Kathryn
There are over 400 national parks in the United States that help preserve historic buildings and landscapes while creating recreation activities close to home. Volunteering at a national park can be rewarding both mentally and physically. Volunteers help maintain over 1,000 trails and historic landmarks including places like Pearl Harbor and the Martin Luther King Birthplace.
The June issue of AICR’s eNews shows volunteering at a park is a great way to get involved with your local history and to add physical activity to your schedule. AICR recommends 30 minutes of moderate daily activity to prevent cancer and it’s important to find an activity that you enjoy so you’ll stick with it.
There are other ways to volunteer outside if helping out at a national park isn’t for you. The recent oil spill in the Gulf coast region has produced a need for volunteers to help clean up the affected area and report the environmental impacts caused by the spill. National parks have been affected by this as well as other organizations helping to clean up the Gulf Bay. Some of these organizations you can volunteer at are the National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. Their websites will contain more information on how to help.
