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A Proposal in Grand Canyon National Park

“I once told my sweetheart that if he ever asked me to marry him, the proposal should make a really good story, like with polar bears and penguins. About a year later, we went on a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon, through epic rapids. Then we ventured to the headwaters of Thunder River. We hiked a hot, dusty trail all morning and finally reached the top. In the cool mist from the river, he pulled a stuffed polar bear and penguin out of his backpack. ‘Here’s your polar bear and penguin. Now will you marry me?’ The answer was yes.”—Jennifer Sass, Senior Scientist, Health program

Saving Falcons at Dinosaur National Monument

“Peregrines had been nearly wiped out by DDT poisoning; the toxic pesticide weakened their eggshells, so the shells broke during incubation. Specialized rangers at Dinosaur helped save the falcons by rappelling down the mountain to reach their high-altitude aeries, rescuing the eggs, and placing them in incubators. Once the eggs hatched, they returned the teenage birds to their nests—and my job as a park ranger was to observe the birds to make sure their parents taught them to fly and survive. Peregrine falcons are now off the threatened species list.”—Kate Poole, Senior Attorney, Water and Wildlife Project; Director, Water program

Observing Change at Alaska’s Parks

“Alaska’s national parks are filled with majesty that I treasured when I lived there. I saw a grizzly pop up from the bush in Denali. I watched sea lions, sea otters, and humpback whales feed in Kenai Fjord. But the beauty of Alaska is changing. I went to Katmai hoping to see salmon leap into the mouths of bears, but the bears had left earlier than in years past. The ice caves I planned to explore in Wrangell-Elias had collapsed from heat. Alaska’s national parks capture the state’s raw beauty, but we all must do our part to ensure that beauty remains.” —Kimi Narita, Director of Strategic Engagement, City Energy Project, Urban Solutions program

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New Perspective at White Sands National Monument

“The first glimpse of dunes validates the park’s slogan: White Sands is truly like no place else on earth. Less than 100 miles from the Mexican border, the largest sea of gypsum dunes in the world covers 275 square miles of American desert. The U.S. military tested the first atomic bomb nearby. It’s a fitting juxtaposition: As I stand in the dunes, overcome by nature’s power, I can sense the eerie remnants of mankind’s. The sun sets, and the wind effortlessly erases our footprints in the sand. I’m struck by the permanence of our planet, despite our fleeting time on it.” —Jeff Popkin, Program Assistant

Breaking New Ground at Bob Marshall Wilderness

“The path was razor thin. To my right and left, only air, the ground 300 feet straight down. My feet were in the air. It was my horse’s feet that touched the trail. I had come to the Bob Marshall Wilderness for a six-day pack trip with my daughter. Johanna and I did things we’d never done before: She went six days without a shower, I learned to fly fish, we both learned to trust our horses. We came to know that spot on the map better. And we came to know each other better, too.”—Sharon Buccino, Director, Land & Wildlife program

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