As the government shutdown continues to bar many agencies and services, some local residents are mourning the temporary loss of national parks.
Shutdowns have affected the national park system before, said David Foster, a UF professor who teaches Geology of American National Parks.
“The parks are significant for both of the preservation of natural history as well as the cultural history of the country,” Foster said.
The history within some of the national monuments and the relationship between historical and cultural aspects of early Americans are seen in areas of the parks, Foster said.
Foster said he suspects state park traffic will pick up in the time that national parks remain closed, as people will look for alternative places to visit.
Jenna Ingram, a 20-year-old UF health education junior, grew up visiting the Everglades.
“I used to go there during my childhood with my family,” Ingram said. “It was a really cool thing to be able to see all of the nature and wildlife that lives in the Everglades.”
It’s a historic part of Florida, Ingram said, and it’s upsetting to see it closed.
A version of this story ran on page 3 on 10/4/2013 under the headline "All national parks closed"
