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When you talk about expanding the National Park System, any expansion should be strategic. Whether it’s to protect a cultural or historical site, or one rich in natural resources. Today, if you want to protect natural resources, it should be done with an eye towards protecting biodiversity.

There is too much at stake today to expand the National Park System just for the sake of adding units. The country is losing too much of nature to development, bird populations have been plummeting, and climate change is challenging many other species.

So where do you look to protect biodiversity from the human footprint? One possible area is the Mobile-Tensaw region of Alabama. To gain an understanding of what’s there to protect, we’ve reached out to Bill Finch, director of the Paint Rock Research Center in Alabama, and who has been involved in Alabama conservation for more than 30 years.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
:50 Blue Mist - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
1:12 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
1:42 Washington’s National Park Fund
2:15 The Everglades Foundation
2:30 Bill Finch, director of the Paint Rock Research Center, discusses the rich biodiversity of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.
17:22 Whispering Winds - Grant Geissman - Sounds of the Caribbean
17:47 National Parks RVing Guide
18:42 Potrero Group
19:09 Interior Federal Credit Union
19:29 Great Smoky Mountains Association
19:53 Bill Finch and the Traveler's Kurt Repanshek continue their discussion of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta's biodiversity.
36:19 Spring Fever - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Everglades
36:34 National Parks Traveler Promo
36:46 Yosemite Conservancy
37:08 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
37:30 Friends of Acadia
37:58 Bill and Kurt wrap up their Mobile-Tensaw River Delta conservation conversation.
46:49 Almost Home - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
47:24 Episode Closing
47:45 Orange Tree Productions
48:18 Splitbeard Productions
48:28 National Parks Traveler footer

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