Goals from Director Stanton for the National Park System

The Cultural Conservancy is constantly reaching out to embrace all of our diverse cultures in the educational and cultural programs we offer. Our friendships in the multi-cultural communities locally, nationally and internationally are founded on years of working together to share our talents and resources from the complex traditions we all originate from.

Cultural and biodiversity are so intricately intertwined that we cannot support one without restoring and preserving the other. Original or indigenous people have always lived by the knowledge that we are all connected and support each other. The relationship we as human beings have with Mother earth is essential to our survival. This survival extends to the relationships we have with each other, with the plants and animals, with the waters, the moon, the stars and with the universe. This interrelationship is a part of our genetic fiber.

One important pillar of our work involves the National Park System. Our national park system was established by people with a vision to protect our precious natural resources for now and for future generations. Sadly, our entire planet is beginning to be aware of the disastrous effects of the thinking that often puts economic growth and short term sustainability before long term environmental survival....using and consuming the natural resources like the forests, rivers, lakes, oil, and other minerals, so people could have a better life.

But now we have reached a critical point where our consumption is abusive to the planet, to ourselves, and to our neighbors. The byproducts of our consumer oriented lifestyles are now being dumped into places that are making the surrounding areas and people and plants and animals sick. Our air, our water, our food supplies, our disappearing animal life and plant species are an indication of something gone wrong.

People are also not happier as a result. Many members of our society are sick, physically and emotionally and are taking expensive drugs to counter attack the poisonous life style we have set in motion. Our relationships are breaking down with ourselves, with each other, and with our planet.

In this situation the National parks are important islands where we can remember and get back into our relationship with the earth. We can use our parks to restore balance for us, keeping in mind the special responsibility we have as a human species to care for this earth and all its incredible flora and fauna for future generations.

Our national parks are more in danger now than in any other time in our history. Since they belong to everyone, we must gather together strong advocates representing the full spectrum of our American public to stand up for our parks survival. To accomplish this goal we in the Cultural Conservancy are actively involved in making the parks more relevant and accessible to the growing multi-cultural American community. Members of our society can be engaged not only as visitors, but also by becoming employees in the park system. Outreach into the communities surrounding our parks involves more schools, youth organizations, senior citizen groups, and neighborhood associations and allows them to enjoy these precious resources.

We are working closely with the National Park Conservation Association, the National Park Service, as well as representatives from diverse community groups, to build these new partnerships and collaborations so that all people representing a wide range in ethnicity, point of view, gender, and age can be heard in the dialogue regarding the national parks.

Our strength as a people and as a planet lies in our embracing our cultural and biological diversity and harnessing the power of this joint effort to breath healthily and happily again together.

Please join us.