PENDLETON — Former National Park Service Director Charles “Chuck” Sams spoke April 25 to Sunridge Middle School students about his experience in the role.

Chris Demianew, social studies and leadership teacher, organized the talk and said the week of April 21-25 was National Parks Week. Sunridge students learned about the 63 major national parks and did reports about them.

“I thought it would be great for our kids to hear him talk about his history and what he has done,” he said of asking Sams to speak. “Being a local guy who has gone out and done some pretty cool things helps kids reach a little higher than they might normally.”

Sams, a Cayuse and Walla Walla enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, led the Park Service 2021-25, under former President Joe Biden. During his tenure as NPS director, he visited 132 national parks, including five in Alaska, which he encouraged students to visit, describing them as rugged and remote.

The most important thing we can do as humans, Sams explained, is to be good stewards of the land. The national parks cover 85 million acres of public land, employ 20,000 employees and hundreds of thousands of volunteers. Sams said during his leadership, the number of sites increased from 423 to 433.

Sams told the students: “These lands are your lands as an American citizen. They belong to you, so take care of them.”

He also emphasized the importance of enjoying the educational and recreational aspects of the parks while respecting the land and keeping preservation for future generations in mind.

When Sunridge Middle School first opened, Sams was in the first class to attend the school for all three years. He said his former middle school principal continues to check in regularly with him. Students should know their teachers care about them and their success and that every student has the opportunity to work for the National Park Service, he said, no matter their passion.

At the end of the assembly, students were able to ask a few questions of Sams. One student asked him which park is his favorite.

He responded that he should probably name a park in Oregon (Crater Lake National Park is the only national park in the state), but his favorite is Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Sams said it’s because of the amazing mountain peaks and the glacial lakes, which are some of the most beautiful he has seen.