Acadia National Park superintendent Kevin Schneider (Photo by Ashley L. Conti)

When the seasons shift from spring to summer at Acadia, I can feel it in the air. The breeze goes from crisp to comforting, and the smell of the ocean is suddenly in the air. The energy of visitors, who come from around the world to experience our wonderful park, is felt everywhere.

I occasionally get to take visitors into the park and share all the great work we do. Oftentimes, this is their first time in Acadia, and it is always inspiring to experience the park through someone else’s eyes.

A couple of weeks ago, Acadia hosted a particularly important person visiting for the first time.

In late April, we received an email from Wishes & More, a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with terminal and life-threatening illnesses, providing hopeful hearts, happy memories, and assistance to those who love them. They told us about a lively 3-year-old boy who is courageously battling hepatoblastoma—a very rare liver cancer that impacts one in a million children. Whenever he can, this boy loves exploring and spending time outdoors with his family. The family’s number one wish was to visit Acadia National Park.

When Wishes & More called to ask if we could help make this visit a little extra magical, we didn’t hesitate.

We jumped at the chance to be able to show this family Acadia’s many wonders. I got to meet this brave and energetic young man at Jordan Pond, along with his parents and both sets of grandparents. He and his family had just finished a horse-drawn carriage ride, sponsored by Friends of Acadia. Most 3-year-olds would be exhausted after that, but he was ready for more.

In the shadow of the Jordan Pond Gatehouse, I swore him in as an official Acadia Junior Ranger. Together we raised our right hands and recited the Junior Ranger pledge, promising to protect Acadia forever. His face lit up when I handed him his Junior Ranger badge.

Earning his Junior Ranger badge in Acadia National Park. (NPS photo)

National parks change lives; they are places of profound inspiration that provide moments for reflection and togetherness. Of all the wishes this family could have chosen, they chose to visit Acadia. Our national parks define our nation, representing our most magnificent landscapes and our greatest achievements, and places where the American ideal has been challenged.

As I sat with this family and watched three generations interacting, I also reflected on how meaningful parks are as places for families to reconnect and to make lifelong memories. Getting to experience Acadia through this family’s eyes, during such a personal and meaningful time, was a perfect reminder of why we do what we do.

It takes hard work from our entire team, from long days of working in visitor centers to the back-breaking work of the trail crew, along with the occasional frustrations we all experience, to make it possible for these one-of-a-kind experiences at Acadia to happen.

I left my visit with this family feeling humbled, reinvigorated, and filled with gratitude for this place we get to steward and call home.