Scenic Science of the National Parks: An Explorer's Guide to Wildlife, Geology, and Botany

by Emily Hoff, Maygen Keller

Overview

Explore the fascinating science behind the national parks in this charming illustrated guide.

The national parks are some of the most beloved, visited, and biodiverse places on Earth. They're also scientific playgrounds where you can learn about plants, animals, and our planet's coolest geological features firsthand. Scenic Science of the National Parks curates and breaks down the compelling and offbeat natural science highlights of each park, from volcanic activity, glaciers, and coral reefs to ancient redwood groves, herds of bison, giant bats, and beyond. Featuring full-color illustrations, information on the history and notable features of each park, and insider tips on how to get the most out of your visit, this delightful book is the perfect addition to any park lover's collection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984856302
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	03/31/2020
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Emily Hoff is the Big Ideas Person of this author duo. She's constantly inventing new projects and swinging for the fences. Other hats that Emily wears when working with Maygen include Chief Campsite Dishwashing Officer, Monitor of the Weather Radar, Knower of Hamilton Lyrics, and Queen of the Research Books. When she isn't working with Maygen, you can find her writing museum exhibits for the likes of the American Museum of Natural History and Kennedy Space Center. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Maygen Keller is the Pragmatist in Chief of this author duo. Her organization, wit, and budgetary skills are constantly being called upon to make Big Ideas into Reality. Known for her ability to quickly assemble tents, she's also renowned throughout the country for being able to start a campfire in a rainstorm. When working with Emily, her roles also include Chief Car Organization Architect, Chief Playlist Officer, Lead Harmonizer in Hamilton Sing-Alongs, and Hashtag Genius. In other parts of her life, she is a creative project manager and salesperson. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction

We know this looks like a book, but our collection of pages is actually more like a secret decoder ring or a pair of X-ray glasses because it will help you see some of the most iconic landscapes in the United States in a whole new way. Whether you’re traveling through the national parks by car, bicycle, boat, or foot, or even in your imagination, this is an opportunity to unlock the scientific stories behind the scenery.

This guidebook will teach you to spot the extraterrestrial-like organisms lurking in Yellowstone, the spiky teddy bear clones in Joshua Tree, the slick snails of Acadia—and more! Contained here are true stories about plants, rocks, animals, bodies of water, and the night sky that you aren’t likely to find anywhere else than in these parks. We’ve steered away from people-centric history and from big, obvious questions (like, How did the Grand Canyon form?) in favor of more fascinating, offbeat questions (like, How are strange ocean animals that look like plants connected to the rocks that make up the Grand Canyon?). This is an invitation to be inquisitive and pay attention to the small details that bring the big picture into view.

We had a blast writing this book and hope our work sets you off on a question-asking frenzy of your own. Go forth and get curious!

How to Use this Book

Taking a cue from the National Park Service (NPS), we have organized the sixty national parks featured in this book by region: Pacific Northwest, California, Intermountain West, Midwest, East, Islands, and Alaska. You’ll find some handy color-coded page edges to help you navigate. Within each region, parks are listed in descending order based on annual visitation at the time of writing.

At the beginning of each park’s profile, you’ll find a spot to get your National Park Passport Stamp from a visitor center and a page featuring some park statistics, including the park’s four-letter code. These are the same codes the Park Service uses—real insider info! Known as Alpha Codes, the formula for them goes like this: If a park name is one word (Yosemite), the code is the first four letters (YOSE). For names that are two or more words (Crater Lake), the code is the first two letters of the first two words (CRLA). As with any system, there are exceptions, including two sister parks that share the same code.

Within each profile, we’ve highlighted one to three particularly notable stories about wildlife, geology, botany, and a few wildcards. All of the sights, sounds, smells, and experiences we talk about can be found in the main, developed areas of the parks. Many storylines provide illustrations to give you a better sense of what to look for. We’ve also included some cross references in the text, but use the index to find additional information about subjects that might cross several parks.

As you head out to explore, two pieces of basic gear will make all the difference: sturdy binoculars are great for daytime views and double as a telescope at night; and a loupe, hand lens, or small magnifying glass will help you see small details on plants and rocks.

Why We Wrote this Book

As best friends and avid fans of the national parks, we noticed that there are far more science stories happening in each park than could ever be interpreted by staff and scientists—the land is just too remarkable and vast. Even though research about some of the “lesser known” science is happening, there is only so much that can be curated for public consumption. What’s a park-loving science-nerd to do?

We decided to take on that problem. We did endless hours of research to find compelling features, talked to the amazing people studying the science of how those features work, and tried to break what we call the artificial barrier between scientists and the general public. We especially wanted to hear from women doing this research in order to amplify their voices in the parks and in science. We did our best to curate content that will inspire your own curiosity while delighting you along the way.

Land Recognition

The land that now makes up the United States of America and its territories has been occupied, cared for, studied, and deeply understood by Native and Indigenous peoples for tens of thousands of years. They are the original storytellers and record keepers of these places, and they continue to maintain ancient and unending ties to the land. Many modern Native groups still live close to public lands of many kinds, including national parks, and they have fought hard to be able to continue their relationships with these spaces that are now open to all.

Out of respect for the people who are the original stewards of these amazing places, we encourage you to take time during your trip planning or armchair perusing to learn about the historic and modern Native groups associated with the locations you will visit. When you’re in the parks, take a moment to explore nearby tribal tourism or cultural centers and consider staying in a Native-owned hotel, finding a Native-led guided tour, or visiting a community market to support local vendors.

We are not the first people to find these landscapes awe-inspiring and worthy of celebration. Let’s honor those who cared for them first and know them best by learning about their cultures and respecting their homelands.

Safety in the Parks

When you’re out and about in the parks, there are many safety issues to take into consideration. This list is not comprehensive, but here are some general safety tips to keep in mind as you explore. Be sure to always use common sense, and to visit the visitor center when you arrive at a park to ensure you know its particular safety policies—each park is unique!