#State Parks

[reasonsforhope]

By the time Sue Shusterman turns away from the bench at the overlook and back toward the trailhead, she knows the paddleboarders are out in force 300 yards away on the gleaming blue surface of Chatfield Reservoir.  

She knows the high runoff waters have flooded the roots of Chatfield’s willows and cottonwoods, and that the first spring-green layers of the foothills rise to the west like soft fabric. 

How she acquired these life-affirming memories is at first a mystery, since Shusterman is blind and is heading back toward the parking lot making her usual sweep of the path in front with her ever-present white cane.  

But then a friendly voice emerges from the phone that Shusterman is pointing toward the path from her other hand.

A little to the left to stay on the paved path. Looks like there’s a trail all the way down to the beach, about 75 yards, if you wanted to go. I’ll just be here watching, let me know if you need anything. 

The voice is from a live, trained human guide FaceTiming through Shusterman’s phone camera on the Aira ability-assist app. Sight-impaired people have been using Aira’s guides to make it easier to do anything from navigating an airport to filling out an online job form. Now, all 42 Colorado state parks like Chatfield are geofenced to allow any visitor to use Aira for free to stroll the trails with a helpful set of eyes. 

The Aira guides seemingly effortlessly offer what a blind hiker either needs, or wants. If there’s a dangerous steep drop-off on the right, they warn. If the hiker would rather know if the sneezeweed is in bloom or the sailboats are luffing through a turn, Aira offers that instead.

For Shusterman, trying Aira as an outdoors adventure for the first time, the allure was simple: “Independence.” 

“So she’s doing, I think, a phenomenal job of including the necessary safety things, but the perks of the scenery, too,” Shusterman said, as she paused during a conversation with an Aira guide based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “She’s doing great.”

State accessibility officials recently announced the expansion of Aira to state parks grounds, after previously providing Aira free for other state-related functions such as navigating a government building or getting help on an online site or filling out forms. Colorado cannot control the cellphone signal, though, so parks officials encourage visitors to try Aira at a familiar or close-in park space before ranging farther afield with it. Popular parks like Staunton or Golden Gate contain pockets where signals are not strong. 

For consumers buying access on their own, Aira costs about $50 for 30 minutes of assistance a month. Private employers and governments often buy package access to Aira and other accessibility apps for all employees to use. State accessibility coordinator Theresa Montano, who is blind and accompanied Shusterman on her Chatfield walk, said Amazon buys access so that sight-impaired shipping center employees can navigate steps to pack orders.

Montano uses Aira at her state job, saying the guides on the app can share her computer screen and help her get through an online task in 30 minutes that might take her four hours without help or through older accessibility tools. 

Adding Aira for state-owned lands was wrapped into the overall $250,000 budget for free Aira use on state property and with state websites. The additional utility is an obvious plus, Montano said. 

“This gives blind people the same opportunity to come and enjoy it by themselves or with their family if they want to, and be independent,” she said...

Shusterman walked away taking more from the big picture experience, rather than any particular scenic detail. 

“For me, it was, you know what, I could go for a walk on this path, and I could feel completely safe, and I would enjoy a nice walk and get some exercise, in an unfamiliar area,” Shusterman said. “It’s definitely a real confidence boost for me.”  

-via The Colorado Sun, June 11, 2024

[morningcallsphotography]

Patrick's Point State Park Trinidad, CA NY -> CA (and back), 2021

Contact ©morningcallsphotography

[oldflorida]

URGENT ACTION NEEDED!! Say NO to carving up our state parks!!

[indelicateink]

this man is a hero.

Florida’s department of environmental protection has fired a whistleblower who exposed and sank governor Ron DeSantis’s secretive plan to pave over environmentally sensitive state parks and build lucrative hotels, golf courses and pickleball courts.

James Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, was terminated for “conduct unbecoming a public employee”, according to a letter he received on Saturday.

His leaking of the proposals sparked a furious backlash that united Republicans with Democrats and environmental advocates, and forced DeSantis into a humiliating climbdown last week in which he admitted the plans were “half-baked” and were “going back to the drawing board”.

Speaking with the Tampa Bay Times on Monday, Gaddis said preservation of the state parks was more important to him than his position.

[…] “I’ve taken sole responsibility for this,” said Gaddis, a single father with an 11-year-old daughter.

[wildlifetracker]

Sylvan lake, Custer State Park, South Dakota.

[night-for-night]

almost empty - sandy hook, nj - pentax spotmatic & 400 iso color film - developed at eliz digital & scanned with minolta dimage dual iii

[lemonlinelights]

HI

Share the news, send emails, do phone calls to Florida's Gov. DeSantis. Please y'all help protect these state parks

[flycasual]

FDEP has announced a "Great Outdoors Initiative"

For anyone in Florida that might not already be aware, this "Great Outdoors Initiative" is a plan to build lodges, golf courses, and more in state parks, over what should be protected land. Florida already has over 1,000 golf courses. That's more than enough. We don't need to sacrifice our state parks for more of them.

This article is from 30 minutes ago. (Open it in a private/incognito window if it locks you out.) I've called the park nearest to me that is under threat, even they haven't been given much information. They said what I know is what they know.

There are public meetings across the state (private/incognito) on August 27th at 3 pm, which seems right now to be the only chance anyone is going to be given to comment on whether anyone wants this or not. Go to one of these meetings if you can. The Florida Wildlife Federation has a customizable email you can send if not.

[thewillowoaklady]

[another-anime-daydreamer]

I wanna drive you to all the state parks hand in hand all the way ���🏻

[theinternetisaweboflies]

Coffenbury Lake at Fort Stevens State Park

[californiastatelibrary]

The California State Library and the Southern California Library Cooperative (SCLC) invite libraries to apply for Parks Pass Program hiking backpacks! These backpacks will make the outdoors more accessible and foster a deeper connection with natural resources. Applications are open through Nov. 30. Backpacks will ship directly from Big 5 Sporting Goods and are subject to availability.

Application link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C6LYKRH

[morningcallsphotography]

Patrick's Point State Park Trinidad, CA NY -> CA (and back), 2021

Contact ©morningcallsphotography

[herbalnature]

Peek through nature's own window to the rugged beauty of Valley of Fire State Park. The warm hues of the rock formations contrast strikingly with the clear blue sky—Nevada's landscape at its finest.

[aphermion]

Watch your step

[muttball]

The Mighty Niagara

3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second. This accounts for 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons per second over the Horseshoe Falls.