LETTER: Be thankful for the majesty of Olympic National Park

Thanks to workers and volunteers, we’re able to enjoy the splendor right next door to us.

I am constantly amazed at the opportunities and the privileges afforded living alongside the majesty of Olympic National Park.

In response to the centennial celebration of the National Park Service, sincerest gratitude is in order for those who monitor and protect our parks year-round and for volunteers who offer their invaluable expertise.

The other night, I took a hike to Hurricane Hill for the full-moon walk, led by volunteer Master Observer John Goar.

These spectacular full-moon hikes, led every month in the summer by Goar and two assistant “Night Rangers,” are offered to the public as a free service.

What a deal!

As if the park could not get any better, we are the lucky recipients of a small army of volunteers whose generosity and enthusiasm enhance the experience.

To quote New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in his Aug. 26-27 PDN column, “This Land Is My Land (Yours Too!)”: “If these magnificent lands were discovered today, perhaps they would soon be dotted with luxury weekend homes.”

He could be right.

But thanks to Theodore Roosevelt and countless others in an effort that started a hundred years ago, these lush rainforests, teeming beaches and glaciered mountains remain unsullied.

Olympic National Park does not discriminate; it belongs to all of us. Let’s take a moment to thank those who work jobs protecting Olympic National Park and those special ones who volunteer.

Cynthia Webster,

Sequim

More in Opinion

Suzy Ames.
POINT OF VIEW: Together, we are resilient

I’VE LIVED IN this community for almost three years now. I know,… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Bale bucking blues

DRIVING AROUND THE old hometown can make you feel old. Gone are… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Survival of the wilderness pests

THIS IS A story about wilderness pests. It is told as a… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The camas are blooming

THERE’S A LITTLE piece of history blooming now right along U.S. Highway… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The call of the Swainson’s thrush

THIS MUST BE my favorite time of year. We’ve emerged from hibernation… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The Olympic Peninsula driving guide

THE SIGNS OF the season are everywhere. The roar of the lawn… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: River birds decline, forecast the future for us

IT WAS DAYLIGHT on the river and no birds sang. It was… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: We’re opening the Upper Hoh Road

OFTEN WHILE GLIDING along the paved roads of the Olympic Peninsula, you… Continue reading

OUR VIEW: Community continues to support local journalism

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE to decline at a rapid rate, from an average… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: A family favorite skunk cabbage recipe

THE SKUNK CABBAGE is a swamp-dwelling harbinger of spring. Named for its… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Fond memories of opening day

ONE OF MY many guilty pleasures is to look through copies of… Continue reading

Mike Glenn.
Take care of rural communities, hospitals

SAY WHAT YOU want about the efforts to downsize the government in… Continue reading