The Secret Lives of Parks

This week marks 67 years since the trial of Emmett Till's murderers, a miscarriage of justice that focused the attention of the world on the tiny town of Sumner, Mississippi, galvanized international outrage and grief, and sparked leaders of the Civil Rights Movement to act. Today, advocates want to see the courthouse where the trial took place preserved as a national park site and want to continue to use the story of the Till tragedy as a way to facilitate conversations around race and racism and further healing in the community and beyond.Host Jennifer Errick features insights from Alan Spears, NPCA Senior Director of Cultural Resources; Benjamin Saulsberry, Public Engagement and Museum Education Director for the Emmett Till Interpretive Center; and Dr. Percy Washington, educator and pastor of the Sweet Canaan Church of God in Christ, on the history of this shocking hate crime, what the culture was like in Mississippi before and after the tragedy, and how advocates now are preserving Till's story and using it to work toward truth and justice.This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Kyle Groetzinger. Additional assets by Eric Barese and Jeff Taylor.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about the Emmett Till Interpretive Center at Emmett-Till.org.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

How far would you go to save a place you love? For Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, who was incensed by a proposal to pave his beloved C&O Canal into a parkway, the answer was all the way. Host Todd Christopher explores the media sensation that was the Douglas protest hike of 1954 and speaks with Mike Darzi and Carol Ivory, co-chairs of the epic One Day Hike where a new generation of park enthusiasts now goes the distance every April.Original theme music by Chad Fischer“The Canal Song” was performed by Michael ClemThe Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by: Todd Christopher – Producer & HostJennifer Errick – Producer & HostBev Stanton – Online ProducerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

One of the most remarkable figures in American history was born into slavery on Maryland's Eastern Shore in March 1822. No one could have predicted the incredible life that this girl, Harriet Tubman, would go on to lead. On the eve of Tubman's 200th birthday, host Jennifer Errick explores what this American legend was really like and what we can learn at some of the park sites that interpret her history. Guests include Alan Spears, senior director for cultural resources at the National Parks Conservation Association; Dana Paterra, park manager at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center; Kate Clifford Larson, American historian and Tubman biographer; and Diane Miller, program manager for the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom with the National Park Service.Learn more about Harriet Tubman's early history and download audio tour information on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway website at https://harriettubmanbyway.org/; learn about Tubman's namesake park on Maryland's Eastern Shore at https://www.nps.gov/hatu/index.htm; and learn about the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program at https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1205/index.htm. Original theme music by [Chad Fischer](https://www.chadfischermusic.com/).Sound effects by Ismael Gama Jr.This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with moral and technical support from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Vanessa Pius.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org.

At least 41 million people in the United States, more than one in eight, live with some kind of disability, and some estimates put this figure even higher. For those who may be grappling with anxiety, fatigue, pain and other chronic conditions, the idea of encountering physical hurdles on a trip can be enough to avoid a park altogether, causing people to lose out on the kinds of life-changing experiences that so many of us take for granted. Host Jennifer Errick explores some of the factors that go into accessibility planning and how to be welcoming to people of different ability levels with guests Syren Nagakyrie, activist and founder of Disabled Hikers; Jeff Doryland, deputy facility manager and accessibility coordinator at Olympic National Park; and Jeremy Buzzell, manager of accessibility for the National Park Service. Visit the Disabled Hikers website at https://disabledhikers.com. Learn about accessibility at Olympic National Park and get detailed descriptions of the park's front-country trails at https://parkb.it/olympicaccess. Explore accessibility features across the National Park System at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/accessibility/. Learn about Syren Nagakyrie's upcoming book, "The Disabled Hikers Guide to Western Washington and Oregon.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Sound effects by Jeff Rice.This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with moral and technical support from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org.

Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park is the only ballpark in the National Park System — and one of the very few surviving ballparks once used by Negro League baseball teams. But this field of dreams and its rich history were nearly lost to the ages before getting a chance at extra innings. Dr. Ray Doswell, curator of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, and Dr. Larry Hogan, author of two books on Negro League history and executive producer of the documentary “Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson,” join host Todd Christopher to discuss the significance of Hinchliffe's past and the promise its restoration holds for the future.Original theme music by Chad FischerPaterson Great Falls audio clip courtesy of the National Park ServiceThe Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by: Todd Christopher – Producer & HostJennifer Errick – Producer & HostBev Stanton – Online ProducerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

Host Jennifer Errick explores the Tribal-led fight to protect Bears Ears National Monument and what the future of collaboration between Native nations and the U.S. government could mean for public lands with guests Ernie Atencio, Southwest regional director for the National Park Conservation Association; Davina Smith, organizer and consultant for the National Parks Conservation Association, cofounder of Women of Bears Ears, and board member of Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners; and Pat Gonzales-Rogers, executive director for the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition.Watch Davina Smith and other survivors speak about the dark history of Native American boarding schools in the PBS documentary “Unspoken” at https://parkb.it/pbsunspoken. Learn more and find resources for healing from boarding schools and other forms of violence against Native Americans at https://boardingschoolhealing.org/ and https://restoringawcoalition.org/. Read reporting on attempts to open Bears Ears to uranium mining at https://parkb.it/bearsearsreporting. Learn more about the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition at https://bearsearscoalition.org/.Original theme music by Chad FischerThis episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with moral and technical support from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

This year's historic fledging of a peregrine falcon at Harpers Ferry ― the first in more than 70 years ― is just the latest chapter in the once-endangered species' recovery. Host Todd Christopher takes a closer look at how raptor monitoring and reintroduction programs in the parks are making a difference for birds of prey including peregrines and critically endangered California condors. Guests include Mia Parsons, Chief of Resources Management at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Rolf Gubler, Biologist at Shenandoah National Park, and Wildlife Biologist Gavin Emmons & Condor Program Manager Alacia Welch at Pinnacles National Park. Learn more about the Endangered Species Act and the endangered plants and animals that call national parks home at esa.npca.org. Original theme music by Chad FischerAudio clips courtesy of the National Park Service and Harpers Ferry Park Association The Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by: Todd Christopher – Producer & HostJennifer Errick – Producer & HostBev Stanton – Online ProducerIsmael Gama, Jr. – Creative Content Specialist The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

At Grand Canyon National Park, explorers discovered a trove of lifelike bat fossils that provide a genetic record spanning 30,000 years. Experts reflect on why these particular remains are so rare and special, and how the National Park Service has spent years documenting and learning from the ancient life that surrounds us in our parks. Host Jennifer Errick explores the issue with guests Shawn Thomas, volunteer caver and Subterranean Team Manager at Bat Conservation International; Vincent Santucci, Senior Paleontologist and Paleontology Program Coordinator for the National Park Service; and Dr. Carol Chambers, Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Northern Arizona University. Learn more about National Fossil Day at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/ and read about other recent significant findings in our national parks at https://www.npca.org/prehistoricsharks and https://www.npca.org/fossiltales. Original theme music by Chad Fischer Night sounds at the Grand Canyon by Jeremy TreglerThe Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by:Todd Christopher – Producer & HostJennifer Errick – Producer & HostBev Stanton – Online ProducerIsmael Gama, Jr. – Creative Content SpecialistThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

Todd and Jennifer share a preview of a few upcoming episodes and let you know how your national park question could be part of our new season.

Host Todd Christopher explores the past and future of art in the national parks with Tanya Ortega, founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation, and shares works by former national park artists-in-residence including Matt Venuti, Rachel Panitch, Ben Cosgrove and Kurt Wheeler. Original theme music by Chad FischerAudio clips courtesy of the National Park Service Season One of The Secret Lives of Parks was brought to you by: Todd Christopher – Producer & HostJennifer Errick – Producer & HostIsmael Gama, Jr. – Creative Content SpecialistBeverley Stanton – Online Producer The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

At Big Cypress National Preserve, a critical source of water for the greater Everglades ecosystem, the National Park Service has had to contend with a serious recurring threat ever since Congress established it in 1974 — private oil and gas drilling within the park's borders. Host Jennifer Errick explores the issue with guests Dr. Melissa Abdo, Fred Fagergren and John Donahue.Original theme music by Chad FischerSeason One of The Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by:Todd Christopher – Producer & HostJennifer Errick – Producer & HostBeverley Stanton – Online ProducerIsmael Gama, Jr. – Creative Content SpecialistThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

Noted entomologist Michael J. Raupp joins host Todd Christopher to discuss the noisy return of periodical cicadas to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts — and the life lessons these incredible insects can teach us. You can read more about Brood X cicadas in the national parks in the Spring 2021 issue of National Parks magazine.Original theme music by Chad FischerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org