Jill Biden teams up with National Geographic for national parks series
First lady Jill Biden is helping National Geographic promote a new documentary series about the country's national parks.
The big picture: The series comes as National Geographic launches a new event called America’s National Parks Week and as the country's national parks have been flooded with visitors post-pandemic.
Details: Biden will introduce each episode of "America’s National Parks," which highlights the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Big Bend, Badlands and Hawaii Volcanoes national parks, the Associated Press reports.
- In the introduction, the first lady speaks from the Grand Canyon, calling on viewers to visit national parks.
- Nat Geo plans to run a public service announcement in the series that includes Biden telling service members and veterans that they receive free admission, per AP.
What she said: “America’s national parks are full of unrivaled beauty, geological wonders, cultural history and amazing wildlife,” Biden says in a video clip released by National Geographic.
- “Each national park connects people to a piece of the American story, who we are and where we came from,” the first lady said in the video. “With more than 400 national park sites, there are so many unique places in our country that are just waiting to be explored.”
Between the lines: They're promoting parks for visits that are already so crowded you have to get a reservation to enter.
- In 2021, national parks experienced an overflow of visitors, which led to traffic jams, congestion and damage to the parks, Axios' Alayna Treene reported at the time.
What we're watching: “America’s National Parks" begins Monday, Aug. 29, and runs through Friday, Sept. 2.
- All five episodes will be available on Disney+ beginning Aug. 31.
Go deeper ... National parks "drowning in tourists"