National Parks Traveler Episode 123: Brewing Park Research And Understanding Visitation

By Kurt Repanshek - June 20th, 2021

How can aspiring scientists and researchers get a hand in conducting research in the National Park System? Ryan and Julie Sharp, who both spent time working for the National Park Service, work to raise funds for scholarships for college students hoping to conduct research in the parks.

In something of a twist, Ryan also happens to be a professor at Kansas State University, where he studies visitor trends in the parks. In this week's episode, Ryan and Julie discuss their efforts to create scholarship funding for aspiring researchers, and Ryan also discusses his work in trying to understand what visitors are seeking in the parks.

02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
:41 Black Woods - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
:51 Friends of Acadia
1:17 Interior Federal Credit Union
1:53 Potrero Group
2:19 North Cascades Institute
2:43 Ryan and Julie Sharp discuss their work to create scholarships for college students doing research in national parks.
16:06 Whispering Winds - Grant Geissman - The Sounds of the Caribbean
16:26 National Parks Traveler
16:40 Western National Parks Association
17:02 Washington’s National Park Fund
17:37 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
18:00 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
18:32 Ryan Sharp also discusses visitation trends in the National Park System.
45:56 Torch - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Everglades
46:24 Episode Closing
47:05 Orange Tree Productions
47:40 Splitbeard Productions
47:51 National Parks Traveler footer

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