October 2021 Monthly Theme: Park Palettes, Storyboards, and Cadences
National parks inspire creative expression. How can we use the arts—visual, musical, literary, and more—to express our connections with national parks?
Find your muse in parks during National Arts & Humanities Month! Parks have been and continue to be the inspiration and refuge of many writers, musicians and artists of all kinds. This month, we can share art stories, masterpieces, and opportunities for art in parks or through partnerships.
Here are a few suggestions that can be used for websites, social media, or programs:
Make Connections: Showcase your park/program’s connection to the arts, including how they were used in the past or today.
Gather 'Round: Host a virtual ranger campfire, living history, or storytime event and share some ranger favorites.
Create a Compilation: Ask staff, partners, and visitors to tell their own favorite stories and artwork of the park or program.
Community Artists: Invite traditional storytellers and artists from the community, including from your own staff, to share stories with visitors and staff.
Create Masterpieces: Host in-person or virtual writing and art events, such as plein air painting, Instameets, writing workshops, or poetry slams for visitors to participate in various forms of art.
Share Your Story: Highlight the work that employees, volunteers, and interns that preserve, collect, or interpret the arts.
Virtual Experiences: Create and highlight virtual ways that people can connect with the theme using historical places, museum collections, oral histories, photos, film, and more.
Beyond Park Boundaries: Let people know about opportunities and successes related to the theme through NPS programs, such as grants, outreach, preservation, and recreational opportunities.
Partnering Success: Give a shoutout to the work that your partners do related to the theme, including programs, events, ongoing or finished projects, outreach, or research.
Volunteering: Encourage people to volunteer and provide examples of how they can get involved in volunteering with projects related to the theme and highlight the work of current and past volunteers.
The Next Generation: Let people know of youth opportunities to get involved in the stewardship of public lands and work we do with communities around this theme. Feature the work of current or past interns.
Reaching Classrooms: Feature educational materials and opportunities connected to the theme, such as lesson plans, learning games, and distance and in-park learning programs.
The National Park Service, National Park Foundation, and all our partners are encouraged to use #FindYourPark or #EncuentraTuParque hashtags on park- and NPS program-related social media posts to continue to inspire everyone to find their personal connections to national parks.
The hashtag #ParkPalettes and #ArtsInParks can also be used for posts related to this month's theme, including when using the ideas listed above. National Park Service national, park, and program social media channels will be sharing content using this hashtag throughout the month that can be shared.
Resources on NPS.gov and Other Websites
Looking for more information or something ready-made to share for this month's theme? Here are a few places to find information and resources or link to:
More October Themes & Activities
Every month, the National Park Service celebrates different national holidays and initiatives that provide opportunities to share our mission through websites, social media, and other platforms. Find information on a related topic on NPS.gov, hashtags that national parks are using, and other messaging tools to use on these special days.
September 15–October 15: National Hispanic Heritage Month
- Hispanic Heritage
- Social media hashtag: #HispanicHeritageMonth
October 1–31: LGBT History Month
- Social media hashtags: #LGBTQ, #Pride
October 1–31: National Arts and Humanities Month
October 1–31: National Community Planning Month
October 1–31: National Disability Employment Awareness Month
October 1–31: National Energy Action Month
October 1–31: Polish American Heritage Month
October 1: International Day of Older Persons
- Social media hashtag: #ParksForAll
October 2: Anniversaries of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act and National Trails Act
- Find info on the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System and National Trails System
- Trails & Hiking
- Social media hashtags: #FindYourPark, #MakeASplash, #FindYourTrail
October 3–9: National Fire Prevention Week
- Social media hashtags: #Fire Safety, #FirePreventionWeek
October 4: World Animal Day
- Watching Wildlife
- Amphibians & Reptiles
- Migratory Species
- Social media hashtags: #WorldAnimalDay, #ExploreNature
October 5: World Teachers Day
- Educational materials and lesson plans
- Schools & Education
- Social media hashtags: #WorldTeachers, #TeachersNPS
October 5: World Habitat Day
- Social media hashtag: #ParkHabitats
October 10–16: Earth Science Week
October 10: World Mental Health Day
- Health & Safety
- Social media hashtags: #HealthyParkHealthyPeople
October 11: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 11: International Day of the Girl Child
October 11: National Coming Out Day
October 13: National Fossil Day
October 15: Anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
October 24–31: Bat Week
Last updated: December 21, 2020