National Parks Traveler

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.

Bob's Most Recent Comments (view all)

7/02/2009 7:01 am - Mystery Photo 10: What Sort of Reviewing Stand Might This Be? : Yes, indeedy. As Anon has pointed out, you'll find this particular historic structure at Fort Smith National Historic Site in Fort Smith, Arkansas. (We'll give Rangertoo credit for honoring the point.) Be sure to read Kurt's posting on this topic in tomorrow's Traveler. There's an interesting (if somewhat gruesome) story ...
7/02/2009 5:14 am - Mystery Photo 10: What Sort of Reviewing Stand Might This Be? : Good job, Anon. This strange looking structure was indeed used for public hangings, and it is no longer in use today (at least, not that we know of!). Now then, can you pin down the location?
7/01/2009 3:05 pm - Have You Seen the National Park Service's Redesigned Web Portal Yet? : Janet: I agree that the regional maps the NPS provides for individual parks often leave much to be desired. (This is a polite way of saying that many of the regional are nearly useless.) But if you just need to identify the nearest commercial airport to use for a ...
7/01/2009 7:18 am - Mystery Plant Revealed: It’s Lupine, It’s Complicated, and the Quizmeister has been Blindsided : Thanks, Linda. It's nice to know that the dicots I encounter on the golf course are the trees that my golf balls hit, not the chunks of turf I send flying with my errant swings.
6/30/2009 7:55 am - Mystery Plant Revealed: It’s Lupine, It’s Complicated, and the Quizmeister has been Blindsided : Yes, it's called "crooked calf's disease," and it's a nasty syndrome.
6/30/2009 4:57 am - Mystery Plant: It’s Toxic, and Livestock Producers Hate It : Thanks, tomp. That will help. I'm familiar with the EPMT website, but like you, I'm a bit leery about using a 2004 info source without first checking for updated info. Darn it; now you've got me really interested in this topic. I was hoping to get some of this backlog ...
6/29/2009 4:51 pm - Mystery Plant: It’s Toxic, and Livestock Producers Hate It : I agree that it's an important topic. Rob. Controlling weeds (plants that are "out of place") is getting more complicated and costly all the time in our national parks. We're stretched mighty thinly here at Traveler right now, but I don't see why we couldn't work some more relevant material ...
6/29/2009 12:06 pm - Mystery Plant: It’s Toxic, and Livestock Producers Hate It : Thanks for the clarification and additional information, tomp. I'm obviously way out of my depth here.
6/29/2009 11:38 am - Mystery Plant: It’s Toxic, and Livestock Producers Hate It : They're not of the same family. The lupine (or lupin) is a member of the genus[i] Lupinus[/i] in the legume family [i]Fabaceae[/i]. Larkspur is the common name for the genus [i]Delphinium[/i] (also the genus [i]Consolida[/i]) in the buttercup family [i]Ranunculaceae[/i]. I believe that the variety of larkspur commonly called "cow ...
6/29/2009 9:03 am - Mystery Plant: It’s Toxic, and Livestock Producers Hate It : Locoweed is a specific type (several species) of poisonous plant, not a generic term for poisonous plants such as lupine, larkspur, and broom snakeweed.

Bob's Most Recent Articles (view all)

Who’ll be the First to Need Lady Liberty’s RAT?

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.

Does the Federal Government Really Want to Seize Six California State Parks?

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?

Glorieta Pass Civil War Battlefield Finally Gets an Interpretive Trail

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.

National Park System Quiz 61: Heat

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.

Mystery Plant Revealed: It’s Lupine, It’s Complicated, and the Quizmeister has been Blindsided

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.

Mystery Plant: It’s Toxic, and Livestock Producers Hate It

Sheep, cattle, pigs, and goats shouldn't eat this mystery plant. But sometimes they do, and that's a problem.

Zuni-Cibola National Historical Park, the Park that Died A-Borning

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.

Hot Springs Hoopla Goads Government

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.

By the Numbers: Lake Mead Quagga Mussels

Do you want to see a LOT of zeroes?

Zoonotic Disease Survey Addresses Potentially Dangerous Health Risks

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.