Graffiti. Is it art or vandalism? When seen on the streets, graffiti may be seen as a type of art. Many taggers use their talents to express their emotions while beautifying their surroundings in the city. However, when graffiti is done in natural environments, like national parks, it is seen as vandalism, for it destroys nature.

The United State’s National Parks Service was created for one purpose: to preserve our country’s greatest natural treasures. By creating national parks all throughout the United States, we have been able to protect land and wildlife. The beauty of Mother Nature is meant to remain untouched by mankind.

Recently, tagging has increased in national parks. In 2013, graffiti artists vandalized the Rattlesnake Canyon in Joshua Tree National Park. Aside from Joshua Tree, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco was also marked up.

In March 2015, a famous graffiti artist, Andre Saraiva, tagged a big boulder in Joshua Tree National Park. After vandalizing, to get more attention from the public, Saraiva posted pictures of his work on the Internet. Many Americans responded with negative comments since he was disrespecting nature. Saraiva later received a fine for going against the law.

There are a few places in the country where graffiti is legal. Instead of destroying natural places such as parks, artists should be more considerate towards their planet and should look to express their emotions in a legal manner.

Although the motives for graffiti might not always be gang-related, they contribute negative vibes to the environment. When surrounded by vandalism, people often feel insecure and unsafe. After living in an overpopulated city, people turn to nature as a way of connecting to their roots.

The world is constantly changing around us as the population is increasing. Deforestation is already an ongoing issue in our environment. Similar to deforestation, vandalism in national parks contributes to the loss of nature and to the loss of appreciation for wildlife.