name to avoid being identified by her employer. Then in February, the Trump administration fired thousands of National Park Service and Department of Interior workers as part of widespread government workforce reductions, prompting national parks and monuments to announce closures, pause reservations and limit hours. In his first three months in office, Trump also signed orders to increase mining and oil and gas drilling in Alaska, expand logging in federally protected national forests and roll back rules that pushed car makers toward cleaner forms of energy — all of which have drawn concern from environmental groups. As the potential impact of Trump's environmental policies started to sink in, several ParkTok accounts joined a group chat on TikTok. 'We started thinking we could probably do some good with this instead of just sharing our hiking videos,' Phoebe said. The group decided to start 'doing coordinated, themed posts, in between our silly posts and our nature posts, about the threats of logging and the threats of our public lands being sold and all of these things that have been introduced by the federal government,' she said. The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation did not respond to requests for comment. Some ParkTok videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views, including one Phoebe posted earlier this month showing videos of Multnomah Falls set to the explicit song 'Fat Juicy & Wet.' They're not all sexually suggestive. One video, posted by an unofficial Bryce Canyon National Park account, shows a scenic image of nature with a voiceover saying, 'show me the reason you have no money,' and then it cuts to an image of the White House. It's been viewed more than 1 million times. Canadian parks such as Banff National Park have also gotten in on the action to advocate for their American neighbors. Both Tanner and Phoebe said their ParkTok accounts are just hobbies aimed at raising awareness for places they love. They both have full-time jobs and aren't making money from the accounts, although they said they would donate any future earnings from TikTok's creator fund to the causes they're promoting. And Tanner said she thinks ParkTok can help bridge the divide between people from different political parties because 'one thing that does bring a lot of people together is the national parks and national forests.' 'If you see these beautiful images and these beautiful photos,' she said, 'you start to fall in love with these places, you start to get attached to them, then your natural instinct is going to be to want to protect it.'
CNN
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
Viral, raunchy ‘ParkTok' trend aims to raise awareness of spending cuts to national parks
The 10-second video begins with a close-up on the abs of a sweaty, shirtless man wearing low-slung, gray sweatpants. But three seconds in, it cuts to a panoramic video of Havasu Falls in Arizona, with its striking turquoise water cascading down from red rocks. Welcome to ParkTok. The video — from an unofficial account posting about Grand Canyon National Park and other nature sites in Arizona — is emblematic of a trend that's gone viral on TikTok in recent weeks that pairs sexually suggestive clips or music with scenic images and footage of America's natural wonders. Unofficial accounts representing state and national parks, mountains and rivers have participated in the trend, sometimes trading playful barbs about which has the 'biggest trees' or 'longest lakes.' The videos are funny and moderately unhinged in the way TikTok trends often are, but they have a serious aim: to raise awareness about threats to US public lands amid the Trump administration's efforts to gut national parks staffing and designate more of America's wild lands for drilling, mining and logging. Many of the videos encourage viewers to donate to organizations such as the National Park Foundation or to call their local representatives to advocate for protecting public lands, part of a long tradition of using social media to organize social and political movements. 'This does go way beyond the thirst traps,' Kim Tanner, who runs the unofficial Joshua Tree account @joshuatreenp with more than 250,000 followers, told CNN. 'It's a way to pull people in, it's a way to hook them, and it works. But at the same time, you're showing them that beautiful imagery (of the parks) and hopefully, even if subliminally, you're educating them.' ParkTok emerged last fall, long before their videos started with sexy teasers and ahead of President Donald Trump's second term. At the time, many of the account holders just wanted to promote the beauty of their local parks, like Phoebe, a nature enthusiast who started the unofficial Multnomah Falls account @multnomah_falls to share her love of Oregon's Columbia River Gorge. Phoebe asked CNN not to use her last name to avoid being identified by her employer. Then in February, the Trump administration fired thousands of National Park Service and Department of Interior workers as part of widespread government workforce reductions, prompting national parks and monuments to announce closures, pause reservations and limit hours. In his first three months in office, Trump also signed orders to increase mining and oil and gas drilling in Alaska, expand logging in federally protected national forests and roll back rules that pushed car makers toward cleaner forms of energy — all of which have drawn concern from environmental groups. As the potential impact of Trump's environmental policies started to sink in, several ParkTok accounts joined a group chat on TikTok. 'We started thinking we could probably do some good with this instead of just sharing our hiking videos,' Phoebe said. The group decided to start 'doing coordinated, themed posts, in between our silly posts and our nature posts, about the threats of logging and the threats of our public lands being sold and all of these things that have been introduced by the federal government,' she said. The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation did not respond to requests for comment. Some ParkTok videos have racked up hundreds of thousands of views, including one Phoebe posted earlier this month showing videos of Multnomah Falls set to the explicit song 'Fat Juicy & Wet.' They're not all sexually suggestive. One video, posted by an unofficial Bryce Canyon National Park account, shows a scenic image of nature with a voiceover saying, 'show me the reason you have no money,' and then it cuts to an image of the White House. It's been viewed more than 1 million times. Canadian parks such as Banff National Park have also gotten in on the action to advocate for their American neighbors. Both Tanner and Phoebe said their ParkTok accounts are just hobbies aimed at raising awareness for places they love. They both have full-time jobs and aren't making money from the accounts, although they said they would donate any future earnings from TikTok's creator fund to the causes they're promoting. And Tanner said she thinks ParkTok can help bridge the divide between people from different political parties because 'one thing that does bring a lot of people together is the national parks and national forests.' 'If you see these beautiful images and these beautiful photos,' she said, 'you start to fall in love with these places, you start to get attached to them, then your natural instinct is going to be to want to protect it.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Washington man dies during grueling 24-mile hike at Grand Canyon National Park
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. – A hiker from Olympia, Washington, was found dead on Thursday afternoon during a hike at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Dennis Smith, 74, was discovered unconscious about half a mile below the North Kaibab Trailhead. Officials said bystanders and National Park Service personnel attempted to resuscitate Smith, but to no avail. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Known as an experienced hiker, Smith had set out to hike from the South Rim of the canyon to the North Rim, a rigorous 24-mile hike one way, according to the National Park Foundation. The cause of his death is under investigation by the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office. In the meantime, the NPS cautions Grand Canyon National Park visitors of the extreme heat forecast for the park ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Texas Hiker Found Unresponsive At Deadliest National Park Visitors who plan to hike the inner canyon, specifically, are warned that the canyon is expected to reach 100 degrees by the end of the week, so they should take appropriate precautions. Because of these extreme temperatures, officials recommend park visitors hiking the inner canyon to only do so during the cooler parts of the day, which is before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Additionally, those attempting to hike particularly strenuous distances through the inner canyon, such as rim-to-rim, are advised to be self-reliant. Officials said this is to help avoid emergency situations for the hikers and first responders who would come to their aid. How To Watch Fox Weather They noted that attempts to help hikers might be delayed, as they depend on staff availability, the number of rescue calls officials receive and employee safety article source: Washington man dies during grueling 24-mile hike at Grand Canyon National Park
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
74-year-old hiker dies while attempting Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike
A 74-year-old man died while hiking the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service said Monday. The man, identified as Dennis Smith of Olympia, Washington, was attempting to hike from the canyon's South Rim to the North Rim, the park service said. The rim-to-rim trek covers a distance of about 24 miles and is described as a "strenuous" hike by the National Park Foundation. Smith, who was an "avid and experienced hiker," according to the park service, was found unresponsive on North Kaibab Trail at around 4:45 p.m. last Thursday. The park service describes the trail as "the least visited and most difficult of the major inner canyon trails at Grand Canyon National Park." Bystanders and park service personnel attempted to resuscitate Smith, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A cause of death was not shared. His death is under investigation by the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office. People doing a rim-to-rim hike are recommended to start before the sun rises and take a break during the hottest part of the day to avoid heat-related illnesses, the National Park Foundation said. The park service warned that the Grand Canyon will experience extreme heat in the coming days. Temperatures in the inner canyon are expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so visitors should avoid the area between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Those attempting difficult treks like the rim-to-rim hike that involve the inner canyon are "encouraged to be self-reliant to prevent emergency situations for themselves and responders," the park service said. They should also monitor inner canyon conditions. "Be aware that efforts to assist hikers may be delayed due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, and employee safety requirements," the park service said. About 10 people die at the Grand Canyon every year, CBS affiliate AZFamily reported. This is the first death at the park that the park service has reported this year. A 33-year-old hiker died at Arizona's Gold Canyon, near Phoenix, amid unseasonably warm temperatures on May 11. Four other hikers who had been with him said they had been hiking for about six hours when he had a seizure and fell unconscious. The hikers had run out of water and were suffering from heat-related illnesses, the survivors said. First responders later pronounced the man dead at the scene. Rubio interrupted at Senate hearing during remarks on changes at State Department Car bomb outside Palm Springs fertility clinic was act of terrorism, officials say Sneak peek: In Jason's Name
Time Magazine
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time Magazine
N. Clay Robbins
In the past year, giving at Indiana's Lilly Endowment Inc., long led by chairman and CEO N. Clay Robbins, has gone into overdrive. Under Robbins' direction, the nation's second-largest private foundation, with more than $62 billion in assets, awarded a stunning string of nine-figure grants. Among them: $100 million to the United Negro College Fund; $100 million to the National Park Foundation; $100 million to Purdue University; $138 million to establish a biosciences business accelerator program at Indiana University, $250 million to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to support a statewide effort to attract and launch businesses; and $600 million for grants to teachers and schools across Marion County with innovative approaches to improving student achievement. All told, the foundation awarded more than $2.5 billion last year, focused mainly on public works projects, education, and Christian institutions—a striking jump from $1.7 billion in grants approved in 2023 and a five-fold increase from 2018. At the center of it all is Robbins, who started at the foundation in 1993 and became CEO in 2012. But his affiliation goes back much farther: his education at Wabash College, where he majored in religion, was paid for by a Lilly Endowment scholarship. In November, his longevity and contributions to the community won Robbins the state's highest honor, the Sachem Award, with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb calling him "a transformational leader" and an "exemplary Hoosier."
