Danish vs. US National Parks

PROMPT: Contrast today's experiences of a Danish National Park with America's National Parks in general, or specifically with one that you have visited.

Denmark is now home to 4 national parks.  Today we visited Denmark’s 4^th largest forest, Gribskov.  The forest is owned and administered by the State of Denmark and is designated as a Eueopean Union habitat directive.  Gribskov isn’t a national park quite yet.  Upon arrival, we learned about the Nature Agency’s initiatives and efforts to establish Gribskov as national park.  For over 10 years, this topic has brought great debate, conflict and opposition by private parties.

A group of about 10 private farmers have strongly opposed this integration into a national park for many years... and with success. These farmers believe that once they are a part of the national park, state regulations will be imposed and change their businesses.  A government official working with the park informed us that  there is no evidence in any law stating that any change will be forced upon or even required by private business owners if they join the national park.  Local business owners are scared they will lose control of their property.  Though a minority, these 10 farmers' positions have been a focus in papers all over Denmark and have received sympathy from the public.

I'm excited to see what happens to Gribskov in the next few years.  

Some of the parks that I’ve been lucky enough to visit are, the Virgin Islands National Park, Glacier Bay, Banff National Park, and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Gribskov park 

Cows enjoying the grass at Gribskov.

My experiences today helped me realize key differences between US national park and Danish ones.  To begin with, Denmark doesn’t have nearly as many national parks as the US does.  The United States has 59 national parks while Denmark has 4 and is currently working to get a 5^th.  The lack of diverse and intense topography such as mountains, which are easier to be kept in their natural state, make Denmark pressed for biodiversity.  As previously discussed, Denmark is making serious efforts toward increasing its greenspaces and biodiversity.  The diverse topography in the United States creates very extreme differences between all national parks (including plants, animals, climate, and geography).

A small dock on a beautiful lake next to Gribskov. 

Parks in the US are operated by the National Park Service, which means that they are closely monitored and protected from activities that may prove to be disruptive to the park.  After seeing how people oriented Danish parks were, I realized that US national parks don’t have a cozy or personable feel to them like the Danish parks do.  The endless amount of restrictions in the US give the parks a “look don’t touch” feel to them.  Dissimilarly, Danish national parks encourage interaction and involvement between the land and the people.  Danish national parks cater to the people.  A wide variety of recreational activities are supported by the parks in Denmark such as fishing, having a BBQ, or motor-biking.  Our tour guide explained how they invite people who use the horseback riding trails to come in and help decide how the riding paths should be laid out. The parks in Denmark also offer programming for anyone who wants to show up, free of charge.  The park services here in Denmark are so open to working with the people and definitely encourage participation.  Lastly, the forests in Denmark serve as a resource of timber.  There are strict deforestation regulations in US national parks.

It’s really incredible to see flourishing national parks in Denmark so close to a major city.  Gribskov is another great example of the intimate interplay between urban life and greenspaces.