Shelton Johnson changing the world, one National Park visitor at a time

In Shelton's words, "I learned the wilderness has an edge, and that things might not always turn out okay out there. It made me listen, smell, and hear like I never thought possible."

The life transformation Shelton experienced on his journey from his urban youth in Detroit, Michigan to his career as a National Park Service Interpretive Ranger in Yosemite National Park is exactly the kind of life transformation towards which we strive through NatureBridge programs.

By inspiring personal connections to the natural world in the 40,000 youth participating in our programs each year, we hope to also inspire environmental stewardship as a result of those connections. Shelton has single-handedly raised awareness and has provided inspiration for hundreds of thousands of people of color, who might not otherwise have considered America's National Parks a part of their heritage. Through NatureBridge educational programs, we hope to deepen those connections inspired by Shelton and grow a legacy of welcoming and encouraging people of all backgrounds to experience the wonder, peace, and commitment to responsible environmental behavior which result from just being in one of America's National Parks.

Shelton Johnson has received several national awards of late, and we just wanted to take a moment to express our appreciation of and support for his exceptionally important work.