Gibbs Smith Little Naturalist: Teddy Roosevelt Loved The Outdoors National Parks

Theodore Roosevelt was sickly as a child, but he was determined to become strong. He enjoyed wild adventure, and he especially loved the outdoors. After becoming president, Roosevelt more than doubled the size of the national park system by adding 5 new parks. He established 18 national monuments, 150 national forests, 51 bird reserves, and 4 national game reserves– some 230 million acres of land for the American people to explore. The “conservation president” also created the US Forest Service. The teddy bear really was named for him!