#US national park service

[awanderingcanadian]

Meandering in Grand Teton National Park

It’s been a lovely few days in Grand Teton National Park. With much warmer overnight temperatures then Yellowstone, and warm days, 24-25C, we’ve been enjoying our time here. I’m amazed at how different the scenery is from Yellowstone, yet there are less than an hour’s drive apart.

A few days ago, the four of us set off for the hike around Jenny Lake, (7.2 miles…11.6kms). It was a beautiful day. Due to my, (improving), hip situation, I purposefully only did half of the hike, getting to one switchback below Inspiration Point, before taking the ferry back across the lake. The other 3 continued on for was ended up being an over 4 hour hike.

Yesterday, we headed in Jackson, Wyoming, human population 10,600…winter elk population 7000! While very touristy, it hasn’t yet been ruined. We enjoyed a pizza lunch, as well as taking care of the necessities of banking, grocery shopping, and fuelling up, as we pull out early tomorrow morning. The ‘boys’ rode their bikes there, (60kms), while Bonnie and I took the truck, meeting them at the Visitors Centre and Elk Refuge. En route, Bonnie and I saw a mama moose and her calf, while on the way back we saw a bull moose who was posing for photos!

There is a big fire burning east of the park and yesterday the skies at times were completely smoky, obliterating the mountains completely, while at other times it was merely hazy. We took a side road on the way back to see the old Mormon houses and to get a good look at the roiling smoke cloud.

The park is in the process of closing. Today the restaurants closed after breakfast and the main bathrooms and showers here at Coulter Bay are on restricted hours, (two 2 hour openings: 8-10am and 4-6pm). As of today, the Coulter Bay RV park is the only campground remaining open. However, the scenery here is amazing, and we’ve made some good memories.

[altfedarchy]

Calling US Federal Seasonals and Seasonal-Hopefuls!

Please help me get some better-than-anecdotal answers for the managers at my work (and elsewhere if I can spread it around).

My next post will share what (little) I've been told about federal seasonal hiring. So check that out if you're in this nasty limbo.

Please reblog for best data!

[coldpapernightmare]

A good heads up from the fine folks at Alt National Parks.

If you're a government worker trying to do the world some good keep this in mind

[zenosanalytic]

#oh i KNEW this man had DMV energy i KNEW IT!!!#from the first moment i saw that iconique video i said: oh sure it says montana. but my Maryland sees your Maryland.#and it looks like i was right & u know what. it feels great#nature#people(via @sashayed) XD

[voltaspistol]

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Alt National Park Service·

Let’s get into the details. Musk’s staffers have been caught plugging external hard drives into federal agency systems and reportedly locking others out of private rooms to perform—who knows what actions. This behavior violates key cybersecurity laws under FISMA and NIST guidelines, which are designed to protect sensitive federal information. Here’s why this is a serious problem.

Federal systems are strictly regulated, allowing only approved devices to connect. Unauthorized external drives can introduce viruses, ransomware, or other harmful software that may compromise entire networks and disrupt essential operations. This puts system stability and continuity of services at risk, endangering critical infrastructure.

These devices could also be used to steal or damage critical information, including personal data for millions of Americans—such as Social Security recipients and taxpayers. Unauthorized access creates significant vulnerabilities, exposing sensitive data to the risk of cyberattacks. Such attacks could cripple vital services and compromise the privacy and safety of millions of people.

Additionally, federal agencies have strict access controls to prevent unauthorized data manipulation or theft. When unauthorized devices are connected, these protections are bypassed, allowing unauthorized users to potentially alter or extract sensitive data. This undermines system integrity and opens the door to both internal and external threats.

External drives also often lack essential security features, such as encryption and antivirus scanning, making them vulnerable to cybercriminal exploitation. These security gaps further increase the risk of data breaches and system compromise, which can have far-reaching consequences.

Federal systems handle trillions of dollars in payments and manage personal data for millions of U.S. citizens. By bypassing cybersecurity laws and protocols, Musk’s staffers are putting these systems—and the public—at serious risk. This activity is illegal, reckless, and unacceptable. Immediate oversight and intervention are necessary to stop these violations!

[caldrive]

The (very affecting) Soul Consoling Tower (I-Rei Tō) at Manzanar "Relocation Center" cemetery, Manzanar, California (October 2023). I keep coming back to Manzanar — decades ago when I started looking for the camp it was harder to find, but now it's part of the NPS system — and wonder if we'll ever have the courage to officially call it (and its sibling camps) what it was, a concentration camp. I'm always struck by the contrast between the (harsh) beauty of the natural setting (so familiar to me) and the ugliness of what was done here.

[humming-fly]

This 4th of July I’m stealing the patriotism euphoria that’s usually associated with assholes idolizing the worst attributes of this country because fuck ‘em I live here too and remembering the things this country actually got Right is an important exercise when trying to rally anyone to want to defend it in November SO putting my money where my mouth is I’ll start easy and say I really like National Parks!! It’s rad how many of them there are and how they’re actual set up to preserve some of the most beautiful wild areas in our country while still letting people visit to enjoy and experience nature!! (Less important but I love how they put national parks on the quarters I think that’s real fun)

Feel free to add on if something speaks to ya!

[shutterandsentence]

Just because it's winter doesn't mean you can't have adventures!

Photo: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

[silencespring]

Seasonals were told that we would not be affected. They changed their minds, evidently.

Additionally:

All social media posts have to be submitted to the Capitol for "review."

We received emails telling us to tattle on the DEI programs or employees lest we be punished by daddy.

Permanents on probation are having their jobs threatened.

[mapsontheweb]

Administrative regions of the National Park Service.

[awanderingcanadian]

Wandering In ‘Merica

I’m writing this from Grand Teton National Park, a quick 1.5 hours from our campground in Yellowstone. We spent 4 nights in Yellowstone. Having visited there 10 years ago during the very busy summer season, it was nice to come back when it was a bit quieter. Of course, it was significantly colder as well, with overnight temperatures getting down to 0C.

We walked the boardwalks of some of their amazing geysers, I rode my electric bike twice to Lake Lodge to get wifi…and one evening I had an amazing cocktall there as well…strictly while waiting for the slow evening wifi.

Visiting Yellowstone is like visiting another planet. The moonscape features of the hot spring geysers, as the ground underneath you is in a state of constant eruption, makes it a place like no other. Of course, Old Faithful is famous throughout the world, and it’s nicely laid out for a good walk around the many bubbling pools, but there are so many other amazing geysers to see throughout the park. Then there’s the wildlife: buffalo, wolves, bears, and elk to name a few.

We enjoyed our 4 nights in Yellowstone and are looking forward to our time in Grand Teton.

[ibenblythe]

https://ourparks.org/

Give these guys a follow!

They are giving up to date info on how to secure yourself if living in the US and how to fight back Musk and his cronies. 👉 You can find them in: Facebook and Bluesky for best info.

[deus3xmachinablog]

the national parks service posted a bunch of templates for pumpkin carving (link here: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/park-pumpkin-carvings.htm ) and I specifically cannot get over this one:

[voltaspistol]

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Alt National Park Service

It’s official: Elon Musk’s staffers have now illegally obtained classified information from the USAID office.

Here’s a recap of what’s happening:

Elon Musk’s staffers entered USAID offices and accessed classified materials without proper clearance. Two senior security officials who tried to stop them were placed on leave. DOGE staffers have since obtained the classified information and carried materials out of the building.

USAID, founded in 1961 as the primary U.S. foreign aid agency, is now under threat of being dismantled by President Trump. Signs outside the USAID building have been removed, the agency’s website went offline, and its X account disappeared.

Hundreds of USAID employees have been fired or furloughed, and foreign aid operations were suspended after Trump issued a freeze on aid. The agency’s public affairs team has also been placed on leave and locked out of their systems.

This situation is escalating quickly. More details to come.

[reasonsforhope]

"When President Joe Biden signed a proclamation Tuesday establishing a national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, it marked the fulfillment of a promise Till’s relatives made after his death 68 years ago.

The Black teenager from Chicago, whose abduction, torture and killing in Mississippi in 1955 helped propel the Civil Rights Movement, is now an American story, not just a civil rights story, said Till’s cousin the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr.

“It has been quite a journey for me from the darkness to the light,” Parker said during a proclamation signing ceremony at the White House attended by dozens, including other family members, members of Congress and civil rights leaders.

“Back then in the darkness, I could never imagine the moment like this, standing in the light of wisdom, grace and deliverance,” he said.

With the stroke of Biden’s pen, the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, located across three sites in two states, became federally-protected places. Before signing the proclamation, the president said he marvels at the courage of the Till family to “find faith and purpose in pain.”

“Today, on what would have been Emmett’s 82nd birthday, we add another chapter in the story of remembrance and healing,” Biden said...

On Tuesday, reaction poured in from other elected officials and from the civil rights organizing community. The Rev. Al Sharpton said the Till national monument designation tells him “that out of pain comes power.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jefferies said the monument “places the life and legacy of Emmett Till among our nation’s most treasured memorials.”

“Black history is American history,” he said in a written statement...

Till-Mobley demanded that Emmett’s mutilated remains be taken back to Chicago for a public, open casket funeral that was attended by tens of thousands of people. Graphic images taken of Emmett’s remains, sanctioned by his mother, were published by Jet magazine and fueled the Civil Rights Movement...

Altogether, the Till national monument will include 5.7 acres (2.3 hectares) of land and two historic buildings. The Mississippi sites are Graball Landing, the spot where Emmett’s body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River just outside of Glendora, Mississippi, and the Tallahatchie County Second District Courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where Emmett’s killers were tried...

The Illinois site is Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, where Emmett’s funeral was held in September 1955...

Mississippi state Sen. David Jordan, 90, was a freshman at Mississippi Valley State College in 1955 when he attended part of the trial of the two men charged with killing Emmett. As a state senator for the past 30 years, Jordan, who is Black, spearheaded fundraising for a statue of Emmett Till that was dedicated last year in Greenwood, Mississippi, a few miles from where the teenager was abducted.

On Tuesday, Jordan praised Biden for creating the Till national monument.

“It’s one of the greatest honors that a president could pay to a person, 14, who lost his life in Mississippi that’s created a movement that changed America,” Jordan told the AP."

-via AP, July 25, 2023

[buttacake80]

I remember the alt accounts from Twitter.