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Post-Hurricane Helene aftermath at the Blue Ridge Parkway. NPS photo.

Change happens…and sometimes it doesn’t.

Change certainly is underway in Washington, where the incoming Trump administration is putting its players in position with promises of changing, or maybe upsetting, the status quo.

Against that, the National Park Service continues to face long-standing problems with not enough staff or funding, compounded by National Park System damage from hurricanes, tornadoes, sea level rise, wildfires, just about everything under the sun.

We’re going to explore those topics today with Phil Francis from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and John Garder and Chad Lord from the National Parks Conservation Association.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
0:45 Shenandoah - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
1:04 Friends of Acadia
1:33 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
2:01 Episode 303 - Change Happens
18:52 Otter Point - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
19:09 Smokies Life
19:32 NPT NewsMatch Drive
21:08 Episode 303 - Change Happens Continues
58:08 The Horsemen - Randy Petersen - The Spirit of South Dakota
58:45 Episode Closing
59:13 Orange Tree Productions
59:46 Splitbeard Productions
59:57 National Parks Traveler footer

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 309 | Yellowstone Wolves at 30

There are sounds that wake you up out of a deep sleep, only to be dismissed as you fall back to sleep. And then there are sounds that rivet you, make you sit bolt upright.

That was the type of sound that woke us while we were deep in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park. Sunrise hadn’t yet come, yet we were wide awake, listening to one of the most mesmerizing sounds you can encounter in the wilds: The melodious rising and falling howl of a wolf.

January 12th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 308 | Threatened and Endangered Parks

We’re five days into 2025, and already there’s a lot of news concerning national parks and the National Park Service. Traveler Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek is joined today by Contributing Editor Kim O’Connell to discuss the Traveler’s 4th Annual Threatened and Endangered Park Series and other recent park-related news. 

January 5th, 2025 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 307 | A Walk in the Park

Many of us like to take a walk in our favorite national park, whether it’s a short stroll down one of the boardwalks at Yellowstone National Park, the hike to the top of Old Rag at Shenandoah National Park, or up the Mist Trail at Yosemite National Park, we like to get out and experience parks up close.

December 29th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 306 | Introducing St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

There are across the country more than 430 units of the National Park System. And no doubt, most of us are only familiar with the so-called name brand parks. Places like Shenandoah, Acadia, Everglades, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon… But just because you’re not already familiar with a park unit doesn’t mean you should write it off your to-do list.

December 22nd, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 305 | The Elephant Seals of Point Reyes

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.
 

December 15th, 2024 Read More

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