Remarks by the First Lady at the National Park Foundation Leadership Summit on Partnership and Philanthropy

Business Wire, Oct 15, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas Alumni Center

Austin, Texas

8:41 A.M. CDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, Daniel, and thank you for being such a great example for your fellow Junior Rangers, and for young people across the United States.

I want to acknowledge Bill Powers, the President of the University of Texas. Thank you very much for letting us have this summit here at my alma mater. Just like Warrie, I was here for graduate school, not undergraduate school. But I'm so glad to be here.

I also want to recognize Secretary Hank Paulson, who's in the audience and who will be one of our speakers later; Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior, whose job includes the purview of the National Parks; Governor Linda Lingle, Governor of the state of Hawaii -- thank you so much for joining us today; and Mary Bomar, of course, the Director of the National Park Service -- thank you, Mary; Vin Cipolla, who you heard from earlier, the President and CEO of the National Park Foundation; and Warrie Price, the President of The Battery Conservancy.

Warrie talked about her Mrs. J, and actually, it was Mrs. J who wrote me and asked me to meet with Warrie. We had a chance to meet, first at the White House and then I got a tour of the Battery Park, with Warrie as my tour guide. And if you ever have a chance, do that. Call Warrie when you're in New York and look at the way she's led the beautiful restoration of Battery Park and made it into such a wonderful place for people from all over the world to be at that end of New York.

I also want to acknowledge all the board members of the National Park Foundation, the business leaders, the philanthropists, the government officials, the scientists, Park Rangers, educators, community leaders, and distinguished guests. Welcome to the National Park Foundation's Summit on Partnership and Philanthropy.

Today, we honor the Foundation's 40 years of outstanding service to our country. And through this symposium, we'll determine how the National Park Foundation -- and citizens across our country -- can make sure our national parks are enjoyed by our children and grandchildren.

All of us can remember the first time we were amazed by a national park. And just like Daniel, my love of the parks began when I was growing up in Midland, and visited nearby Carlsbad Caverns with my Girl Scout troop. My mother drove my Girl Scout troop there, and George's mother drove his Cub Scout troop there, as well, for our very first -- both of us -- visit to a national park.

I never imagined then that one day I would live in a national park. The White House reminds us of the diversity of our park system. The parks preserve both our breathtaking natural landscapes and our most sacred historical sites.

Every year, I hike in a national park with friends that I grew up with in Midland. We've visited some of our country's most magnificent parks -- the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Glacier, and Denali. We remember rough hikes in Yosemite rewarded with cold dips in the Merced River. We recall nights spent reading poetry in our tent, and then building fires at daybreak to warm up in the chill morning air. On almost every trip, one of us wakes up in the middle of the night, and then gets everyone else up to look at the stars.

We've also had some memorable close calls. Once, we were riding along the Yellowstone River on horseback when a huge storm blew in. The lightning and the thunder spooked the horses and they started running. It was a good thing they knew their way back to our camp because we surely didn't. We arrived soaking wet, but dried off in our cabin, lit a fire, and played bridge the rest of the rainy afternoon. On Peale Island, in the middle of Yellowstone Lake, we were reading short stories to each other one night when a storm knocked down a huge pine tree -- missing our cabin by about a foot. We were definitely startled, but not as startled as our Secret Service agents. (Laughter.)

We've also had some wild times. And I mean "wild." We've seen bears and wolves. Once, our hiking group was joined by a special guest -- when a huge moose wandered right through our campground.

On every trip, my friends and I have a "personal challenge": When we're hiking and we come across any body of water -- river, lake, stream, or pond -- we have to go in for a swim. When you come across Yellowstone's warm springs, it's great. But the snowmelt in Glacier National Park is a different story.

But the best part of our trips is just being together, laughing and enjoying our friendships among some of the most beautiful places in all creation. When you go to a national park with your family or your friends, especially as a child, you remember everything: the look of the sky, the sound of the birds, the smell of the air. There's nothing like being awed by the grandeur of Denali, overwhelmed by the vastness of Crater Lake, or humbled by the centuries of human history in the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to make memories in our national parks, especially children -- with the hope that someday, as Daniel said, they'll bring their own children. One of my children has already discovered that the national parks are also a great place for romance. My daughter Jenna was proposed to in Acadia National Park. She can't believe I actually announced that to everyone. (Laughter.)