Though the coronavirus pandemic limited some national park visitation last year, and adversely impacted many charitable organizations that provide funding to parks, the Yosemite Conservancy was able to provide $11.5 million to Yosemite National Park for projects this year.
"First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more."
Science, interpretation, and resource management are among the areas in the National Park System that have taken hits from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study of how park operations across the country were affected by Covid-19.
It’s a sound you instantly recognize, and one you hope isn’t coming to your location. It’s the wailing siren of an ambulance responding to an emergency. In the National Park System during the height of summer, the sound can be very familiar. In this week’s show, we sit down with a paramedic who triggers the siren when he jumps into his ambulance in response to a call for help. It’s a conversation that will leave you with a better understanding and appreciation for the vital role these individuals serve in seeing that national park visitors who are injured or come down with a debilitating illness receive prompt care and are able, if possible, to resume their vacation.
Yosemite National Park will return to a reservation system for park visitors towards the end of May as the staff continues to work to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Though the National Park System stretches from the ocean floor to the roof of Denali, the bulk of peer-reviewed research conducted in the parks is focused on just five parks, an analysis by North Carolina State researchers claims.
The National Park System is full of superlatives: the biggest, the smallest, the longest, the deepest, the rarest, the tallest, and on and on. National Parks Quiz and Trivia #26 takes a look at some of these superlatives while testing your knowledge and teaching you a little something you might not have known.
It's well known how inspired John Muir was by Yosemite National Park, and how the majesty of the park impacted him. With a small book in your back pocket you can explore the park as Muir did and appreciate how the settings affected him.
It will be weeks before Yosemite National Park officials have a firm handle on how much damage was done by a last week's windstorm and this week's snowstorm.
Yosemite National Park is not expected to reopen to the public before January 30, as crews continued to clean up damage done by a windstorm on January 19.