Melanie S.
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ocparkbuilder.bsky.social
Melanie S.
@ocparkbuilder.bsky.social
Geographer. Environmentalist. 30x30 Activist. Chronic Illness. National Park Lover. Weekend Camper. Cat Mom.
It is **that** time of year again. Anyone of my #BlueSky or #ParkChat friends want a Christmas card? If so, DM me your address pronto!
November 30, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Day 9 & 10 - Sat. Oct. 4 to Sun. Oct. 5, 2025
📍Brookings, OR
📍Alfred Loeb SP, OR

Leaving California, I headed up the Oregon Coast. This was the purpose of this trip -- to see the Oregon Coastline. I was finally here to do that!

1/5
November 30, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Melanie S.
We are still working on our topic but this week #ParkChat welcomes Hall of Famer @btarrington.bsky.social as our special guest host. I’m certain that Todd will put together a terrific chat. Please join us. @naturetechfam.bsky.social @camarowrx.bsky.social @tthrash.bsky.social @mountainscalling.me
November 30, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Reminder to get your yearly screening!! #BreastCancerAwareness
November 26, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Friends, I'm contemplating a western Canadian NPs trip and some MT/WY/UT spots... send me your recommendations if you have them. #ParkChat
November 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Day 8 & 9 - Fri., Oct. 3 - Sat. Oct. 4, 2025
📍Orick, CA
📍Prairie Creek Redwoods SP, CA

I left my mom and Jacob at the airport, completed a work meeting, and then headed off back to Prairie Creek Redwoods SP. This time to what has been dubbed the best coastal campground in all of California

1/7
November 21, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q4: Out here, the desert has a soundtrack: ravens echoing in canyons, wind carving through fins, distant thunder bouncing off sandstone. But every park has its signature sound.

What is a sound in nature that instantly teleports you into “park mode”? #ParkChat
November 20, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Autocorrect has become our worst enema.
November 19, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q3: People often picture solitude as standing alone under a giant arch, but solitude can look different everywhere — from quiet beaches to misty forests to early-morning trailheads.

When you’re outdoors, do you seek quiet, or do you like hearing people around? #ParkChat
November 20, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q2: Canyonlands is known for horizons that just… keep going. But incredible horizons can happen anywhere — from alpine ridges to rolling grasslands to barrier islands.

Where in public lands have you experienced the most jaw-dropping horizon? #ParkChat
November 20, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q1: In places like Arches & Canyonlands, scale can feel unreal, but the feeling of “vastness” isn’t just a desert thing. Forests, coasts, mountains, tundra… they all have their own version of “big.”

What makes a park feel big to you? Is it the view? The silence? The sky? Something else? #ParkChat
November 20, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Tonight #ParkChat welcomes @cnhamoab.bsky.special our third non-profit partner of public lands on Bsky. They work with Canyonlands, Arches, Bear Ears and more. Great job, hey! Please welcome them. @naturetechfam.bsky.special
November 20, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
This week “Thank a Ranger” travels to Arches National Park. Of course. #ParkChat
November 20, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
I am very excited to welcome @cnhamoab.bsky.special as our special guest host for next Wednesday. Please go ahead and follow them now as your #ParkChat welcome. @naturetechfam.bsky.special
November 13, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
How do you fell about tonight’s Qs from @blackhillsparks.bsky.social? #ParkChat
November 13, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Please show your gratitude for @blackhillsparks.bsky.social for his excellent hosting of #ParkChat tonight and for all he does for the Parks. We really appreciate you! @naturetechfam.bsky.social
November 13, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q11: To quote an internet meme, “what if the most important part of park transportation is the friends you make along the way?”

Tell us a good story about a family or friends road trip, flight, park shuttle or other (weirder) transpo experience that you still remember to this day.

#parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q10: Death Valley has horeseback rides, Grand Canyon the mules, Denali’s got dogsleds, and Big Thicket’s famous for their canoe/kayak trips.

What’s your oddest / most unique transportation experience in the parks?

#parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q9: Some parks don’t just require transportation, they’re ABOUT transportation. Have you been to one that preserves or interprets something to do with transportation of goods or people?

(Bonus points if you know why this Junior Ranger book is important to recent NPS history) #parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q8: Did your answer to Q7 include sustainable, inclusive, and accessible aspects of transportation to make our parks “parks for all”?

It's okay, here's a 2nd chance: how can parks build transportation that is environmentally friendly, economically friendly, and disability friendly?

#parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q7: Lets keep playing “superintendent for the day”!

If you could design a dream way to get to and around in a park (realistic or not), what would it be? #parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q6:The Mission 66 cultural shift had a dark side: overcrowding. Regale us with your most epic parking / traffic fail in a park.

Then play “superintendent for the day” and explain how you would fix it. #parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q5: The “scenic grandeur” parks aren’t the only ones with driving tours. Some (especially battlefields) have interpretive history drives. And most have audio tours with them.

Tell us about one that stands out to you as a favorite or maybe one that needs more love. #parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q4: Rangers dismissively call it “windshielding the park,” but some parks’ scale and vistas lend themselves to cruisable (or cursable?) scenic roadways. Tell us about your favorite (or least favorite) park scenic drive experience. #parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Reposted by Melanie S.
Q3: Automobiles and the NPS’s embrace of them through the Mission 66 program made parks car-dependent. 1st car question of four: which park has the best drive TO the park? What makes it special? #parkchat
November 13, 2025 at 2:15 AM