A Brief History of Great Basin National Park’s Green Team

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 20, No. 1, Summer 2020.

by Julie Long, Biological Science Technician

Over the past ten years, Great Basin National Park (GRBA) has developed various plans regarding sustainable actions. A Green Team was formed in 2009 to help implement and promote sustainability initiatives developed by the NPS – the Climate Friendly Action Plan and Green Parks Plan. After a lull of a few years and inconsistent participation, the Green Team has been restored!

The Park is in the process of devising realistic sustainability practices to fulfill some of the goals outlined in these plans. The Green Team is reestablishing practices such as practical recycling options, outreach through social media and the park’s newsletter, and modeling behaviors that advocate for sustainability.

In 2009, park staff drafted GRBA’s Climate Friendly Parks Action Plan with the help of the Mojave Desert and Mediterranean Coast Climate Friendly Parks Workshop. The twenty-page document addresses climate change, outlines goals and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and how to implement sustainable, best practices within the Park. The plan highlights increasing climate change outreach and reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from activities within and by the Park (energy use, waste and transportation management, etc.).

A Green Parks Plan to advance the NPS mission through sustainable operations was published in the spring of 2016 for the entire agency. The plan focuses on partnerships and sustainable landscapes, reflecting on the NPS sustainability vision. Goals from this plan include:
• Continuously Improve Environmental Performance
• Be Climate Friendly and Climate Ready
• Be Energy Smart
• Be Water Wise
• Green Our Rides
• Buy Green and Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Preserve Outdoor Experiences, Promote Healthy Engagement
• Strengthen Sustainability Partnerships
• Foster Sustainability Boundaries
• Green Our Grounds

The Green Team’s main message today encourages the concept of reduce and reuse in and outside of the Park. We are in the process of modifying our mission statement, requesting and installing water bottle filling stations, and contacting other parks to brainstorm ways to be “Green” and promote sustainability. If you have any feasible ideas regarding sustainable actions within the Park, please contact Robb Reinhart ([e-mail]).