Bob Janiskee


Biography

While serving 33 years on the faculty of the University of South Carolina, I taught a national parks course, helped get Congaree National Park established, and worked as a V.I.P in that park. Now retired as Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Geography, I want to continue visiting parks, thinking about parks, and writing about parks until I assume room temperature. To help keep me focused and busy I teach “America’s National Parks” and several other courses through the University’s Independent Learning division.



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The Statue of Liberty’s crown reopens to the public on July 4. Soon somebody schlepping up those 354 steps will have the dubious distinction of being the first visitor to make a personal acquaintance with Lady Liberty’s RAT.
The federal government has threatened to seize six California state parks if the Golden State temporarily closes them to cut costs and help close a serious budgetary gap. What’s the likelihood that the feds would actually do such a thing? Should Californians really care?
Now that New Mexico's Glorieta Pass Civil War Battlefield has an interpretive trail, visitors can take self-guided tours of the place where the “Gettysburg of the West” was fought.
It’s July, so heat is as good a theme as any for this week’s quiz. Answers are at the end. If we catch you peeking, we’ll make you devise 101 simple experiments illustrating that heat is an unavoidable byproduct of work.
Yesterday’s mystery plant quiz drew a lot of attention and some interesting commentary. Lupine is a fascinating plant, and Traveler readers are a fascinating lot. Tricky, too. I’ll have to stay on my toes.
Sheep, cattle, pigs, and goats shouldn't eat this mystery plant. But sometimes they do, and that's a problem.
Congress authorized a Zuni-Cibola National Historical Park several decades ago, but no such NPS unit ever materialized. The people of Zuni Pueblo didn’t like the idea.
The National Park Service wants the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas, to quit advertising itself in ways that blur the distinction between the city and Hot Springs National Park.
Do you want to see a LOT of zeroes?
Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted from animals to humans, and there are some dangerous ones in our parks. The NPS Zoonotic Disease Survey currently underway will help to improve safety protocols for employees at risk. If you want to participate I this survey, you’ll need to hurry.