US President Barack Obama, his wife and two daughters visited national parks to promote nature conservation and combat climate change.
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President Obama and his family visit the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, as part of the 100th anniversary of the US national park system. The park has 119 caves, three of which are open to the public. |
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"I want to make sure that Americans enjoy the great national parks, the great beauty, the mountains, the beaches, which are some of the greatest gifts we have," Obama said of the trip. |
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Obama is working to consolidate his environmental achievements as his presidency nears its end. Here, the presidential motorcade drives through the desert at a national park in New Mexico. |
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The White House said Obama added 20 sites to the national park system, protecting more than 100,000 acres of public lands and waters and historic sites, with parks and memorials from development, more than any other president. |
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Marine One helicopter carrying the Obama family flies over the famous Half Dome as they arrive at Yosemite National Park in California. This is the oldest national park in the US. |
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The US president's family's trip to two states lasts from June 17 to 19. |
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People wait for the first family to arrive at Yosemite National Park. This is one of the 10 most famous national parks in the US, with 4 million visitors each year. |
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Obama greets residents and rangers working at the park. |
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"You can't capture this image with an iPad, a flat screen, or even an oil painting. You have to come here and breathe the air," Obama said in a short speech on June 18 with Yosemite Falls cascading down behind him. |
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Obama highlighted his plan to reduce climate-changing carbon emissions and an international agreement urging other countries to do the same. He said climate change was threatening national parks. "That's not the legacy I think any of us want to leave," he said. |
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He and his wife attended the "Every Child in a Park" event at Yosemite National Park. |
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To mark the anniversary of the national park system, Obama launched a plan to make national parks free for all fourth graders and their families. |
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Students helped President Obama to his feet. The president recalled the first time he saw a deer in a national park when he was 11 years old. "That changed me," he said. "Many children across this country have never seen a park. We have to change that." |
According to VNE