Mr. Bluebird in Yellowstone

Mountain Bluebird in Yellowstone, April 25, 2009“O bluebird, welcome back again

Thy azure coat and ruddy vest

Are hues that April loveth best...”

John Burroughs, The Bluebird

Numerous birds flock to Yellowstone in spring, but none announce the impending end—or at least near end—of winter with such flourish as the mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides).   The rich, cerulean blue feathers of the mountain bluebird paint the first colors of spring on a landscape that has been dominated by dull grey and whites—indeed, it’s as if the birds bring pieces of a blue summer sky down to earth.

Yesterday I walked up Old Gardiner Road and witnessed dozens of mountain bluebirds arriving in Yellowstone from a journey that likely started in Mexico or the Southwest. Their breeding ground ranges from Arizona to Alaska; most bluebirds flock to Yellowstone from March to April, but some “early” birds arrive in the park in late February.

A Colorful CombinationMountain bluebirds prefer open, mountainous terrain, and I enjoy watching them hover in place while scouting above the sagebrush for insects. Once an insect has been spotted, they drop suddenly to retrieve their prize. Nature adorned them with splendid color, but stinted a bit on their musical ability—the Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes their call as a “nasal, non-musical tew” and their song as a “series of burry whistles.”

Last night another snowstorm blanketed the Yellowstone landscape in white. When I gazed out my window this morning, I despaired that spring would never arrive. Then I caught sight of a flock of bluebirds flying through the storm and was cheered—even the snowflakes couldn’t banish that hopeful, vibrant blue. 

Women Who Run With Wolves

"The gaze of the wolf reaches into our soul."   Barry Lopez

To live in Yellowstone is to dwell in constant wonder and delight. I’m still marveling over the bison grazing in my front yard in the morning, or the ghostly steam rising from a hotspring on a pale winter’s day. Yet nothing in the park transports me into such heights of unadulterated joy than the sight of a wolf trotting over the landscape. For me, wolves represent the fearless, bold, and magnificent character of wildness. Aldo Leopold captured it perfectly in describing the wolf as having eyes filled with “fierce green fire” and their howl an “outburst of wild defiant sorrow.”

Wolves in Mammoth, April 24, 2009On our drive to work this morning, my co-worker and I stopped to observe five wolves in Mammoth Hot Springs wandering and resting on a small hillside frosted with last night’s snow.  A few other fellow staff members also gazed at the wolves, along with some park visitors. All shared the same look of delight.

I did not have my good camera with me (first rule of thumb--always bring your camera along in Yellowstone) but I was able to make a short video.

 

This afternoon, another happy wolf surprise arrived in a letter from the Yellowstone Park Foundation. One of my close friends, Susan McCarthy, had made a donation to the non-profit to purchase a radio collar for the Yellowstone Wolf Project. She had requested that they inscribe the collar “For My Friend Beth Pratt.”  Susan—you are too wonderful—what a special gift!

Over the winter, Doug Smith, the Wolf Project leader, and his crew collared a number of wolves. My collar was placed on wolf 495M, a six-year old black alpha male of Mollie’s Pack and also at 143 pounds, the largest wolf ever recorded in Yellowstone National Park. We must share a love of good food!

Wolf Project Technician and Wolf 495M during collaring operations, January 2009. Photo courtesy of the Wolf Project, YellowstoneThe letter from the Foundation relates a comment from the park researcher: “As the two sedated wolves came into view…we saw what looked to be a gray wolf next to a good sized black bear. We immediately joked with Wolf Project leader Doug Smith that he had darted the wrong species, but indeed it was a wolf, the 143 pound alpha male 495M.” When I think of this magnificent creature bounding through the park with my name on his collar, I admit I get a bit teary-eyed. Doug Smith and crew—thank you for all the incredible work you do with wolves in the park!

In 2007, I took a great course through the Yellowstone Association about wolves from Doug Smith. Our class was so inspired by his teaching that we pooled our resources to also sponsor a collar (and inscribed it with an Aldo Leopold quote), which was placed on wolf 482M. These collars enable researchers to gather valuable information about the wolves in the park. If you would like to consider funding a radio collar or donating to the Yellowstone Wolf Project, visit the Yellowstone Park Foundation’s website.

You can learn more about 495M and the Yellowstone wolves by visiting the National Park Service’s science pages. Doug Smith has also co-authored an excellent book about Yellowstone's wolf reintroduction called Decade of the Wolf.

I’ll keep you posted on 495M’s adventures!

Save the Frogs!

During my first thru hike on the John Muir Trail almost fifteen years ago, on the ascent up to Seldon Pass I encountered a young man energetically trotting down the trail without a backpack. Before even saying hello he asked excitedly, “have you seen any frogs?”  The question was a strange greeting, but this researcher had luckily encountered a fellow frog enthusiast. Subsequently he revealed that he was a researcher studying frog populations in the Sierra Nevada. I wish I could recall his name, but his passion for frogs I remember well.

Frog and Mantis ShowdownI’m not sure when my passion for frogs began—as a child of the 70s I’m sure watching Kermit the Frog on the Muppet Show had something to do with my interest. I spent countless hours searching the banks of the Concord River in Massachusetts looking for amphibians; as an adult, I wandered the high country in Yosemite near Tioga Pass looking for the Yosemite toad.

In 2007, my partner and I constructed a frog pond at our home outside Yosemite (I need to give proper credit: he constructed it while I took the easy job and decorated it with plants). Our intent was to provide a proper habitat for the Pacific Chorus frogs that already lived in our yard. Instead of watching television on summer evenings, we would gaze at the chorus frogs catching moths on our window ledge. One memorable occasion, a chorus frog and a California mantis engaged in a standoff—neither one backed down and both eventually retreated. Another time an Alligator lizard and a chorus frog rested nearby each other on our windowsill.

Alligator Lizard and Chorus Frog

Build it and they will come. Only a few weeks after we erected the pond, I encountered a western toad at dusk heading toward the water with his peculiar walk. This March and April, during my visit home from Yellowstone, I listened to the distinct and loud “kreck-ek” of the Pacific Chorus Frogs day and night. Mary Dickerson, who authored The Frog Book in 1906, deemed the chorus frog the “entertaining little acrobat of the frog world” and described their song: “At dusk or on rainy days a loud resonant trill comes from the trees and vines. The sound has the charm of contentment in it; in fact it is much like the purring of a cat, only louder.”

Our Backyard Frog Pond

Pacific Chorus Frog Eggs in Our PondMuch to my delight I also discovered chorus frog tadpole eggs in our pond during my visit (I love the Honduras word for tadpole: “bunbulun”). The tiny eggs grew rapidly during my stay at home, from small dots to wriggling miniatures. 

I regretted having to return to Yellowstone before they hatched, but my partner Shad has promised to remain on tadpole watch and send photos as soon as they emerge. Below is a video of our frog sanctuary.

Despite the success of our backyard frog sanctuary, I am extremely worried about our frog friends across the globe. As Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” Today, amphibians worldwide are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. I’ve written previously about the staggering declines of Yellow-legged frog in Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada, and the recent study in Yellowstone that showed decreases in 3 of the 4 amphibian species in the park. If frogs are having a difficult time surviving in some of the best-protected places on the planet, something is truly wrong.  Here’s another alarming statistic: climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and disease have put over a third of the world’s amphibian species on the brink of extinction.

How can you help? Dr. Kerry Kriger, who is currently studying amphibian disease, founded a great organization: Save the Frogs. Visit the website to learn more about amphibian extinction and what you can do to help.  Be sure to also mark your calendar so you can celebrate the first official Save The Frogs Day on April 28!

A Wolf's Journey Ends

Wolf 314F (341F) under anesthesia after being fitted with GPS Collar (Montana Fish, Wildlife, Parks)In February, I wrote about the incredible journey of Yellowstone’s  adventurous wolf 341F (she was previously misidentified as 314F). After departing from her pack in September, she wandered over a thousand miles and traveled through Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Since February, signals from her radio collar indicate she remained about 120 miles west of Denver.

Sadly 341F was found dead in late March—the cause of her death has yet to be determined. Gary Wockner, a former member of the Colorado Wolf Working Group "This adventurous wolf sparked Colorado's imagination. She made us think about what Colorado is missing without its wolves."  Defenders of Wildlife representative, Suzanne Asha Stone, states, “We hope that this wasn’t the result of foul play but will do what we can to support the state’s investigation including offering a reward for information leading to conviction if this was an illegal killing of an endangered species.”

March of the Bison

BIson and Calf Hanging Out Near My Home, April 2008Last year bison frequented my neighborhood in the late winter and spring, the long winter driving them to the limits of Yellowstone’s northern range in greater numbers than usual.  Bison would sometimes peer into the window of my home, and bison calves frolicked and napped in my front yard. I have missed the abundance of bison visits this year as the lighter snowpack made it easier for the animals to obtain food in Yellowstone’s interior.

Overall, it’s been a better year for bison. The harsh winter last year forced a large number of the animals to migrate outside the park boundary, where they risk being slaughtered. Nearly fifty percent of the park’s iconic herd was lost last year—with over 1,400 being shipped to slaughter. This year, park management has not had to kill any animals leaving the confines of the park.

This evening, a herd of bison marched in front of my house, perhaps trying to escape this abrupt snowstorm that interrupted a week of beautiful spring weather—below is a short video of the herd.

A Spring Hike in Yellowstone: A Photo Essay

Spring is earned in Yellowstone, and both the people and wildlife alike greet the melting of the snow and the rising of the temperatures with a sense of accomplishment. For us humans, winter’s chill poses discomfort; for the animals of Yellowstone, it can threaten their survival—especially for its ungulate populations. Foraging for food underneath the deep cover of snow is tough even in the mildest of winters; Dr. James Halfpenny, in one of his classes, compared it to eating cereal all summer, then having to survive on the cereal box all winter.

This past Sunday I took a hike along the Rescue Creek trail and encountered an abundance of wildlife also appreciating the warm sunshine.

NPCA Testifies About Global Warming in National Parks

The National Parks Conservation Association’s (NPCA) Mike Cipra recently testified about the impacts of climate change on our national parks at a government hearing held just outside Joshua Tree National Park—an appropriate setting given global warming may eradicate the tree from its namesake park within a century.

Cipra stated in his testimony that “the single greatest threat to the health of our national parks is global climate change” and made a compassioned plea in his testimony for protecting the parks. He proposed using an allocation of funding from a cap and trade system on greenhouse gases to address the impacts of climate change on wildlife and ecosystems, a solution he considers “crucial to a healthy future for our economy, our national parks, and our children’s health.”

With the work of non-profits like NPCA, we are making progress toward ensuring our national parks remain for future generations to enjoy. Visit NPCA’s website for more information on the issue and to read their report,“Unnatural Disaster: Global Warming and Our National Parks.”

An Early Spring Drive Through Yellowstone

I recently drove though the early season quietude of Yellowstone. The semi-plowed roads are open only to administrative traffic, and wildlife still roam freely, looking surprised at any intruding vehicle. Although the calendar indicates spring, the interior of Yellowstone still appears firmly entrenched in winter. Below are a selection of photos from my trip.

Craters of the Moon

Craters of the Moon: "A Geologic Prelude to Yellowstone"Last week I explored Craters of the Moon National Monument on my drive from Yellowstone to Yosemite. Although snow covered most of the area, it could not banish the sublime strangeness of a volcanically birthed landscape.

When I stopped in the park visitor center and inquired about the geology of the region, I was truly lucky to find the park geologist, Douglass Owen, behind the desk. After learning that I had just come from Yellowstone, he described Craters as a geologic precursor to the first national park.

HaloAs the park guidebook notes: “Craters of the Moon represents what Yellowstone’s landscape will resemble in the future, and both areas can supplement your insight into what happens when the Earth’s unimaginable inner forces erupt to its surface.”

Even given the harsh ecological conditions of a lava dominated-land, life abounds in the area—hardy flora and fauna that have adapted to a rocky, dry, wind-swept existence. Small blossoms of cinquefoil may peek out of rocky crevices, while intrepid lichen paints the rocks in reds, yellows, and greens. One of my favorite animals, the pika, has also managed to set up household in the lava fields; at 6,000 feet above sea level, Craters of the Moon is one of the lowest elevations where pika can be found.

During my visit to the park, the sun left its signature on an outstretched cloud: a partial halo. 

Lava Field at Craters of the Moon

Association of Partners for Public Lands Annual Conference

At the Association of Partners for Public Lands’ annual conference this week, I felt right at home as Baltimore’s extreme wintry weather rivaled Yellowstone’s frigid and snowy climate. Yet the chilly temperatures and windblown flakes didn’t deter hundreds of representatives from non-profits, government agencies, and other organizations who work with public lands from attending the annual gathering.

Larry Schweiger, President/CEO National Wildlife FederationLarry Schweiger, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, gave an alarming (yet hopeful) presentation on climate change on our public lands. He outlined the high stakes we are gambling with as a society—the very existence of our cherished wilderness. His book on the threats climate change pose to the natural world, Last Chance, will be released this summer. At the end of his talk, he flashed a photograph of his adorable grandchildren on the screen, and made an impassioned, personalized appeal—we must take action as we cannot ignore the peril our children and grandchildren will face from climate change. Larry continues to be a tireless advocate for the places and creatures who have no voice—check out his excellent blog on the National Wildlife Federation’s website (and consider making a donation to support the organization’s fine work).

Beth with Other APPL Training Corps MembersTo help promote sustainability, I taught a session on “Greening Your Organization: Sustainability on Our Public Lands.” Framing the need for sustainability with the need to protect the parks and it inhabitants, I related the stories of the threatened pika, the disappearing amphibians, and the decimated whitebark pine—surveying the impacts of climate change in the parks for the audience. But the thrust of my talk involved a call to action, and I outlined practical steps for greening operations along with examples of current sustainability efforts on our public lands.

At the trade show, I paid a visit to Chelsea Green’s booth, a publisher that has been dedicated to sustainability for over 25 years. Chelsea Green has produced a handy set of user-friendly books on greening and climate change for readers wanting to learn the basics, along with an eclectic series of titles on other sustainable topics such as an investigation into the forces behind green brands (The Gort Cloud) and the hidden link of milk to some illnesses (The Devil in the Milk). You can check out the full catalog of offerings on their website.

Ken Burns and Dayton DuncanThis morning Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan introduced their new documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, to this captive audience of passionate public land supporters. As the filmmakers dislike showing an incomplete work, Ken joked about locking the doors and holding us hostage so we could view the entire twelve-hour series. I don’t think he would have needed to lock the doors for this group—we all would have willingly spent the day watching this wonderful tribute to the parks.

I had viewed some of the segments last month in Yellowstone, but delighted in this expanded showing. I was certainly not alone in shedding tears as the documentary revealed scene after scene from national parks across the country. And when the Tuolumne River appeared, the water cascaded out of the screen toward me, and I could almost feel the friendly hand of the cool mountain breeze as it escorted the water across the land. Yosemite’s high country remains my favorite place on earth.

After the preview, my friend Michelle observed that she “kept thinking how connected I am to the parks, what an essential part of my life they have been—more than I realized.” When viewing this incredible documentary, I think most people will arrive at the same realization. The parks provide us with something essential—seeing that connection expressed through the masterful direction of Ken Burns and the lyrical voice of Dayton Duncan cannot help but stir something in our souls. 

The Incredible Journey: A Yellowstone Wolf Treks To Colorado

“ In all things nature, there is something of the marvelous.” Aristotle

Bounding across some of the west’s most remote wilderness, Wolf 314F embarked on a meandering excursion of over 1,000 miles through five states on her journey from Yellowstone to Colorado.

Gray Wolf In Yellowstone, Spring 2008This remarkable 18-month-old female covered an incredible distance since September in search of a mate and new territory. Although wolves can travel up to thirty miles a day, the animals rarely venture more than sixty miles from their base pack.

By the 1930s, wolves were facing near extinction in the Lower 48, the result of aggressive predator control programs. Colorado, like Yellowstone, eliminated its native wolf population, with the killing of Colorado’s last native wolf in 1943 (the last native wolf killed within Yellowstone’s boundaries was in 1926). Yellowstone’s wolf reintroduction in 1995 has been a successful program—perhaps in Colorado the wolves will someday reintroduce themselves.

Wolf 314F has earned my admiration. Like early pioneers or explorers, she  (in the words of Mark Twain), “lit out for the territory ahead of the rest,” with a wanderlust to venture into the unknown. 

A Visit to Joshua Tree National Park

The Iconic Joshua TreeNestled among six mountain ranges and straddling the Mohave and Sonoran deserts, Joshua Tree National Park dispels the popular erroneous notion of deserts being lifeless and barren. One of our newest national parks (upgraded from a national monument in 1994), this wondrous, yet foreign landscape provides a paradise for naturalists, geologists, and archeologists alike.

A visitor may encounter a speedy roadrunner dashing across the terrain in pursuit of prey or a patient desert tortoise munching on a wildflower. In the Wonderland of Rocks, time and pressure have shaped fanciful sculptures from the granite—a toyland for giants. And the park’s namesake decorates the terrain with its outstretched limbs embarking in slow, gymnastic contortions as it reaches ambitiously and hopefully to the sky.

Spending time in Joshua Tree is akin to wandering into a Dali painting or a Dr. Seuss story—reality has become slightly askew, magical, and mysterious. During my visits to the park, I often think I have strolled into a dream. The trees themselves seem like friendly, ancient companions, real world versions of Tolkien’s fictional Ents. Even in death the trees retain their otherworldly character, as Mary Oliver describes in her book The Land of Little Rain, “After Death, which is slow, the ghostly hollow network of its woody skeleton, with hardly power to rot, makes the moonlight fearful.”

Visit in 1991: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking ForIn my first visit to the park almost twenty years ago, I camped under a starry night sky and wondered if the trees were indeed ghosts—they appeared to vibrate under starlight. I felt comforted sleeping among such trusted sentinels—ghostly perhaps, but surely benign spirits.

Given that I was twenty-one and a passionate U2 fan, one purpose of that long-ago trip was to find the Joshua Tree from U2’s famous album. After arriving in the park and witnessing the ubiquity of Joshua Trees, I quickly realized the foolishness of that endeavor. During this most recent visit, one park ranger informed me the tree is sadly no more among the living.

Cholla Cactus GardenThe garden of the furry, teddy bear cholla cactus is one of my favorite sights in the park. (Be warned--the teddy bear comparison does not extend to texture—hugging the cholla would result in a very painful experience.)  After miles of a sparsely vegetated landscape, the cholla appear unexpectedly in a small area, as if they were settlers who traveled from a distant land. I spent part of the afternoon during my recent visit slowly walking in this unusual garden.

The desert transforms into a palette of color during the spring bloom. This year’s wildflower season is quickly approaching, and according to park staff may prove to be a very colorful season. If you travel to the park, be sure to stop by the new visitor center in the town of Joshua Tree, which is jointly operated by the Joshua Tree National Park Association and the National Park Service. And while you are there pick up my friend James Kaiser's excellent guidebook--Joshua Tree: The Complete Guide.

You can visit my gallery for more photos of Joshua Tree National Park.

A Victory for the Pika!

The Intrepid--And Pretty Darn Cute--Pika (Photo Courtesy Earthjustice)Hiking in the high mountains provides many rewards; one such absolute joy for me is hearing the cheerful chirping of the pika and seeing the dainty creature scurry across boulder fields.

Climate change and environmental degradation, however, threaten the existence of this small animal. Last year I wrote about the plight of the pika and the attempts of the non-profits Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity to place the animal on the endangered species list through ongoing lawsuits.

Early this month both groups scored a victory with a settlement requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider the pika for protection under the Endangered Species Act.  The pika now becomes the first mammal in the lower 48 to be considered for endangered species status because of the impacts of global warming.

As Greg Loaris, an attorney for Earthjustice noted in a recent press release: “The pika’s shrinking habitat is a harbinger of what may happen to many species if we don’t address global warming now. With this settlement, we are hopeful that the new administration will take this issue seriously."

Please consider making a donation to Earthjustice or The Center for Biological Diversity to support their important work! For more information about the pika and the settlement, visit the Center for Biological Diversity's fact sheet.

Eulogy for an Elk: Yellowstone’s Number 6

Yellowstone's Infamous Number 6Yellowstone’s Number 6—reigning monarch of the Mammoth elk dating scene—died this week at age fifteen as the result of a freak accident. 

His 725 pound body (impressive by elk standards) was found in Gardiner, Montana just outside the north entrance of Yellowstone. Authorities believe he suffocated after tripping over a fence and pinning himself between some rocks.

Number 6 distinguished himself from the herd with his curmudgeonly character and apparent fearlessness. He was known to charge automobiles without hesitation, and the trophy of a car tail light dangled from his antlers one day last fall. Visitors foolish enough to disobey the park’s regulations of keeping a 25-yard boundary soon found themselves confronted with the dangerous reality of a cranky, 700+ pound bull elk. Dedicated park rangers and volunteers patrolled Mammoth during the rut in an effort to keep both the visitors and Number 6 out of trouble.

Number 6 Bugling Away!Like a small town eccentric that everybody loves despite the inconvenience and even the slight danger he poses, Number 6 was much beloved in Mammoth by park employees. With his bravado and confident swagger, he ruled the elk rut in Mammoth, his closest rival being the younger (and less flamboyant) Number 10.

From our office windows this past fall, my co-workers and I followed Number 6’s exploits as he bugled and sparred with Number 10. I often felt like a voyeur, spying on the poor fellas while they competed for each other’s harem—the ungulate version of ‘The Bachelor.’ When I spoke with business associates on the phone, the question would inevitably arise about the loud noise in the background; they always expressed disbelief when I revealed it to be a bugling elk. And in the fall, Number 6 often extended my workday because of his wandering near the office exit and blocking access to my car.

The Next Generation? The King Is Dead, Long Live the KingBeing new to the park, I experienced my first elk rut last year, and I looked forward to following the infamous adventures of Number 6 for many years to come. Bull elk are plentiful in Yellowstone, but few can match Number 6’s singular, ornery character. Number 10 has some rather large shoes (or hooves) to fill next year.

Number 6: I hope in the elk afterlife the rut season is endless, the cows are plentiful, and the wolves scarce.  

Number Six's Filmography: Scenes from the Yellowstone Elk Rut 

 

My Typical Yellowstone Weekend: A Photo Essay

When I am not traveling, I usually include a hike up Old Gardiner Road in my weekend plans. On Saturday, the pronghorn were in abundance during my walk--indeed, I had to stop and wait a few times as the animals crossed the road so as not to disturb them.

Under a blue sky and the much longed for sunshine, I took a ski on Sunday morning up the Mammoth Road to below Bunsen Peak.

And while the rest of the world watched the Superbowl in the afternoon, I tested my new digiscoping equipment in my front yard. Here are two of my first amateur efforts:


Moon Over Sepulcher Mountain

These two photographs show a waning gibbous moon housed like a precious gemstone in the setting of a colorful winter sky. Fun fact: did you know the line separating light from dark on a waning moon is called the evening terminator or sunset?

Cry Wolf

Wolf Crossing Gardner River, Spring 2008Two weeks ago when Shad visited me in Yellowstone, we noticed in the basin across from the house a herd of elk on high alert standing atop one of the hills below Sepulcher Mountain. We scanned the landscape with binoculars and observed a dark wolf loping across the landscape. Shad had not seen a wolf in Yellowstone yet, and as luck would have it he didn’t even have to leave our yard to do so. 

I checked with Doug Smith, the manager for the wolf project, and he said there have been quite a few sightings of the small quadrant pack below Sepulcher, along with a lone female wolf. Today, on my drive to Mammoth for a ski I saw Rick McIntyre’s yellow X-Terra parked on a turnout along with a crowd of people equipped with spotting scopes—a sure sign of canis lupus activity. Lamar Valley has always been the prime spot in Yellowstone for wolf watching; if the wolves keep making an appearance near the north entrance perhaps this winter I’ll save on gasoline if I don’t have to drive to Lamar to gaze at wolves.

The National Parks: An Evening With Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan

One of the most prized volumes on my bookshelf is a tattered hardcover entitled National Parks of the U.S.A. Inside the pages is a list written in faded ballpoint pen naming five western parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, and Glacier. I wrote that list as a young girl and I can still remember gazing endlessly at the photographs of granite peaks, roaring waterfalls, and magnificent wildlife, and daydreaming about wandering in those landscapes. I would think, someday, someday…

The west captured my childhood imagination—even in our settled and civilized world—as fiercely as it did any adventurer contemplating the wide-open expanses of America in the 1800s. Yet my urge wasn’t simply to “go west.” The idea of National Parks, of islands of untouched and preserved wilderness inspired me. I wanted to see those places so badly! And in the age before the internet, webcams, blogs and YouTube, my only window into that magical world was through my treasured picture books.

With Ken Burns in YellowstoneNational Parks have been an integral part of my life—from my father taking me to see whales on Cape Cod National Seashore, to spending college summers hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, to providing inspiration for my writing, space for my joyful wanderings, and my career as an environmental leader. The tranquility I experience while hiking in places like the Dana Plateau, Tuolumne Meadows, or Hayden Valley feeds my soul with sustenance as essential to my existence as food or water.

In their new documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan have captured the connection that I—along with millions of other people across the world—share with our National Parks. The connection originates from a reverence for not only what these special places contain, but also what they elicit from us.

With Dayton DuncanLast week I attended a special reception and screening in Yellowstone of this soon-to-be released documentary. Through Ken Burn’s brilliant filmmaking and Dayton Duncan’s poignant writing, the segments I watched translated to the screen the ongoing wonderment and lasting legacy inherent in our parks. Even on film, the sight of Old Faithful charging into the blue sky inspires awe. Yet the ‘stories behind the scenery’ of the people who shaped our parks proves just as enduring as the sublime landscape in the film. While watching the clips, I remembered myself at ten urgently gazing at a picture of Yosemite Falls, and realized the emotions superimposed themselves in time; three decades later my fascination with the parks had not lessened.

Although the segments we viewed focused on Yellowstone, I was delighted to recognize some friends from Yosemite like Shelton Johnston and Lee Stetson. And for my Yosemite comrades, I did have a chance to discuss the ‘who’s on first’ question with Ken and Dayton during the evening. I think “it’s complicated” was the final verdict. Overall, it was simply amazing to watch this project near completion. I recall providing books to researchers for  the film five years ago when I worked for the Yosemite Association.

My thanks to Ken and Dayton for giving the parks such a splendid and inspirational biography. I imagine many children experiencing the same awe I did when exposed to Yosemite Falls or Old Faithful through this vibrant picture book.

Watch for the documentary this fall on your local PBS station!