Rediscovering our roots: Steps to increase accessibility to and acceptance of people of color in America's national parks nothing so American as our national parks.. .. The fundamental idea behind the parks ... is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us" (National Park Service n.d.).

Nighttime activities and events specifically related to natural phenomena are becoming increasingly popular. As nighttime recreation in parks and protected areas increases, managers must implement policies and frameworks that maintain both the visitor experience and natural darkness and soundscapes. The Congaree National Park Fireflies Festival celebrates the annual fireflies mating season, and after national renown for this event the park has witnessed increased visitation. Over the past year, visitation rates have forced management to implement a designated trail to enhance the visitor experience while reducing crowding on the boardwalk and manage the natural phenomena more like a festival event than an outdoor recreation opportunity. Visitor perceptions of these actions are currently unknown. Therefore, this study examined visitor motivations for attending the event and their perceptions of crowding to distinguish whether festival attendees had higher tolerances of crowding at a nature-based event within a national park. This study implemented an online survey and phone interviews to distinguish what factors at the Fireflies Festival bolster or degrade visitor experiences and to gauge perceptions of current and future management actions. Moreover, this study sought to understand visitor motivations to attend BBNEs and employed the novelty-seeking and event (festival) motivations scales. This study expands on night recreation research and fills in some of the literature gap on nighttime event management in a national park setting.

An international group of graduate students utilized the 2021 George Wright Society Student Summit to come together and discuss potential practices to bolster socioenvironmental justice implementation within the United States National Park Service (NPS). Focusing on accessibility and co-management perspectives, this group reflected on various definitions of terms, historical contexts of the Park Service nationally and globally, and how partnerships are essential to inclusivity and relevance building. This led to further discourse about potential methods of incorporating socioenvironmental justice aims into specific areas of NPS by reviewing its current practices and global case studies surrounding accessibility and co-management of protected areas. Major conclusions emphasize streamlining definitions surrounding access, accessibility, and co-management; understanding that co-management is not a monolithic framework but one dependent on local communities; continued recognition of historical exclusions of marginalized peoples; and embracing partnerships by providing stakeholders with equal positions of power, authority, and access. This thought piece aims to catalyze discourse surrounding a potential transition toward more inclusive co-management practices within US protected areas, while still remaining true to the missions and goals of their respective organizations. We recognize and do not intend to discredit any of the work that NPS and other organizations have produced towards improving sustainable co-management strategies, but rather suggest that there is always room for improvement. In doing so, we offer some potential strategies and big picture notions to be mindful of when engaging in socially just comanagement practices.