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When you talk about expanding the National Park System, any expansion should be strategic. Whether it’s to protect a cultural or historical site, or one rich in natural resources. Today, if you want to protect natural resources, it should be done with an eye towards protecting biodiversity.

There is too much at stake today to expand the National Park System just for the sake of adding units. The country is losing too much of nature to development, bird populations have been plummeting, and climate change is challenging many other species.

So where do you look to protect biodiversity from the human footprint? One possible area is the Mobile-Tensaw region of Alabama. To gain an understanding of what’s there to protect, we’ve reached out to Bill Finch, director of the Paint Rock Research Center in Alabama, and who has been involved in Alabama conservation for more than 30 years.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
:50 Blue Mist - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
1:12 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
1:42 Washington’s National Park Fund
2:15 The Everglades Foundation
2:30 Bill Finch, director of the Paint Rock Research Center, discusses the rich biodiversity of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta.
17:22 Whispering Winds - Grant Geissman - Sounds of the Caribbean
17:47 National Parks RVing Guide
18:42 Potrero Group
19:09 Interior Federal Credit Union
19:29 Great Smoky Mountains Association
19:53 Bill Finch and the Traveler's Kurt Repanshek continue their discussion of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta's biodiversity.
36:19 Spring Fever - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Everglades
36:34 National Parks Traveler Promo
36:46 Yosemite Conservancy
37:08 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
37:30 Friends of Acadia
37:58 Bill and Kurt wrap up their Mobile-Tensaw River Delta conservation conversation.
46:49 Almost Home - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
47:24 Episode Closing
47:45 Orange Tree Productions
48:18 Splitbeard Productions
48:28 National Parks Traveler footer

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May 11th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 323 | Walt Dabney and Public Lands

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The first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term might be the most tumultuous first 100 days of any president. He certainly came in prepared to move his agenda forward, no matter what barriers to it existed.

We don’t usually discuss presidential politics, but President Trump has released a blizzard of executive orders and directives touching all corners of the federal government, including the National Park Service.

April 27th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 321 | National Park Science At Risk

There has been much upheaval in the National Park Service this year, with firings, then rehires, and staff deciding to retire now rather than risk sticking around and being fired. There have been fears that more Park Service personnel are about to be let go through a reduction in force.

While Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered the Park Service to ensure that parks are properly to support the operating hours and needs of each park unit,” that message said nothing about protecting park resources.

April 20th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 320 | George Wright Society

George Melendez Wright was a brilliant young scientist with the National Park Service back in the 1920s and 1930s. You could say he was ahead of his time, in that he wanted the Park Service to take a holistic role in how wildlife in the parks was managed.

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