The National Park Service’s principal climate scientist explains why the parks are important laboratories for climate change research, and how climate change is altering the parks.
Camping under the Milky Way, Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
Emily Ogden, National Park Service/Flickr
As the National Park Service turns 100 years old, two conservation scholars and former park rangers respond to critics who support privatizing national parks or putting them under state control.
Ancestral Pueblo carving at Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico.
Steven C. Price/Wikipedia
When we think of national parks, many people picture geysers or mountain peaks. But the park system also protects historic sites and objects that show how the U.S. has evolved into a diverse society.
Viewing wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
National Park Service/Flickr
A study estimates that Americans would pay $92 billion yearly in extra taxes to protect national parks. But the Trump Administration’s budget calls for cuts.
Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, built by Anasazi c. 1200. The Antiquities Act was passed to protect such sites from looters.
National Park Service
The 1906 Antiquities Act gives presidents unilateral power to protect land as national monuments. The law has saved important places, but has also fueled intense conflicts over land control.
Flock of ibis, Everglades National Park.
Linda Friar, National Park Service/Flickr
Rehydrating the Florida Everglades is the largest ecological restoration project in the world. Ecologist Peter Frederick explains why this massive effort is worth its multi-billion-dollar cost.
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park.
Lorcel/Shutterstock
John Muir, born on April 21, 1838, was one of America’s first great conservation advocates. His letters and diaries convey the emotions Muir felt in Yosemite Valley, his ‘sanctum sanctorum.’
Sunrise on Angel’s Window, North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park.
National Park Service/Wikimedia