National Park Service | Government Book Talk

GPO Summer Travel Series: Discover the Grand Canyon

June 7, 2018

We’re back again with another installment of our GPO Summer Travel Series. And today we’re talking about your trip to discover a natural wonder with layers, colors, rocks and ridges that tell a story like nowhere else on earth. Folks, we’re headed for an adventure at the Grand Canyon in Arizona!

Not sure where to begin planning for your great expedition? Check out The Grand Canyon Trip Planner from the GPO Bookstore. Published by the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, the Trip Planner is a great resource that contains a guide so you can make the most of your trip. In it you’ll find hiking maps and tips.

And we’ll even give you a head start now. The rumors are true … high elevation is likely to affect you differently than your home environment. If you and other family members or friends aren’t used to hiking in high elevations, you’ll want to come extra prepared. Drink lots of water, take breaks if you need to, and protect your skin with sunscreen and hats.

If you’ve got kiddos coming along in your group, don’t leave home without the Grand Canyon South Rim Junior Activity Book. This fun booklet teaches children about wildlife, geology, land and historic site preservation at the Grand Canyon. Activities in the booklet include recording animal sightings, studying rocks, and decoding the name of each layer of the canyon. And if you return the completed book to Grand Canyon Visitor Center, Verkamp’s Visitor Center, or Tusayan Museum, your child can receive a badge for their good work. We guarantee the adults in the group will a thing or two, too! After all, witnessing something so grand can make us all feel small again.

So what are you waiting for? You’ve got the tools. Get out there and experience the magic that is the Grand Canyon.

GPO Summer Travel Series: What to Do and See in Washington DC

Don’t forget to check out our latest catalog America The Beautiful.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Cat Goergen is the PR Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations office.

Leave a Comment » | Family, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: Grand Canyon, National Park Service, travel, travel and toursim, us vacation, vacation, vacation planning | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Alaska Day

October 17, 2017

October 18 marks the 150th anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory of Alaska from Russia to the United States. The land that became Alaska came into U.S. possession in 1867, when William Seward, secretary of state under President Andrew Johnson, negotiated a deal to buy the 586,000-square-mile area from Russia. Alaska became the 49^th state January 3, 1959, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation admitting Alaska to the Union.

Our 49th state has some of the largest National Parks and Preserves in the country. The Federal government offers the following resources related to the history of Alaska.

Contested ground : an administrative history of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 1978-2001 discusses how the park came to be and the legal and administrative issues surrounding a park four times the size of Yellowstone National Park.

At work in the Wrangells: a photographic history, 1895-1966 looks at the transformation of the land and the people as the Wrangell Mountains were transformed by settlement. Lavishly illustrated, this work shows the beauty and the challenges of life in Alaska.

It is in Alaska that Asia and North America were joined via a land bridge. The Shared Beringian Heritage Program, a program of the National Park Service, seeks to recognize the history and cultural resources of Beringia, and works closely with the government of Russia to increase knowledge of the Bering Straits region. An early culture of the northwest Bering Sea and Archaeological sites of Kamchatka, Chukotka, and the Upper Kolyma, both originally published in Russian, use archeology to explore the lives and culture of the regions early inhabitants.

State of change: climate change in Alaska’s national park areas addresses climate change, what is happening in the parks, and the measures they are taking to raise awareness of it.

Alaska’s first national park, Mount McKinley National Park, is now known as Denali National Park and Preserve. Crown jewel of the north: an administrative history of Denali National Park and Preserve details the history of the park and the people who developed it.

Visit your local Federal depository library to see: Pipeline to Russia: the Alaska-Siberia Air Route in World War II During World War II Lend-Lease allowed the United States to provide its allies with military supplies and support. This book details how the United States supplied Russia with military airplanes.

8,000 planes were flown from U.S. factories to Great Falls and then on to Alaska where Soviet pilots then flew on to Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. The route became known at the Alaska-Siberia Air Route.

For more history on Alaska, here are a few publications available from the US Government Bookstore.

A Naknek Chronicle: Ten Thousand Years in a Land of Lakes and Rivers and Mountains of Fire which provides a firsthand account of surprising archaeological discoveries and tells a fascinating story, punctuated by volcanic eruptions and floods, pixies and small tools, strange newcomers and unexplained disappearances, and puzzled engravings on river pebbles.

Ublasaun, First Light: Inupiaq Hunters and Herders in the Early Twentieth Century, Northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska. This book contains essays and photographs describing the people and their environment in Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. The book also discusses the Bering Land Bridge.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Cynthia Earman is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian in the Library Services & Content Management division of the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, National Park Service | Tagged: Alaska, Alaska Day, Alaska history, alaska publications, history of Alaska | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Arts in the Parks

August 9, 2017

Since 1916, The National Park Service (NPS) has been conserving, preserving, and making its National Parks, National Historic Sites, and National Monuments accessible. The Library of Congress has a collection which provides an overview of the American conservation movement which inspired the Government to preserve and protect America’s natural resources. In addition to working to physically maintain sites, the NPS strives to keep and curate the stories and images created in and inspired by its more than 400 sites which include: national parks, preserves, monuments, historical parks, and other sites. The Arts in the Parks Program provides links to resources ranging from sculpture gardens to grants for artists.

The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont, has more than 500 works of art including nature and landscape paintings by artists of the Hudson River School. See the book Art and the American Conservation Movement to learn more about their collections and the movement.

William Henry Jackson lived in the West while working for the U.S. Geological Survey. As a professional photographer, he captured some of the earliest images of Yellowstone Park, the Tetons Mountains, and Mesa Verde. He also sketched and painted. An Eye for History: The Paintings of William Henry Jackson showcases his collection which is now owned by the Scotts Bluff National Monument’s Oregon Trail Museum.

The book Treasured Landscapes: National Park Service Art Collections Tell America’s Stories and the accompanying online exhibit bring together artwork from more than 50 NPS museum collections.

A Photographer’s Path: Images of National Parks Near the Nation’s Capital uses photographs to capture the beauty of NPS sites in the National Capitol Region.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Cynthia Earman is a Cataloging & Metadata Librarian in the Library Services & Content Management division of the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Leave a Comment » | Art, Department of the Interior, Libraries, National Park Service, National Park Service | Tagged: Art, Artists, Arts in the Parks, Arts in the Parks Program, National Parks Art, nps, NPS books | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Get Outdoors this Summer with Help From GPO

July 19, 2017

July is National Parks & Recreation Month in the U.S., which delivers a reminder of the staggeringly beautiful images from the thousands of national parks around our great Nation. Perhaps this is the year that you finally pack up the family in the car or RV and spend a long weekend camping in the hills and enjoying the incredible wonder that is our naturally beautiful landscape.

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is here to help you with the research and planning that can make any summer vacation into the one you tell stories about for years to come. The most important step of that epic road trip is first and foremost choosing where to go and where to stay. The U.S. Government Bookstore offers more than a few options on how to figure that out.

The National Parks Index offers a complete administrative listing of the National Park System and can help you figure out which parks are in your area and what they have to offer. Also, if you’re a more visual person, there is the National Park System Wall Map Poster which would allow you map out your trip visually, and you could even hang it on the wall in your house and use pushpins to track your progress in visiting all the parks our country has to offer.

While you’re on your trip, you may want to bring along a camera to capture some of the breath taking scenes you’re sure to see. The best photographers know that the key to beautiful pictures is the inspiration, and the book A Photographer’s Path: Images of National Parks Near the Nation’s Capital is full of incredible photos that are sure to light your creative fires and inspire you to take a couple of photos worthy of printing and hanging on your wall.

Another great thing our national parks offer is free or discounted fees to visit for active duty and retired military members due to the National Parks Freedom Pass Act which was passed by the House of Representatives in 2011.

To find other bills and laws that Congress has passed to protect and preserve our park system, visit govinfo.gov and search “national parks.”

You can also search the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications to find a list of titles that will allow you to learn more about the parks and monuments available near you, like:

Make GPO your first stop when planning your next national park trip, and visit our sites to learn more about the great history of our Government preserving the parks for our future generations. Happy camping!

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Scott Pauley is a Writer and Editor in GPO’s Library Services and Content Management office.

Leave a Comment » | Family, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: National Parks, National Parks & Recreation Month, national parks and recreation, national parks books, national parks month, Recreation | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

New Grand Canyon Trip Planner from the National Park Service

April 17, 2017

Just in time for National Park Week, the National Park Service offers you and your family a hardy, “Grand Canyon” experience.

To take the first step to a grand family travel time, the Park Service has developed a helpful guide filled with general information starting with “Getting to the Grand Canyon”, what weather to expect when there, plus lots of details and photos about the South and North Rim services and facilities.

Want to know more about tours and trips? It’s there.

Hiking map? Just be sure you come in shape since some paths are far from a “walk in the proverbial park”! Take a good listen to their tips on hiking, full day hiking journeys, and more for those up to the rigors, sharing life memories and experiences that come when backpacking.

Tourists gather at the South Rim’s Mather Point for sunset.

Park Rangers know just about everything and anything to make your Grand Canyon visit all you could expect it to be. So they urge you to “get involved.”

Start now by obtaining the Grand Canyon “Trip Planner” at the bookstore.gpo.gov. “Awesome” is an understatement!

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS RESOURCE?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

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Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Stunning Images of National Parks Around DC

November 16, 2016

Washington, DC is populated with renowned stone edifices and towering monuments. Some even call our nation’s capital “American Rome.” Of course, national treasures are not limited to the metropolitan and man-made. Sublime natural beauty abounds in the parks of the Potomac River watershed.

Battlefields, wildlife preserves, canals, aquatic gardens, forests. The National Capitol Region has them all. And the National Park Service celebrates them in “A Photographer’s Path: Images of National Parks Near the Nation’s Capital,” available through GPO.

A Photographer’s Path: Images of National Parks Near the Nation’s Capital

National Park Service photographer Thomas Paradis spotlights the idyllic, artful, and even curious scenes within the region. It’s a “pictorial journey” that “reveals the subtlety and nuance of our natural landscapes.”

Now, I’ll let the images speak for themselves:

Swallowtail perched on branch. Manassas National Park

Looking toward Chimney Rock. Catoctin Mountain Park

Heron over Great Falls. Great Falls Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Park

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Art, Department of the Interior, Landmarks & Monuments, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: D.C., DC, DC parks, District of Columbia, Landscapes, National Parks, national parks in DC, nations capital, Photography, Washington, Washington DC | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

On America’s Trails

September 30, 2016

Let’s talk briefly about two American legends celebrated on screen and page. One stretches 2,160 miles from Mount Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia. The second covers 2,665 miles from America’s southern and northernmost borders along the mountain ranges of Washington, Oregon, and California.

They’re the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, respectively—the first scenic trails designated by the Federal government nearly a half-century ago. On October 2, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Trails System Act into law. It established a network of scenic, historic, and recreation trails. You can read the original act on GPO’s govinfo.

Until 1968, the Federal government simply built and maintained trails on Federal lands. The National Trails System Act expanded that role by providing funding and support for interstate coordination and volunteer partnerships. Today, the National Trails System includes 20 national scenic and historic trails traversing nearly 40,000 miles.

In addition to making the National Trails System Act available on govinfo, GPO makes available these trail-related resources:

National Trails System: Map and Guide

This National Park Service full-color map depicts eight national scenic trails and nine national historic trails. The National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management work in concert to keep trails well-marked and well-monitored. Check out the NPS website for the complete list of scenic and historic trails.

The Iditarod National Historic Trail (Poster)

On one side of this U.S. Forest Service poster is a timeline and map. On the other side is a photo of a 1913 dog sled mail team. Together, they commemorate a historic 1,500 miles stretch of winter travel tracks connected to form America’s last gold rush trail.

Upon throwing his support behind a national system of trails, President Johnson said, “The forgotten outdoorsmen of today are those who like to walk, hike, ride horseback, or bicycle. For them we must have trails as well as highways…In the back country we need to copy the great Appalachian Trail in all parts of our country…”

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: America's trail system, guides, maps, maps and guides, national park maps, National Parks guides, national trails, National Trails System, NPS Trails, trail system, trails | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Celebrating the National Park Service’s Centennial

August 24, 2016

Since the creation of the National Park Service (NPS) on August 25, 1916, more than 275 million people visit the natural and cultural resources every year!

The seed for the national park idea was planted in 1864 with the passage of the Yosemite Grant. In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill creating Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the history of the world. This trend continued with the signing of the Antiquities Act of 1906, by the great lover of nature, President Theodore Roosevelt, who sought to protect scientific items of cultural heritage. The Act further prohibited the removal of cultural items from Federal lands without a permit. At that time, permits were granted by the agency managing that particular monument, especially the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture. Hence, monuments were managed by various agencies.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service, but it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who in 1933 consolidated the stewardship of all national monuments and parks under the NPS. In 1935, through the Historic Sites Act, the US publically declared its goal to protect and preserve cultural heritage sites. Since then, Presidential administrations have classified more and more sites as cultural heritage. Thus far, we have close to 400 cultural heritage sites. The Obama administration alone is responsible for adding 18 of them.

We invite you to browse the U.S. Government Bookstore’s National Parks collection. It includes everything from posters, maps, and park guides to coloring books for children. Of particular interest is the National Parks Index 2012 – 2016: 2016 National Park Service Centennial: Official Index of the National Park Service. This index is a complete administrative listing of the National Park System’s areas and related areas, including historical documentation to distinguish between the types of National Park Service sites. It has been revised to reflect congressional actions. The entries, grouped by state, include administrative addresses and phone numbers, dates of authorization and establishment, boundary change dates, acreages, website addresses, and brief statements explaining the areas’ national significance.

You can also experience a little of what the NPS has to offer in the Washington, D.C. area through the pamphlet, “National Park Service: Where History Happens,” on sale via the U.S. Government Bookstore. Learn more about the D.C. area’s most historic attractions: where Abraham Lincoln died or where Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I Have a Dream…” speech. Visit Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, seemingly completely frozen in time, as workers cultivate the farm using the same techniques and tools as in Washington’s era.

America’s heritage includes monuments, parks, recreational sites, parkways, and many other things. Layer upon layer, time upon time, when we look at these structures we are not just looking at our past, we are learning from it so we can build a better tomorrow. History is always being made; the unheard of yesterday is being made possible today.

Below is a list of handpicked resources for those interested in learning more. Find these resources via govinfo, the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, and the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

govinfo – https://www.govinfo.gov/features/national-park-service-centennial

History of H.R. 3556 – A bill to prepare the National Park Service for its Centennial in 2016 and for a second century of protecting our national parks’ natural, historic, and cultural resources for present and future generations, and for other purposes

160 Cong. Rec. H3254 – NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

REPT. 106-250 – ANTIQUITIES ACT OF 1906

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications – http://catalog.gpo.gov/

National Park Service: Where History Happens

National Registry of Natural Landmarks

The Secretary of the Interior’s standards for the treatment of historic properties : with guidelines for preserving, rehabilitating, restoring & reconstructing historic buildings

National historic landmarks listed by state or territory

Presenting nature : the historic landscape design of the National Park Service, 1916 to 1942

National Park Service administrative history : a guide

U.S. Government Online Bookstore – http://bookstore.gpo.gov

National Park Service: Where History Happens

Washington: The Nation’s Capital (2013 Map)

Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings (ePub eBook)

National Trails System: Map and Guide, 2010 Edition

National Park System (Wall Map Poster)

Great American Landmarks Adventure

The National Parks: Shaping the System

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

You can click on the links above in the blog or through any of these methods:

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Click here to browse our National Parks collection

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

About the author: Blogger contributor Mohammed Butt is a Technical Services Librarian in GPO’s Library Services & Content Management unit.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: National Park Centennial, National Park Service, national park service centennial, National Park Service’s centennial, National Parks, national parks books, national parks resources, nps, NPS books | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Travel to National Parks with These Charley Harper Posters

August 4, 2016

Thinking of traveling to a national park this summer? In addition to being prime time for outdoor exploration, August is American Artists Appreciation Month and the National Park Service’s (NPS) centennial month. Even if you can’t swing a national park trip, Charley Harper’s nature-oriented prints can take you there.

West Virginia-born, Cincinnati-based artist Charley Harper (1922-2007) is beloved for his highly stylized interpretive artwork. In the 1980s and early 1990s, NPS commissioned him to illustrate the wildlife of our parks. Based upon his cross-country travels and the stimuli of nature, Harper produced a 10-poster series in his trademark minimalist, geometric style. Four of those eye-catching renderings—Alpine Northwest, Atlantic Barrier Islands, Canyon Country, and The Rocky Mountains—are available through GPO.

Alpine Northwest—a bald eagle lords over his dominion, representing Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks.

Atlantic Barrier Islands —marine birds skirt along shifting bodies of sand and white-tipped tides that one could find on Fire Island, Assateague, Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, Cumberland Island, and Biscayne National Park.

Canyon Country (Large Version)—the American Southwest’s dizzyingly high pinnacles, buttes, and mesas are a signature of the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and the like.

The Rocky Mountains (Large Version)—a beaver drinks at a pond that reflects the landscape of the great Continental Divide.

It’s quite remarkable how Harper’s compositions use shapes to imaginatively depict an entire ecosystem. Bold colors and whimsical lines will brighten a schoolroom, playroom, breakroom, workroom, any room. Each one takes you to a corner of our country’s public lands. Celebrate American artistry and the past 100 years of national parks with Charley Harper’s tribute to wild, enchanted America.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE CHARLEY HARPER POSTERS?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, Libraries, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: Charley Harper, Charley Harper poster, Charley Harper posters, national parks posters, posters, Travel and Tourism, travel posters | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

This 100-Year-Old National Park is Still Going Strong

July 29, 2016

There’s a national park on the Hawaiian island of Maui where the warm sun bakes a volcanic basin and balmy breezes float through a bamboo forest. The place is called Haleakalā National Park. And on August 1, 2016, it marks its 100^th birthday.

Haleakalā is pronounced ha-leh-ah-kah-lah. It means “house of the sun” in Native Hawaiian. When American writer Mark Twain first came to Haleakalā in 1866, he described it as “the sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed, and I think the memory of it will remain with me always.” The National Park Service (NPS) wants kids to have a similar experience. Its Haleakala Junior Ranger Activity Booklet, available through GPO, is prefect way to celebrate the centennials of both Haleakalā and NPS.

Haleakala Junior Ranger Activity Booklet

The park has two separate sections—a 10,023 ft. shield volcano flanking the east side stands in stark contrast to the azure Kipahulu coast. A vast subalpine moonscape plummets into a subtropical rainforest that rings a craggy, palm-lined shore. Over 80% of the park is wilderness. A sacred place in the lore of Native Hawaiians, Haleakalā “protects the last or only home to plants and animals found nowhere else on earth.” In fact, it hosts more endangered species than any other national park in the U.S.

Click on image to enlarge.

Haleakalā’s “stories, sights, and traditions” are well captured in the activity booklet. There’s plenty to give your junior ranger (or yourself!) a hands-on experience with earth science, biodiversity, and Hawaiian culture. Entertaining games—on such topics as the volcano lifecycle, lava rocks, hiking trails, Nēnē geese, habitats, and the Hawaiian alphabet—are a great way for young explorers to learn about a piece of America’s natural heritage.

Snag your copy of the Haleakala Junior Ranger Activity Booklet and plan your family visit to the unique wilds of the “house of the sun.”

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Children, Department of the Interior, Family, National Park Service, National Park Service, Parenting, Teachers and teaching | Tagged: Haleakalā, Haleakalā National Park, National Park Service, nps | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Yosemite: “Less a Place than an Experience”

June 29, 2016

June 30 is the anniversary of the Yosemite Grant, the birth of the national park idea. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act in 1864. In October of the following year, 40,000 acres of sublime glacier-carved California wilderness debuted under the name Yosemite Valley—now the most visited portion of today’s larger Yosemite National Park.

1864 photo of Yosemite Valley by Charles Leander Weed

Although the inaugural act did not make Yosemite the first national park, the grant did set the stage for the formation of national park system in later years. It was the first time the U.S. Government moved to protect wild lands.

The National Park Service’s publication “A Sense of Place: Design Guidelines for Yosemite National Park” is available now through the U.S. Government Online Bookstore:

A Sense of Place: Design Guidelines for Yosemite National Park

This book conveys design knowledge from park service professionals who have devoted their careers to respecting the natural feel, rhythm, and patterns of what is, as former National Park Service Deputy Director John J. Reynolds writes in the opener, “less a place than an experience.” Their designs have been considerate of a wilderness of “immense rock forms, thundering waterfalls, pristine wilderness, serene meadows, and ancient groves of sequoias.”

Thus, these design guidelines operate as an ethic, a set principles to guide sustainable architectural and landscape work and maintain the distinctive character of Yosemite. It’s a reference book for anyone working to make the built environment compatible with the incomparable natural surroundings. And it’s an assurance that all structures and facilities will be aligned with the park’s values and spirit. Maps and historical images tell the tale of a natural splendor that has endured because of this very conscientiousness and reverence.

President Theodore Roosevelt called Yosemite a “great solemn cathedral, far vaster and more beautiful than any built by the hand of man.” A serene valley protected for public use and preservation in the midst of the Civil War became a piece of America’s natural heritage. Yosemite continues to draw visitors and conservationists from around the world. With the right design guidelines in place, it will continue to inspire generations of Americans to find peace in the masterpieces of nature.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service | Tagged: National Park Service, Yosemite, Yosemite anniversary, Yosemite National Park, yosemite park, yosemite park anniversary | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

A Way for Kids to Celebrate the National Park Centennial

June 6, 2016

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service (NPS). The agency was entrusted with a mission to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

This year, the National Park Service launches a second century of environmental stewardship and historic preservation. As NPS looks to its next 100, it invites everyone, especially kids, to experience one of over 400 national parks and monuments.

Children can join the national parks birthday celebration with the Centennial Junior Ranger activity booklet. It’s an activity-filled, adventure-based guide to explore, learn, and have fun in natural places. I’ll let some of the pages from this colorful, informative guide do the talking…click on each image to enlarge.

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This booklet comes with a bonus! Upon completing select activities, kids can bring the booklet to any national park visitor center to receive an official Junior Ranger badge.

As part of NPS’ Every Kid in a Park program, admission to all national parks is free for the entire year for fourth graders and their families. And with several fee-free days scheduled throughout 2016, it’s possible to get every kid and every family in a park. The more that people care about America’s special outdoor wonderlands, the more likely they will be around in 2116.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Children, Department of the Interior, Family, National Park Service, National Park Service, Teachers and teaching | Tagged: books for kids, childrens books, kids activities, kids books, National Park Centennial, National Park Service, national park service centennial, National Park Service’s centennial, nps, NPS 100th anniversary, NPS books, NPS books for children, nps junior ranger activity booklets | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Government Book Talk

GPO Summer Travel Series: Discover the Grand Canyon

Alaska Day

Arts in the Parks

Get Outdoors this Summer with Help From GPO

New Grand Canyon Trip Planner from the National Park Service

Stunning Images of National Parks Around DC

On America’s Trails

Celebrating the National Park Service’s Centennial

Travel to National Parks with These Charley Harper Posters

This 100-Year-Old National Park is Still Going Strong

Yosemite: “Less a Place than an Experience”

A Way for Kids to Celebrate the National Park Centennial

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