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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 219 | National Park Week

By Jess Repanshek - April 23rd, 2023
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Across the National Park System, there are incredible sights that explore American history. There’s a robust mix of cultures reflected in the parks, and breathtaking vistas that, well, will take your breath away. But there also are seemingly countless needs, from backlogs of maintenance projects, interpretation for history, wildlife and science that needs to be crafted, and unique issues that can range from climate change impacts to helping inner city youth visit a park.

Helping the National Park Service tackle these myriad issues and challenges is the National Park Foundation, which Congress created back in 1967 to be the official charitable organization for the parks. Through the years, this organization has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the parks. Today, with National Parks Week underway, we’re joined by Will Shafroth, the Foundation’s CEO to discuss not only the needs of the park system, but the successes the Foundation is recognizing in tackling some of them.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
1:08 Beyond the Reef - Tim Heintz & Grant Geissman - Seascapes: A Musical Journey
1:19 Yosemite Conservancy
1:41 Interior Federal Credit Union
2:04 Great Smoky Mountains Association
2:29 National Park Week with Will Shafroth, CEO of the National Park Foundation
10:01 Black Woods - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
10:22 Traveler Promo
10:34 Potrero Group
11:01 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
11:23 The Everglades Foundation
11:38 National Park Week with Will Shafroth continues
21:10 Amaranth - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
21:26 Washington’s National Park Fund
22:00 Friends of Acadia
22:25 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
22:57 National Park Week with Will Shafroth continues
42:56 Long Pond - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
43:08 Episode Closing
43:22 Orange Tree Productions
43:55 Splitbeard Productions
44:05 National Parks Traveler footer

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 271 | Wolverine Recovery in Colorado

A wolverine climbing on rocks, photo courtesy of NPS

Wolverines, the largest land-dwelling members of the weasel family, once roamed across the northern tier of the United States, and as far south as New Mexico in the Rockies and southern California in the Sierra Nevada range. But after more than a century of trapping and habitat loss, wolverines in the lower 48 today exist only as small, fragmented populations in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, and northeast Oregon.

April 21st, 2024 - Read More

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Catherineberg plantation ruins, Virgin Islands National Park, photo by Kurt Repanshek

Spur a discussion about traveling to a national park for a vacation and odds are that it will revolve around getting out into nature, looking for wildlife, perhaps honing your photography skills, or marveling at incredible vistas.
Will the discussion include destinations that portray aspects of the country’s history, or cultural melting pot? 

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 269 | Total Solar Eclipse of the Parks

Composite image of a total solar eclipse from Grand Teton National Park, from NPS Archives

Tens of millions of people in the United States will be able to witness a Total Solar Eclipse on Monday as the rare astronomical event cuts a path from Texas to Maine, up to 122 miles wide in some spots. This is a great opportunity to see the exact moment when the moon fully blocks the sun, creating a blazing corona visible to those observing from the center line of totality.

April 7th, 2024 - Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 268 | Music Inspired By The Parks

Bison at Grand Teton National Park, photo by Rebecca Latson

With March madness down to the Sweet 16, and Opening Day of Major League Baseball having arrived, we’re going to take a break this week and dive into our podcast archives for this week’s show.
 
This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. My NCAA bracket was busted the very first day, and while the Yankees won their opening day game against the Houston Astros, I don’t think they’ll go undefeated this year.
 

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 267 | Padre Island's Sea Turtles

An image of a baby sea turtle at Padre Island National Seashore, by Rebecca Latson

One of the most popular public events in the National Park System was the release of sea turtle hatchlings, shuffling off into the Gulf of Mexico at Padre Island National Seashore. I say was, because the number of those public events has been drastically scaled back in recent years.

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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.