America’s National Parks Podcast

Weir Farm

In Connecticut's only National Park Service site visitors have an experience unique in the system — a place to create art, steeped in over 100 years of tradition. 
 
 

National Park News | New NPS Director, 19% of Giant Sequoias Gone in 2 years, Hiker Remains Found After 38 Years

It's time for this month's National Park News episode. The National Park Service has a new director, fires have killed up to 19% of giant sequoia trees in California in just two years, the body of a man who went missing in the 80s has been found in Rocky Mountain National Park, and more. 

Mary Colter and the Grand Canyon

One of the very few women architects of her time, Mary Colter blended her lifelong love and respect of Native American arts and rustic elements with a fierce perfectionism: all to create a beautiful and singular aesthetic that left her imprint on the look of the modern American Southwest.

Badlands Symbiotic Species — Prairie Dogs and Burrowing Owls

Beneath the rolling grasslands of Badlands National Park lies an intricate housing system and social network. Black-tailed prairie dogs pop in and out of their burrows in the prairie dog towns, chattering and gesturing. But amid all the prairie dogs, if you’re a keen observer, you may also notice what appears to be a small owl emerging from the burrows. These species – the black-tailed prairie dog and the burrowing owl - have a unique type of symbiotic relationship, and ultimately may experience a shared demise. 

What Makes a National Trail?

In this episode, a park superintendent Aaron Mahr tells us what makes a national trail special, and difficult to manage. 

National Park News | Monuments Restored, Sequoias Destroyed, Mammoth Grows, Wolves Killed, White Sands Discovery, & More

Welcome to this month's "News from the Parks" our monthly roundup of top stories from the National Parks.

Climate Change and Glacier National Park

If you dare, dip your feet into the icy water of St. Mary Lake. The glacier-fed water adds a new twist to the term “refreshing.” It’s one of many sensory experiences at a park that attracts more and more people who want to see the glaciers before they are gone. 
Glacier National Park, in northern Montana, is a crown jewel of the United States. Its pristine landscapes draw millions of visitors a year, to see its majestic mountains, jewel-colored waterfalls, carpets of wildflowers, and wildlife ranging from bald eagles to mountain goats and bighorn sheep to grizzly bears. But mostly people come to see the glaciers, these fields of ice that – by definition – move under their own weight, picking up rocks and debris that sometimes stain their brilliant blue hue with a hint of grey.

A Music Mecca

Joshua Tree National Park in southern California encompasses parts of both the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. This unique ecosystem conjures images of the iconic trees, desert washes, wondrous boulders, rattlesnakes, and cactus blooms. But long before it became a national park (or even a national monument prior to that), this area was home to people, from Native Americans to pioneers – cattlemen, homesteaders, and miners – and where you find people, you find music.