In honor of the National Park Service’s 109th birthday on Aug. 25, we are highlighting our long-standing partnership of making an impact at parks across the country.
The Park Service reported a record 331.9 million recreation visits in 2024, an increase of 6.36 million visits, or 2%, from 2023. That’s almost equal to the population of the United States!
With all that foot traffic, our national parks need help preserving and protecting our national treasures. Throughout our 65+ year partnership, the SCA and the NPS have worked side by side, allowing thousands of SCA program participants to serve at national parks.
The SCA’s Olympic National Park Backcountry Trail Team trekking into the backcountry. (Photo Credit: Rafeed Hussain)
In 1957, SCA founder Liz Putnam first enlisted student volunteers to assist with the upkeep of U.S. National Parks at Olympic and Grand Teton National Parks, launching the Student Conservation Association. Today, the SCA is the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and adults and continues her trailblazing work at Olympic National Park.
The SCA’s Olympic National Park Backcountry Trail Team works alongside National Park Service staff building bridges and turnpikes, retreading eroded and deteriorating trails, clearing brush and fallen trees, all while creating memories for a lifetime.
New York City Urban Green Crew tackles erosion at Acadia National Park. (Photo Credit: Shaun Crockett)
The SCA’s Urban Green Acadian Exploration Crew from New York City traveled from the Big Apple to Acadia National Park in Maine to help preserve local plant life and combat erosion caused by decades of trampling by parkgoers.
The crew carried 209 pounds of soil to the summit of Sargent Mountain, the park’s second-highest peak at 1,040 feet above sea level.
SCA Bay Area Urban Forestry Crew Member Kelsey Marshall plants a Joshua tree seed in Joshua Tree National Park as part of a revegetation project for ongoing wildfire recovery efforts. (Photo Credit: James Martin)
The SCA’s Bay Area Urban Forestry Crew and Joshua Tree Planting and Resiliency Team assisted National Park Service staff with the ongoing wildfire recovery efforts by planting the iconic Joshua Tree at Joshua National Park.
Joshua trees have graced the Mojave Desert for some 2.5 million years, but are currently threatened by increasingly frequent wildfires.
Mojave Desert Restoration Corps crew members sitting around the campfire. (Photo Credit: Rafeed Hussain)
Join us in wishing the National Park Service a Happy Birthday!
Looking to find your next adventure? Join the crew!
Join our community of supporters who care deeply about preserving America’s parks, public lands, and urban green spaces.
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