Picture Yourself in a National Park

Celebrate National Parks Week with park rangers

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This week, the country celebrates National Park Week. From April 21-29, the nearly 400 national parks in the United States will be free to visit. And the National Park Service and National Park Foundation will sponsor special events throughout the week around the theme “Picture Yourself in a National Park.”

National parks are an important part of our country. But the amazing experience of visiting these places is made possible by park rangers. Whether it's Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon or Ellis Island in New York, park rangers are your guides through America's natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Recently I interviewed one of Ellis Island's park rangers, Katherine Crane. She greeted me at the door of the museum with so much enthusiasm and information that I could not help but want to stay at the museum all day. Ellis Island is an amazing place. Its main building is a complex structure full of history and enriched by the immigrant story that helped build our country. From artifacts in a museum to benches immigrants actually sat on, you're surrounded by wonderful history.

In my interview with Ranger Crane, she talked about her daily life as a park ranger, as well as Ellis Island facts that you've never heard before. She also discusses her interpretation of the immigrant story and the importance of National parks.

Click Play Video to watch my interview!

I also interviewed David Luchsinger, the superintendent of Ellis Island National Park and Liberty Island National Park. Watch my interview here! And for more about my day at Ellis Island and Liberty Island, check out the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps Blog!

Go behind the scenes of Ellis Island with Scholastic’s Virtual Field Trip to Ellis Island webcast.

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