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Nature is an incredibly powerful and successful teacher. Of course, students need teachers to deliver the lessons. That’s where Residential Environmental Learning Centers come into play in national parks.

Organizations like NatureBridge, the Cuyahoga Valley Institute, the Yellowstone Institute, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute. And the North Cascades Institute. These nonprofit organizations use national parks as their classrooms.

Lynn Riddick talks with Saul Weisberg to understand how the North Cascades Institute teaches children well.

After her conversation, we question why the National Park Service is making substantial funding cuts and programmatic changes to the highly regarded and successful Sea Turtle Science and Recovery program at Padre Island National Seashore.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
1:24 Vista Verde - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus and Canyons
2:07 A conversation with North Cascades Institute Executive Director Saul Weisberg
30:04 Wonder Lake - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
30:21 National Parks Traveler promotion
30:34 Friends of Acadia promotion
31:03 Grand Teton National Park Foundation promotion
31:34 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
32:01 North Cascades Institute interview with Saul Weisberg continues
39:26 Almost Home - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
39:51 Washington’s National Park Fund promotion
40:25 North Cascades Institute promotion
40:51 Commentary: Why reduce funding and programming of the sea turtle science program at Padre Island National Seashore?
44:23 Caribbean Song - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
44:45 Episode Closing
45:38 Orange Tree Productions promotion
46:14 National Parks Traveler footer

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Elephant seals are not your small, cuddly marine mammals. They are behemoths. Males, known as bulls, can reach 5,000 pounds, while females, known as cows, routinely clock in at around 1,000 pounds or so.
 

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