Why I'm Taking the Yellowstone Pledge

What I love about Yellowstone are the memories I've enjoyed there. I've lived a couple hours away from Yellowstone for most of my life, and I have fond memories of going there with my family as a child. Yellowstone National Park is one of the most diverse parks you'll ever go to with its numerous geysers, countless waterfalls, and wide variety of wildlife.

I'm taking the #YellowstonePledge, because I want others, including myself, to be more conscientious of how we treat our public lands and how we conduct ourselves when visiting them. If we help take care of our national parks now, we can help ensure that others will will be able to enjoy them in the future.

To help protect the park and myself, I pledge to:

• Practice safe selfies by never approaching animals to take a picture.
• Stay on boardwalks in thermal areas.
• Protect hot springs by not throwing anything into them.
• Park in designated areas and avoid blocking traffic.
• Stay with my car if I’m stuck in a wildlife jam.
• Follow speed limits and pull over to let cars pass.
• Travel safely in bear country by carrying bear spray, making noise, and hiking in groups.
• Keep my food away from animals.
• Recycle what I can and put my garbage in bear-proof containers.
• Report resource violations by calling 911 or talking to a ranger.

I hope you'll join me in taking the pledge. Show your support and help introduce your friends to the cause by using the hashtag #YellowstonePledge across social media.