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National Parks Traveler Podcast

National Parks Traveler Episode 62: Ranger Doug To The Rescue, Rethinking America's Best Idea

Lynn Riddick sits down with Doug Leen, the force behind Ranger Doug Enterprises, to discuss his decades long search for original Works Progress Administration posters that depicted national parks across the West. And we leave you with some thoughts on what we all should be thinking about for National Park Week.

National Parks Traveler Episode 61: 21st Century National Park Campgrounds

Camping in the National Park System/Kurt Repanshek
What will the 21st century national park campground look like? What amenities are you interested in finding when you pull into a campground? Derrick Crandall, counseler for the National Park Hospitality Association, joins us to discuss two studies that examine the campgrounds, the issues they face, and the demands today’s campers want.

National Parks Traveler Episode 60: Wild Yellowstone, Public Lands Alliance, And Your National Park Library

National Parks Traveler podcast 60: Wild Yellowstone

We’re going to take a trip to start this week’s show, at least an audio trip of sorts, to the heart of Yellowstone National Park and its wild kingdom. A place where wolves, grizzlies, and elk roam free and sandhill cranes catch your attention with their curious chortling. And Dan Puskar, the president and CEO of the Public Lands Alliance, discusses how its membership works to provide educational and interpretive materials for the parks, and how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted those groups.

National Parks Traveler Episode 59: COVID-19, "Our Wild Calling," And Mission San Juan

This week we talk with National Parks Conservation Association President and CEO Theresa Pierno about the impact coronavirus is having on the National Park System, and check in with author Richard Louv on his latest book, Our Wild Calling, How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives, and Save Theirs. If you visit national parks to view the wildlife, you’ll want to listen to this conversation. And Lynn Riddick concludes her four-part series on San Antonio Missions National Historical Park with a visit to Mission San Juan.

National Parks Traveler Episode 58: Coronavirus Roundtable, And Mission Espada

The impact of coronavirus on the National Park System truly is unprecedented. Unlike the impacts partial or full government shutdowns have on the parks, government funding won’t overnight solve those impacts created by the growing spread of coronavirus. To take a look at how coronavirus is affecting the parks and the National Park Service, we’ve gathered three park experts, including former National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, who combined have more than a century of experience with the national parks and public lands.

National Parks Traveler Episode 56: Mission San Jose And The Water Desk

National Parks Traveler Podcast

This week we feature Lynn Riddick's segment on Mission San Jose, the first of a four-part series on San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas. We also talk with Mitch Tobin, director of The Water Desk at the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado, to understand why his organization is underwriting journalism revolving around the Colorado River.

National Parks Traveler Episode 55: Exploring the Parks, Introduction to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

National Parks Traveler Podcast

This week we have a wide-ranging discussion about visiting the parks with Jason Epperson from the America’s National Parks podcast and David and Kay Scott, authors of The Complete Guide To the National Park Lodges. We preview upcoming podcasts on the missions of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, and recap our series on the Colorado River and its impacts on Canyonlands National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

National Parks Traveler Episode 54: Colorado River Economics, Rebranding Bandelier National Monument

National Parks Traveler Episode 54: Colorado River Economics, Rebranding Bandelier National Monument
In recent years there has been a movement of sorts to rebrand units of the National Park System as “national parks,” a movement motivated in large part by the economic boost such a redesignation is hoped to have. But in New Mexico a group is opposed to turning Bandelier National Monument into Bandelier National Park. We discuss that issue with Tom Ribe, executive director of Caldera Action. But first, we continue our series on how the health of the Colorado River impacts Canyonlands National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah. To get a better understanding of the river economics in play, we reached out to Megan Lawson, an economist with Headwaters Economics. And for bonus content, an audio version of RVing The Parks | Choose Your National Park RV Carefully.

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