Texas family visiting all the National Parks to raise awareness of climate change impacts
50 National Parks down, 13 more to go. Traveling has been in two-year-old Journey Castillo’s blood since she was days old. Her parents, Valerie and Eric Castillo’s goal is to visit all 63 national parks by the time Journey turned three.
The reason for their journey with Journey...
“They are parks that are not promised. They’re not amusement parks. They’re not, you know, guaranteed to be here down the road for the next generation. So for us, it’s just to create that awareness for parents to get out there and take their kids to experience these parks,” said Eric Castillo, a San Antonio resident.
According to the National Parks Conservation Association, climate change is a threat to parks like Joshua Tree National Park. The Castillos said they want to bring awareness to these issues.
“We’re lucky we get to see these parks. We’re lucky we get to visit them. They’re not in the state they were 50 years ago. And in 10 years and in 5 years they are not going to be in the state they are in today,” Valerie Castillo said.
More on Climate Change and Joshua Tree National Park
And that’s what they hope little Journey gets out of this, to become a beacon of hope for the future of these national parks.
“For her generation, I think what we’re doing she can potentially have a foundation to make an impact in the natural world with what we are doing today,” the Castillos said. “We want to give her a voice and build her character from the very beginning. We are not waiting.”
Journey turns three in September, the Castillos say when they finally reach their goal, they plan to continue their mission and work with legislation to help conserve the land’s natural beauty.
