After a whirlwind few days visiting Washington, D.C., and New York City, King Charles got back to nature.

The King, 77, visited Shenandoah National Park on Thursday, April 30, to learn more about the US National Park system, their educational programs and the work of Rangers and officials to protect the unique environments for future generations, News.Az reports, citing People.

Shenandoah National Park, established in 1935, covers 200,000 acres of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains and welcomes more than 1.7 million visitors each year.

King Charles even had the opportunity to join a swearing-in ceremony for a group of Junior Rangers and stamp a Park Passport with a stamp specially commissioned for the occasion. Also in attendance were representatives for the National Parks' "Bark Ranger" dog program and "Buddy," a captive Bald Eagle Education Ambassador.Additionally, the King unveiled two commemorative stones symbolizing a new partnership between Shenandoah National Park and the Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. As the monarch mentioned during his address to Congress, the Appalachian range and Cairngorms were once connected in prehistoric times, before the continents split apart, and the state visit marks the start of their official partnership.

The King also met with members of the Monacan Indian Nation, whose ancestral lands covered much of Western Virginia. With approximately 2,000 registered members, the Monacan Indian Nation is one of the few remaining tribes in America that occupies land in their ancestral homeland.

Chief Shields of the Monacan Indian Nation said, "We are honored to meet with King Charles III in our historic territory to renew and reaffirm our Nation-to-Nation relationship that was first established in the 1680 Treaty of Middle Plantation between our Monacan ancestors and King Charles II. I look forward to sharing our deep connection to nature and the importance of indigenous land stewardship.”Prior to his solo visit to the park, the King and Queen Camilla, 78, stopped in Front Royal, Virginia, to take part in the town's 250th Celebration Parade, in celebration of the upcoming national anniversary of independence. Local schools were closed for the day so families could celebrate and turn out to catch a glimpse of the royals on the town's Main Street.

Front Royal serves as the entrance to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive, the scenic roadway that runs the length of the park along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town's proximity to the Shenandoah River and the Appalachian Trail lend it additional natural significance.Nature and conservation have long been causes near and dear to the King. He has been a champion of environmental sustainability for over 50 years; his King’s Foundation charity runs gardens, teaches heritage skills and promotes local crafts; and earlier this year, he released Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision, a documentary that illustrates his philosophy of harmony with the planet.

King Charles even devoted a significant portion of his historic address to Congress on April 28 to reminding U.S. politicians that the major world powers need to work together to preserve our resources and biodiversity for future generations.

"As we look toward the next 250 years, we must also reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset," he said. "Millennia before our nations existed, before any border drawn, the mountains of Scotland and Appalachia were one; a single, continuous range, forged in the ancient collision of continents."After praising the U.S.'s "extraordinary natural splendor," however, the King offered a warning.

"Even as we celebrate the beauty that surrounds us, our generation must decide how to address the collapse of critical natural systems, which threatens far more than the harmony and essential diversity of nature," he said. "We ignore at our peril the fact that these natural systems – in other words, nature’s own economy – provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security."

While Thursday marks the end of the King's visit to the U.S., he isn't headed back across the pond just yet. First, he'll embark on a two-day royal visit to Bermuda, his first trip as monarch to a British Overseas Territory.

A series of appearances on May 1 and May 2 has been arranged to celebrate some of the vibrant communities of the 181-island archipelago as well as reflect the links between Bermuda and the U.K. across culture, economic growth and youth opportunity.As expected, the King and Queen did not see his younger son, Prince Harry, during their time in America. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, moved to California after stepping back from their royal roles in the U.K. in 2020.

"When you’re talking about a state visit, every minute is accounted for — especially when it’s the King traveling as the invited guest of a head of state," a source previously told PEOPLE about the father and son not meeting up.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova