Redwoods Light Up the Tower for National Park Centennial

By Danielle Lopez in 40 Acres on May 4, 2016 at 3:39 pm | No Comments

The tallest trees on Earth became a part of UT’s campus Tuesday night in honor of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary.

“Tonight, you’re experiencing the vastness of our national parks firsthand,” said keynote speaker Andy Roddick, Austinite and former world No. 1 tennis player.

Kicking off National Park Week, people from all over the Forty Acres had the opportunity to turn into a redwood tree and project themselves onto the UT Tower (which, at 307 feet tall, happens to be just 60 feet shorter than an average redwood). By using interactive technology similar to an Xbox Kinect, attendees could make their tree grow, sway, and beckon birds through specific motions.

Elizabeth Valleau, the lead creative director behind the event, said she and her team were trying to communicate how each and every individual in the country is “really the life of the park.”

“We wanted to give people a visceral feeling of being a part of something special when they felt themselves transformed into these giant redwoods,” she said.

The event was part of  Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque, a movement encouraging people to get involved with national parks nearby. Throughout the day, the Main Mall was also host to informational booths and activities, including the “Find Your Park Machine,” which acted as a giant compass people could use to determine the direction and distance of all 411 national parks from their exact position.

With 14 national parks in Texas alone, like the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park or Big Bend, Roddick said it is the community’s responsibility to preserve and protect treasured natural sites for future generations.

“With more than 400 national parks, there’s no reason not to connect with one,” he said. “So get out there and your park. There’s a lot to discover.”

Photos by Rick Kern/Getty Images for National Park Foundation.

Tags: Andy Roddick, National Park Foundation, National Park Service, redwoods