Vote for the Next National Park Girl

Hey everyone, we have something really special for you today! A while back we opened up our $1 tier a bit more and promised that everyone who pledges will have the opportunity to vote in polls. Well, now it's time to follow up on that, and what better way to do that than let you all decide who the next NEW National Park Girl will be? 

We've already introduced you to Joshua Tree, so you can expect the roll out for this Park Girl to be similar. Polls will be open for a week, so be sure to cast your vote before then. Once a Park Girl has been decided on, we'll begin the process of designing her. That said, it'll be a couple month before you see her. 

Now, with all of that out of the way, let me introduce you to the Parks you'll be voting on!

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Redwood National and State Parks - A curious case, Redwood is actually composed of several forests and parks. These parks are Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and Redwood National Park. Because of this, all of the parks are operated by both the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service. Located along California's northern coast, this collective of parks boasts sanctuaries filled to the brim with towering, ancient trees known as "coastal redwoods" (Sequoia sempervirens). Although they share a similar name to more common redwoods, this particular species are actually one of the oldest living things in the entire world, and this park is filled with them.

Channel Islands National Park - Composed of five of the eight Channel Islands. These five islands are Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and Santa Rosa. This National Park is located off the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean. Boasting a dazzling array of aquatic life and marine animals, this park's beautiful beaches and lush fields are a must-see for any nature enthusiast. 

Hot Springs National Park - Naturally occurring hot springs flow from the Ouachita Mountain range into this park. Before Europeans began to colonize the area, it had been used by indigenous people for centuries. Nowadays, the park exists more for recreation than preservation. Numerous private bathhouses and spas have been established both in the park and in the city adjacent to it (also named Hot Springs). Although the spotlight is firmly on the hot springs that occur, there's still lots of nature to appreciate, with thick forests and plenty of places to camp.

Gateway Arch National Park - Believe it or not, Gateway Arch National Park is actually one of the newest National Parks. Although the site had been operated as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial for years, it has recently been redesignated as a National Park! The centerpiece for this park isn't nature, however. Instead, it's the feat of human engineering, the Gateway Arch. Standing on the west bank of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri, this monument is 630 ft. tall and is the largest arch in the world. Encased in stainless steel, this monument was built to commemorate the United States' western expansion.  

Note: All images are public domain and are sourced from www.nps.gov

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That's it for now, everyone. I hope you have fun choosing the next National Park Girl! Vote wisely~                                                                                                                                                                         
             - Syon