Did you know that over 100 million people visit National Parks every summer? Their experiences are as varied as the parks themselves: they camp in Olympic National Park, fish in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, hike the Grand Canyon, and learn about the long struggle for civil rights at Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, and so much more.

This summer is shaping up to be one of the most complicated in Park Service history. Since January 20, the Trump Administration has taken dozens of actions that negatively impact the National Park Service by cutting staff, rolling back environmental protections, and restricting the types of history that parks can share. That means that many parks are preparing for a deluge of visitors without the staff or resources they need.

Luckily, there are lots of organizations rallying to support the National Parks—and plenty of ways you can help them do it. Here are five ways (make sure to read to the end!) that you can help ensure that nature stays protected, history is preserved, and the National Parks continue to flourish for generations to come.

Protect American History

When people think of National Parks, they might picture Yosemite or Yellowstone, or maybe the Washington Monument or Gettysburg. But there are 433 parks, monuments, battlefields, historic sites, and other areas managed by the National Park Service. In just the past decade, they have established parks dedicated to telling stories about the devastating impacts of Indian boarding schools, the often-overlooked history of Reconstruction, and the uprising that began the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement—an example of censorship at sites that tell the history of all Americans—among many others.

As Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said, these sites “hold stories that reflect our nation’s boundless hopes and global roots. By inspiring, challenging and sometimes horrifying us, the unvarnished stories these sites tell unify us as a courageous, free people eager to learn, even when it’s hard, because we too strive to honor our nation’s founding values. Preserving such places enables all of us to be more informed, braver citizens committed to building a more perfect union for everyone."

Read more from the National Parks Conservation Association about what you can do.

Turn Off the Lights

Have you ever looked up into the night sky at a national park and been awed by the starry expanse? It’s a unique experience that’s becoming less and less common due to light pollution–in fact, nearly 80 percent of the world’s population cannot see the Milky Way from their backyards due to ambient light in their communities.

Light pollution isn’t just an aesthetic problem. It also causes serious issues for nocturnal and migratory animals who depend on light (or the lack of it) to know when to travel, hunt, hatch, and mate. These issues can be especially problematic near National Parks where protected wildlife make their home. When staying overnight at parks, don’t flood your campsite with lights–instead, use only as little as needed. And once you return home, turn on the lights only if and where you need them. Find more tips from the National Park Service.

Leave No Trace

Are you familiar with the saying, “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints”? This sentiment is codified in the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, seven “leave no trace” principles, which remind visitors to leave parks the way they found them. These principles were "built on work by the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management in the mid 1980s." The principles ask visitors to:

• Plan ahead and prepare by researching the rules, regulations, and emergency protocols of the place you’re going to visit.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces, sticking to maintained trails and designated campsites.
• Dispose of waste properly by taking all waste with you when you leave.
• Leave what you find–don’t take natural objects with you, and don’t touch historical structures or artifacts.
• Minimize campfire impacts by keeping fires small and using designated, established campfire areas.
• Respect wildlife by observing them from a distance.
• Be considerate of other visitors.

It’s important to remember that these principles apply to urban parks and historic sites as much as they do to protected wilderness. Historical objects like the Liberty Bell can’t be maintained if they aren’t treated with care, and the wildlife that live in parks closer to people, like the coyotes of the Golden Gate Park National Recreation Area also deserve respect.

Learn more about the Leave No Trace principles.

Volunteer

No matter where you live in the United States, there’s probably a National Park not far from you, and that park probably has volunteer opportunities available. Whether you want to greet visitors, help maintain your favorite hiking trail, plant trees, serve as a campground host, or even help transcribe historical documents, there’s an opportunity waiting for you.

Across the country, National Park volunteers have made real, long-term contributions to habitat restoration, scientific and historical research, education, and community building. They have built the beginning of a 19-mile reroute of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Wisconsin, restored and rebuilt pioneer homes in the Grand Tetons, cleaned up graffiti at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and organized events recognizing the role of Chinese immigrants in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad at Golden Spike National Historical Park.

Excited to lend a hand? Learn more about volunteering or search for opportunities.

Advocate

It’s always important to tell your representatives why the National Parks matter, but right now it’s more important than ever. You can stay up to date on issues impacting the parks–from staff shortages, to budget cuts, to rollbacks on environmental protection policies–when you sign up for action alerts from the National Trust along with organizations like the National Parks Conservation Association, the Resistance Rangers, and the National Parks Foundation.