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National Parks Traveler Episode 64: Artistic Interpretation and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

Who makes those colorful interpretive panels found in the National Park System? One person is Steve Patricia. He’s an independent artist and content specialist who provides illustrations and diagrams for waysides, exhibits, and murals at national parks, monuments, and historic sites all over the country. From depicting the Spanish stronghold at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Florida, to Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico, Patricia’s work is part of a larger effort to connect visitors to the landscapes and resources they see in front of them. From his home in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, he shares some insights with Lynn Riddick.

After Lynn’s interview, we visit with Carolyn Ward, the chief executive officer of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, to learn how her organization has been faring during the pandemic. And she has some good news: The Bluffs Restaurant on the Parkway is still scheduled to open this summer!

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
1:58 The Road Scholar - Bill Mize - The Spirit of South Dakota
2:24 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
2:48 North Cascades Institute promotion
3:07 Steve Patricia discusses his work creating waysides and other interpretive panels in national parks with Lynn Riddick
34:00 Bass Harbor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
34:25 National Parks Traveler coronavirus edition promotion
34:38 Grand Teton National Park Foundation promotion
35:10 Washington’s National Park Fund promotion
35:50 Blue Ridge Parkway interview with Carolyn Ward
45:28 Friends of Acadia promotion
45:55 Yankee Freedom promotion
46:32 News For Good 
51:18 Episode Closing
51:39 Orange Tree Productions promotion
52:16 National Parks Traveler footer

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 311 | Keeping Cape Lookout Above Water

Rising sea levels, stronger storms, eroding shorelines, and sinking terrain are taking a toll on the fragile ecosystems and historic resources at Cape Lookout National Seashore on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey takes a close look at these threats and predicts how they will impact the national seashore over the coming years.
 

February 2nd, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 310 | Parks Under Pressure

Here we are, a week into the second administration of President Donald Trump. It’s certainly a time of change, some of which is expected, and some perhaps not. Do we really need to rename North America’s tallest mountain, Denali in Denali National Park and Preserve?

There is much going on in the federal government, and not all is good. Hiring freezes are underway. There’s much talk about reducing the federal budget, which requires cutting agency funding.

January 26th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 309 | Yellowstone Wolves at 30

There are sounds that wake you up out of a deep sleep, only to be dismissed as you fall back to sleep. And then there are sounds that rivet you, make you sit bolt upright.

That was the type of sound that woke us while we were deep in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. Sunrise hadn’t yet come, yet we were wide awake, listening to one of the most mesmerizing sounds you can encounter in the wilds: The melodious rising and falling howl of a wolf.

January 12th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 308 | Threatened and Endangered Parks

We’re five days into 2025, and already there’s a lot of news concerning national parks and the National Park Service. Traveler Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek is joined today by Contributing Editor Kim O’Connell to discuss the Traveler’s 4th Annual Threatened and Endangered Park Series and other recent park-related news. 

January 5th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 307 | A Walk in the Park

Many of us like to take a walk in our favorite national park, whether it’s a short stroll down one of the boardwalks at Yellowstone National Park, the hike to the top of Old Rag at Shenandoah National Park, or up the Mist Trail at Yosemite National Park, we like to get out and experience parks up close.

December 29th, 2024 Read More

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