The future of the National Park Service has been under the microscope since the Trump administration suggested a $1 billion cut to the NPS budget in May. Though Congress rejected the cut, the House and Senate continue to spar over funding the 109-year-old institution, whose parks welcome 318 million annual visitors.

With 24% of NPS staff laid off this year, Americans already lament a loss of access to expertise and programming that connect us to the land and solidify our understanding of our past. As a mother, I fear further cuts will affect our nation’s youth.

NATIONAL PARK WEEK: THE STATE OF AMERICA’S OUTDOORS

My children will not receive lessons on United States history until the fifth grade through public school. For years, I have taught them our country’s history through age-appropriate picture books and by using vacations as a springboard for visiting the sites that bring our past to life. The NPS Junior Ranger program is a recent addition to our history practice.

Nearly every park in the NPS system has a tailored booklet that prompts children to........

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