The sad silence of the National Parks Instagram accounts
UPDATE: Jan. 25, 2019, 4:41 p.m. EST The shutdown is over (for now) so keep an eye on the accounts below as they'll crackle back to life soon.
On Dec. 22, 2018, when parts of the federal government went into shutdown mode, it caused a ripple effect that's continued to be felt by workers and the public alike, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Among the wide-ranging consequences of the shutdown has been the silence from the various National Park accounts on Instagram, which have amassed millions of followers across the various handles. The main National Park Service Instagram even has a whopping 1.3 million followers.
The National Park Service posted a message on its account on Dec. 21, 2018 that read, "During the federal government shutdown, we will not monitor or update social media. Some National Park Service areas are accessible, however access may change without notice, and there are no NPS-provided services. For more information, visit the park’s website ... "
Similar messages were found across the various park-specific accounts.
This, of course, makes sense as the posts are handled by federal workers -- park employees or a NPS employee based in Washington, D.C. -- and those folks are at home like hundreds of thousands of other federal employees who aren't getting paid.
The lack of pretty photos is hardly the only troubling thing happening with the National Parks system during the shutdown. Because sections of many parks are still open to the public without any oversight, there have been problems ranging from bathrooms overflowing with waste and garbage to a horrible subset of people seemingly intent on doing damage to these invaluable natural resources.
And that's just because of the current shutdown, never mind the deep maintenance deficit the system is still struggling with.
The Instagram accounts coming back to life won't fix many of the issues. But these accounts have been a tremendous success -- and not just in the form of marketing tools that attract more visitors to the parks or fill your Insta feed up with pretty pictures.
The photos and livestreams that happen across these accounts are key tools of advocacy for the parks, be it protection of wildlife living in the parks, educating the public on everything the National Park Service and its employees do, or even promoting ecologically-friendly behavior.
By pulling in millions of people with stunning photos, the parks can then reach a much larger audience when they need to spread the word about conservation efforts or visitor tips, like what do when a bison walks up and licks your car.
If you want to keep your Instagram feed full of National Park photos, there are non-government accounts that can scratch that itch for you. Accounts like National Park Geek, Parks Project, and the National Park Foundation (the NPS's charitable partner) have been keeping the 'gram game going during the shutdown.
And there's always getting in on the action yourself. After all, many of the parks are still open across the country, so if you live near one, consider going and capturing your own stunning photos. The shutdown helped inspire me to drag my poor dog out into the cold to visit my nearest National Park, even in the dead of winter.
Hopefully, even without the activity on the Instagram accounts, love and attention can still be paid to the National Parks. Whether it's donations for upkeep, volunteering to clean up, or simply making a point to visit, maybe these accounts can still draw much-needed support and attention.
You can check out a variety of ways to help out National Parks during the shutdown at this National Park Foundation post.
Whatever the case, just be sure to make yours a safe visit and pick up after yourself.
Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
