National Mall and Memorial Parks

01/24/2025

Ice, Ice Bison⁣⁣…

Alright, stop! Ungulate and listen. The bison’s back with a brand new admission.

It’s cold.

But that’s okay. It’s not under pressure to stay warm. In fact, bison have a high cold tolerance. In fact, when the wind blows their coarse fur down against their body, it creates an impenetrable layer of warmth. The coat of a bison is so thick and insulates the bison's body so well that snow landing on the bison will not melt from the heat of the bison’s body. ⁣

Learn more about America's largest land mammal at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bison/index.htm

Image: An icy bison on the road in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone. NPS/Falgoust

01/24/2025

“Winter may be beautiful, but bed is much better. “ -Toad (Frog and Toad)

In winter, toads may burrow into the ground, often 1–3 feet deep, to insulate themselves from the cold. They may use existing mammal burrows, ant mounds, or a tasteful winter retreat listed on Toad Abode, the short-term accommodation market for amphibians on the go. Hot tub? Better jump on that one. Once settled in, they’ll enter a state of torpor, where their metabolism, heart rate, and breathing rate slow down to conserve energy. Less activity means less mess to clean upon departure. Did you see that cleaning fee?

Image: Closeup of a Fowler toad reading rental reviews. NPS/Cook

01/23/2025

01/21/2025

Three hours later…⁣
⁣
Your heart is saying “I could hike up these boulders for hours!” (You know, the ones pioneers used to ride for miles?) However, your feet are saying, “You wore flip flops…no.”

Planning is an important step in being prepared and ready for your park adventure. Before heading out, check your map, ask a ranger, or visit the park website or the NPs app for news, updates, and recommendations.

Check out the handy trip planning guide for more tips at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/healthandsafety/trip-planning-guide.htm

Image: Screenshot with text, “There’s nothing wrong with following your heart, but it never hurts to check the map too.”

01/20/2025

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a tireless advocate for racial equality, working classes, and the oppressed around the world. Commonly called Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or MLK Day, the third Monday of January is a federal holiday to honor his life and legacy. Places where he made history and of the greater Civil Rights Movement he influenced are preserved in many national parks and in local communities around the country.

Today is also a day of service when thousands of volunteers participate in service projects across the country, including at national parks. Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/mlk-day.htm

Image: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, part of National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington D.C.

01/20/2025

After every presidential election, the nation comes together to witness the newly-elected president and vice president take the Presidential Oath of Office in the heart of the nation's capital. The National Mall and Memorial Parks, Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, and The White House and President's Park serve as a backdrop for Inauguration Day.

Explore stories of past inaugurations and presidential sites preserved by the National Park Service at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/inauguration

Image: Looking up at the South portico of the White House.

01/19/2025

Does anyone know what the traditional gift for a 250th anniversary is? Asking for a friend…

Moisturizer? Actually, for or a Semiquincentennial (a fun way to say 250th anniversary), might we recommend a nice grant?

The NPS’s Semiquincentennial Grant Program honors the 250th anniversary of the United States by providing funding to restore and preserve sites and structures on the National Register of Historic Places that led to the founding of the nation. Applications are open for this round of Semiquincentennial Grant funding and are due on March 18, 2025.

Funding for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program comes from the Historic Preservation Fund, which sources revenue from offshore oil and gas leases, not tax dollars. Learn more about the Semiquincentennial Grant Program and other funding opportunities from the NPS at go.nps.gov/grants

Image: The San Xavier del Bac Mission in Arizona, a National Historic Landmark, was founded in 1700.

Heritage & Historic Preservation - NPS

01/17/2025

Is reading cursive your superpower?

Nah? Okay, have a good one.

Oh, you’re still here. Well, we’ve got a project for you! The National Park Service and US National Archives are collaborating on a special project to transcribe the handwritten pension records of more than 80,000 of America’s first veterans and their widows. Not only could you be the first person in 200 years to learn their stories, but your efforts will make a permanent contribution to the nation’s historical record just in time for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Learn how to register and start transcribing at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/americanrevolution/revolutionary-war-pension-project.htm

P.S. You do not need to be an expert at reading cursive. It may help, but not everything is in cursive. Just saying.

Image: Graphic with a historical sketch of a soldier of the American Revolution, with the text, "Reading cursive is a superpower."

01/17/2025

On January 20, join parks across the country in honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through special programs and a day of service. Many parks traditionally host a variety of service projects that people can sign up for as volunteers. The day is also the first fee-free day of 2025.

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/mlk-day.htm

Image: The two-story house at 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia is where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born, now part of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park.

01/17/2025

“Be careful. That ice is slippery” - Everyone after you slip on ice.

Tis the season for trips, falls, and sliding down icy trails.

❄️ Remember to check park websites or ask a ranger upon arrival about trail conditions and any risks.

❄️ If on a trail, wear traction devices for your shoes to avoid those pesky slips, trips, and falls.

❄️ Give others room—if you slip, you could slide into someone else or visa-versa.

❄️ Bring people down by insulting their beanie choice, not by grabbing the back of their pants in a last-ditch effort to save yourself.

❄️ Slip like everyone’s watching…because they are.

For more winter tips, slide on over to: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/idkt_winter.htm

Image: Graphic with text, “Be careful. That ice is slippery” - Everyone after you slip on ice.”

01/15/2025

Crowning the classic National Park Service ranger uniform is the iconic, broad-brimmed “flat hat.” The hat was inspired by hats worn by Buffalo soldiers sent to protect Yosemite National Park and hats worn by Mexican Vaqueros. Both of these styles of hat had four small dents, or the “Montana Peak”, on the top. The flat hat was adopted into official uniform regulations in 1920, only four years after the establishment of the National Park Service, making it one of the oldest and most iconic symbols of the National Park Service.

Image: A close-up of a classic park ranger flat hat bathed in sunset light, resting on a rocky surface near the Atlantic Ocean at Acadia National Park.

01/14/2025

Ship’s Bread

Soldiers and sailors of the 18th century, both British and American, were all too familiar with this staple of life. Also called “hard bread” or “sea bread,” its names describe its basic traits. These roughly 2”-3” discs of bread, roughly ½” thick, were easily packed in barrels for long-distance travel. Baked until hard and having almost no moisture, it resisted mold growth.

Of course, being so dry and hard, it was inedible by itself. The soldier or sailor issued ship’s bread had to break it and soak it in whatever soup or stew was at hand.

Better than nothing, it kept body and soul together for countless soldiers and sailors. When more was available, the enlisted man took advantage! Private Joseph Plumb Martin, in his reprinted diary, “A Narrative of the American Revolution,” recounts how, “…we were marched off for the ferry. At the lower end of the street were placed several casks of sea-bread…nearly hard enough for musket flints; the casks were [open] and each man was allowed to take as many as he could, as he marched by. As my good luck would have it, there was a momentary halt made; I improved the opportunity thus offered to me…to get as many of the biscuit as I possibly could….”

This recipe version, with a few formatting edits, is from Beth Gilgun’s book, “Tidings from the 18th Century.” It has served our staff well for living history events!

2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tsp shortening or lard
½ cup water

• Mix flour and salt.
• Work in shortening until small crumbles form.
• Mix in roughly ½ cup water until a stiff dough forms.
• Remove from bowl, place on lightly floured surface.
• Beat dough with a mallet until it is about ½” thick.
• Fold dough over itself into 6 layers.
• Beat it thin again and re-fold and beat it about 5 or 6 times more.
• Before cutting into pieces, beat the dough to about ½” thick.
• Cut into squares about 2 inches across, and bake for 30 minutes at about 325ᵒ F.
• Store tightly covered, but it may be taken on scouts in a fabric bag.




(Image: Saratoga NHP)

01/14/2025

01/13/2025

Friend: “You already had a pinecone.”
Me: But what about second pinecone?

Okay, pine. Do deer eat pinecones? Deer are known to consume cones and pine needles, especially when there is a scarcity of other food sources during the winter. Is it their favorite? Meh. Deer get less picky when they are hungry (don’t we all), and evergreen trees and plants, like pine, offer much-needed calories and nutrients during colder weather. After a while, it just becomes hobbit. Habit. We meant habit.

Image: Fro-doe, is that you? Two Mule Deer checking out the pinecone situation on a snowy day at Rocky Mountain National Park. NPS/Schonlau

01/10/2025

Diving into the weekend like...

With its exceptional hearing, the red fox will dive into the snow to surprise potential prey. Do they always catch something? Nope. Do they get up and try again? Ugh, I don’t know. It’s been three jumps already. Wait, yes! Yes they do! (Especially if they’re hungry.)

Learn more about red foxes at https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/red-fox.htm


Image: A fox lands face first deep in snowy Hayden Valley Yellowstone National Park. NPS/Neal Herbert

01/09/2025

On National Law Enforcement Officer Appreciation Day, we honor the dedication of the 113 officers from the U.S. Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and Office of Law Enforcement and Security who answered the call in 2024 in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as part of Emergency Support Function-13.

These officers worked alongside partners from across the nation to provide critical security and conduct lifesaving search and rescue operations in devastated communities across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. Their unwavering commitment exemplifies the best of public service.

All of Interior’s law enforcement officers are vital to protecting people, wildlife and natural resources across America’s public lands and Tribal communities. Today and every day, we are profoundly grateful for their service, dedication, professionalism and sacrifice!

01/09/2025

On this National Day of Mourning, we remember former President Jimmy Carter. The National Park System evolved during Jimmy Carter's presidency to preserve many special places Americans enjoy today.

Among his many awards and accomplishments, President Carter was also an honorary National Park Service park ranger, recognized for his service, leadership, and legacy of conservation.

Learn more about the park areas established during his presidency at: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/shaping-nps-carter-presidency.htm

President Carter will be buried in his family plot, located at the Carter home, now part of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains, Georgia. Updates and a full schedule of events celebrating the life of President Carter are posted at www.nps.gov/jica

Image: Former President Jimmy Carter speaks at the Plains High School auditorium after being named an honorary national park ranger in 2016.

01/09/2025