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Today on the show, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park, we have a special show today. We’ll hear about how the park is dealing with infrastructure impacts from a record flood this year and how the park is hoping to continue its relationship with tribal nations. We’ll also hear a little bit about the creation of the national park - the upsides and the downsides.
Segments
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This summer, Yellowstone National Park was hit by a historic flood that made international headlines. Now, construction crews are in a race to rebuild roadways before winter sets in. -
Wilderness is often imagined as an untouched, dramatic landscape— a place to escape the human. That’s how wilderness is depicted in an 1896 photojournal that currently resides in the Princeton University archives. The author of the journal, John Henry Purdy, was a New York socialite, invited by his friend, the railroad magnate William Seward Webb, on a 30-day hunting trip to Yellowstone National Park. -
The transportation options to get to and around Yellowstone National Park have changed significantly over the last century and a half. What is now a very automobile-centric park that many people spend a few hours or days in, was once served by railroads, stage, and motorcoaches, as well as primitive trails that necessitated longer stays and travel times. -
About 20 years ago, scientists discovered a new thermal area in Yellowstone. It was actually by accident – the area is off the beaten path in the eastern side of the park. But some infrared satellite imagery showed that the area had warm ground, which indicated things were changing. Twenty years later, scientists are still studying the Tern Lake thermal area to further understand it. -
When Yellowstone National Park was first founded 150 years ago, it was a landmark move. It was the world’s first national park signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant, and in the years since, it has represented America’s efforts to protect the outdoors.However, Adam Sowards, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Idaho, recently wrote an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times detailing America's troubled history with public lands. Sowards spoke with Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan. -
Yellowstone National Park enlisted Indigenous artists and scholars to celebrate the park’s 150th anniversary. Some say it's the start of a journey of healing from some of the park's dark history. -
Cody is 50 miles from the East Gate and its economy is built around the steady stream of summer tourists traveling to and from the park. That gives Cody a unique culture — and unique challenges. -
In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law. It created the first national park that was meant to protect over two million acres of land for the benefit and enjoyment of people. In the last 150 years, there have been a lot of successes and mistakes. Wyoming Public Radio’s Kamila Kudelska asked the park’s Superintendent Cam Sholly about the park’s earlier days.
