The sad silence of the National Parks Instagram accounts
On Dec. 22, 2018, when parts of the federal government went into shutdown mode, it caused a ripple effect that's continued to be felt by workers and the public alike, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Among the wide-ranging consequences of the shutdown has been the silence from the various National Park accounts on Instagram, which have amassed millions of followers across the various handles. The main National Park Service Instagram even has a whopping 1.3 million followers.
The National Park Service posted a message on its account on Dec. 21, 2018 that read, "During the federal government shutdown, we will not monitor or update social media. Some National Park Service areas are accessible, however access may change without notice, and there are no NPS-provided services. For more information, visit the park’s website ... "
A post shared by National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) on Dec 22, 2018 at 5:25am PST
Similar messages were found across the various park-specific accounts.
A post shared by Yosemite National Park (@yosemitenps) on Dec 22, 2018 at 9:55am PST
A post shared by Olympic National Park (@olympic_nps) on Dec 22, 2018 at 12:18pm PST
This, of course, makes sense as the posts are handled by federal workers — park employees or a NPS employee based in Washington, D.C. — and those folks are at home like hundreds of thousands of other federal employees who aren't getting paid.
SEE ALSO: The toilets are overflowing in national parks. But that's not the worst problem.
The lack of pretty photos is hardly the only troubling thing happening with the National Parks system during the shutdown. Because sections of many parks are still open to the public without any oversight, there have been problems ranging from bathrooms overflowing with waste and garbage to a horrible subset of people seemingly intent on doing damage to these invaluable natural resources.
And that's just because of the current shutdown, never mind the deep maintenance deficit the system is still struggling with.
A post shared by Cuyahoga Valley National Park (@cuyahogavalleynps) on Dec 11, 2018 at 2:09pm PST
The Instagram accounts coming back to life won't fix many of the issues. But these accounts have been a tremendous success — and not just in the form of marketing tools that attract more visitors to the parks or fill your Insta feed up with pretty pictures.
The photos and livestreams that happen across these accounts are key tools of advocacy for the parks, be it protection of wildlife living in the parks, educating the public on everything the National Park Service and its employees do, or even promoting ecologically-friendly behavior.
By pulling in millions of people with stunning photos, the parks can then reach a much larger audience when they need to spread the word about conservation efforts or visitor tips, like what do when a bison walks up and licks your car.
A post shared by National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) on Nov 30, 2018 at 9:35am PST
If you want to keep your Instagram feed full of National Park photos, there are non-government accounts that can scratch that itch for you. Accounts like National Park Geek, Parks Project, and the National Park Foundation (the NPS's charitable partner) have been keeping the 'gram game going during the shutdown.
A post shared by National Park Foundation (@goparks) on Jan 10, 2019 at 7:11pm PST
And there's always getting in on the action yourself. After all, many of the parks are still open across the country, so if you live near one, consider going and capturing your own stunning photos. The shutdown helped inspire me to drag my poor dog out into the cold to visit my nearest National Park, even in the dead of winter.
Image: Marcus Gilmer/Mashable
Hopefully, even without the activity on the Instagram accounts, love and attention can still be paid to the National Parks. Whether it's donations for upkeep, volunteering to clean up, or simply making a point to visit, maybe these accounts can still draw much-needed support and attention.
You can check out a variety of ways to help out National Parks during the shutdown at this National Parks Foundation post.
Whatever the case, just be sure to make yours a safe visit and pick up after yourself.