This month marks the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service, and the Obama administration is taking the landmark date pretty seriously. The Obamas traveled to Carlsbad Caverns and Yosemite National Park earlier this year, and after two weeks’ vacation on Martha’s Vineyard and several hours of golf on Saturday, the Obamas continued their tour of national parks on Sunday.
First Family at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia for a hike. Part of the National Park Service, celebrating its 100th anniversary.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 28, 2016
President Obama will fire up Air Force One later this week and apparently burn up quite a bit of jet fuel on a 10-day tour.
No events or appearances again tomorrow on Pres Obama's schedule. Leaves Wed. on 10 day trip to Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, Midway, China & Laos.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 28, 2016
Hawaii is a preferred Obama vacation spot, but this trip is strictly work-related. The president will attend a conference on Wednesday and travel to Midway Atoll on Thursday, where he will give a speech about the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which on Friday was expanded to make it the world’s largest marine protected area.
It's official: Papahānaumokuākea has been expanded-now world's largest marine protected area https://t.co/8Dlx3RavSo pic.twitter.com/rAU0TtRTwI
— Brian Deese NARA (@Deese44) August 26, 2016
Scientists will use the protected area to study the effects of climate change on the fragile ecosystem, which serves as home to black coral, which has been found to live longer than 4,500 years.
A fact sheet from the White House says that the president will use the visit to “highlight first-hand how the threat of climate change makes protecting our public lands and waters more important than ever.” If we’re lucky, we might get to see the president interact directly with some wildlife.
Pres Obama's visit to Midway Atoll on Thursday sounds intriguing. @Deese44 says @POTUS will get to "interact directly with the wildlife."
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 29, 2016
Will this trip be as exciting as the president’s sojourn to Alaska, where he bravely “stared down” a melting glacier and briefly held in his hands a salmon that was so star-struck that it began spawning eggs on his shoes?
So, another vacation courtesy of the taxpayers?
— Sick and tired (@AgnesSBaker) August 29, 2016
No, this is work.
He's going to clean up bird poop?
— Ellen Anderson (@MochaLite) August 29, 2016
No, he's going to apologize to the Japanese fleet that was destroyed in June 1942.
— Marshall (@MarshT1103) August 29, 2016
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