Every day, news releases pour into our inboxes, and Google alerts bring word of other potential stories in the National Park System for our coverage. But with 418 units out there, we can't be everywhere. With that understood, we could use your help in pointing out stories in the parks that deserve coverage.
Wildlife issues? Management issues? Great destinations or trails? Lodging concerns? Unique interpretation programs? Park staff who go above and beyond what is required and deserve to be profiled?
While we can't promise we can tackle all your suggestions, we would like to hear from you about news or feature ideas that merit coverage so others across the country can learn about them.
You can reach us with a comment below, or use the contact button on the menu bar above. We look forward to your ideas!
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Comments
I'd love to see more features on trails, especially in lesser known parks.
As I live close to the Smokey Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway, I need to see any information about these areas. I travel all over these mountains to capture images that I post on FB as Sunchaser Photography.
Thank You
How about more coverage on the east coast parks. There's more to the park system than Yellowstone .
Are you signed up for our weekly e-letter, Beached Paws? There's tremendous variety of coverage beyond Yellowstone. Indeed, among the top six features on the home page is one on Cape Cod National Seashore and the dune shacks there, another on the super colonies of wading birds at Everglades National Park, and one on Dry Tortugas National Park.
Recent news coverage has touched on Isle Royale, Delaware Water Gap NRA, Everglades, Great Smoky Mountains, Buffalo National River, the new Camp Nelson National Monument, Alaska's national preserves, Grand Canyon and Sequoia.
That said, our goal is definitely to increase coverage throughout the country, and we're working to raise funds to pay the writers and photographers who can provide that content.
I am somewhat hesitant to bring this up as I don’t want to contribute to more crowding but I’d like to see some stories on the backcountry. Hikes, sights and the work of the rangers. Perhaps some of the various studies that are always taking place would be of interest too. I also find SAR stories of interest as there are often good lessons to be learned.
I have encountered so many great and interesting NPS folks, it woud seem a good regular feature would be a quick biographical sketch on rank and file Rangers would be good.
Mark, a contributor and I were discussing those types of stories just the other day. They're something we hope we can produce more of. Stories such as those we ran recently on an interpretive project at Grand Canyon using a manual typewriter to encourage hikers to record their thoughts are great to know about.
Wild, definitely want to provide more stories about hiking, backpacking and paddling in the parks. SARs can be tough to cover, as many parks don't notify the media until after the fact. What sorts of "studies" are you referring to?
I too would enjoy profiles of those working in the parks. The studies I was referring to are things like the wolf/moose study on Isle Royale, Wolf program in Yellowstone, Wild fire flora/fauna recovery etc. Perhaps I am mistaken but I have the impression that many of the parks are used as living laboratories for various government and university projects.
Would there be a "market" for some of the old-timers of the NPS to share some reminiscences or some of the really funny tales from the past? There's a long and rich history of our parks and more than just a few great people who helped build it. Perhaps their stories or stories about them would be entertaining and enlightening.
Something like the stories in the Hey Ranger books?
Yup.
I may be biased, but I'd love to read Lee Dalton's old-timer's perspectives and tall tales (I mean reminiscences). And I'd love to read more from Harry about the institutional history of NPS: brilliance, luck, mistakes, compromises, failures, warts & all.
If folks really want stories about "studies" I can probably point Kurt to some from NPS folks as well as USGS and academics. NPS is starting to emphasize "science communication", so it shouldn't be hard to get some of those folks to push content toward Kurt for him to run or skip.
Kurt, I love that your always looking to make your website better. Continuing Improvement. I love your variety of stories and coverage. I have said this once before, but I would love to see maps of where you are talking about. Or at least a link to a map. Could be google maps or NPS Park map.
I think tales of old would be great. The “good old days” vs today. How have the responsibilities of the Rangers changed and the work itself. Same for the Parks, the facilities (or lack there of) and the visitors themselves. What did it cost a family to visit vs today? How does compensation, (pay and benefits compare)? Stories of feeding the bears, types of programs offered then vs now etc....
I agree with the above sentiments about more historical articles about how park management and interpretations have changed. It would also be great to see some pieces about some of the older NPS units now not in the park system(like Mackinac Island, the second NP designated following Yellowstone and Fossil Cyad, a NM that actually "disappeared"). Also, some about potential future candidates for inclusion in the park system.
How about shining some light on organizations like the ATC who claim to support the paks but do very little for them. The ATC has a budget of about $10,000,000 but only spends about $200,000 on the actual trail. God bless the volenteers who do all the work.