The Secret Lives of Parks

Over a decade ago, an explorer conducting surveys at Grand Canyon National Park noticed what appeared to be an opening in a red rock cliff face high above him in the park’s remote backcountry. His team discovered a cave that appeared, by all accounts, to have been completely untouched by people. Researchers found a series of passageways with gypsum formations and a variety of wildlife, including thousands and thousands of mummified bats.In episode 4 of the podcast, we talked with several experts about this remarkable cave and its ancient remains. Since then, researchers have returned and ventured into a second cave, even more difficult to explore than the first, and made more exciting discoveries. This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks Carol Chambers, professor of wildlife ecology at Northern Arizona University; Shawn Thomas, volunteer caver and bat expert; and Stephen Eginoire, photojournalist. We learn about the implications for science, the extreme lengths the team takes to preserve the cave, and profound feeling of being the first person to set foot in an unmapped place.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. Episode 43, Return to the Bat Cave, was produced by Jennifer Errick, with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Special thanks to Vincent Santucci.Original theme music by Chad Fischer. Read the Grand Canyon research team’s most recent paper at: parks.berkeley.edu/psf/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/psf_401_chambers_web.pdfRead Stephen Eginoire’s story for the Grand Canyon Trust at: www.grandcanyontrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AdvocateMagFall2024Digital.pdfLearn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.orgFor more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations. And we’re proud of it, too.You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org

Multiple staffing crises are harming the National Park Service, including mass layoffs, a hiring freeze, forced retirements and delays in onboarding seasonal employees — and a new reduction in force could be imminent. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced plans late last Friday to drastically consolidate land management agencies across the country, and a new round of terminations could affect every level of park management.These reckless, wide-ranging job cuts come at a time when national parks are more popular than ever. How are parks — and people — coping under these ongoing employee upheavals?This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with John Garder, senior director of budget and appropriation at the National Parks Conservation Association, and Cassidy Jones, former park ranger and visitation program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, on how job cuts and insecurity are harming parks and morale, some of the long-term consequences for resource protection, and what people can do to support park staff.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.Episode 42, Squeezed Thin: Park Staff in Upheaval, was produced by Jennifer Errick, with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Special thanks to Angela Gonzalez, Cory MacNulty and Abbey Robertson.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Read Cassidy Jones’ recent blog story on how to prepare to visit understaffed parks at npca.org/prepareLearn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org, including one of Cassidy’s favorite winter adventures in episode 15, The Little Jewel Box.Remember, NPCA’s silent auction is live until April 28, and you can bid on your own podcast-style audio story, for you and about you, as well as many other cool experiences and keepsakes, at npca.org/auctionFor more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations.And we’re proud of it, too.You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org.

On April 18, the National Parks Conservation Association will host a 10-day silent auction. As part of this fundraiser, The Secret Lives of Parks cohost Jennifer Errick is offering to produce a podcast-style audio story for one winning bidder or couple, modeled after the stories we create here. Today, we’re sharing what this kind of keepsake can sound like, with excerpts from Jennifer’s recent conversation with NPCA Senior Vice President of Communications Amy Hagovsky. If you'd like to be the star of your own audio story, check out npca.org/auction. There are plenty of other great items you can bid on, too, from a fly-fishing trip to a set of beautiful T-shirts to a giant box of cheese. All the proceeds will benefit NPCA’s mission to protect national parks. On the Trail with Amy is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. Today's special episode was produced by me, Jennifer Errick, with help from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton. Special thanks to Molly Green.Music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.orgFor more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.And we’re proud of it, too.You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org

To celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service in 2016, journalist Conor Knighton visited all 59 capital-N, capital-P parks in one year — turning that experience into a series of "On the Trail" segments for CBS Sunday Morning and, later, into the New York Times best-selling memoir "Leave Only Footprints."Host Todd Christopher interviews Conor about that year and how his year in the parks shaped his understanding of our public lands, and of himself as well.Original theme music by Chad FischerThe Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by: Todd Christopher – Producer & Host Jennifer Errick – Producer & Host Bev 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

Liz Witherspoon, co-founder of the Clara Barton Fund, and Pam Goddard, Senior Program Director at the National Parks Conservation Association, discuss the significance of the Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo, Maryland, the first park honoring a woman. They delve into Clara Barton's groundbreaking contributions to disaster response and women's rights. The conversation highlights urgent restoration needs for her dilapidated homestead and the collaborative efforts to enhance its educational impact, preserving her legacy for future generations.

Cody Perry, a passionate advocate for Dinosaur National Monument, and Kristen Brengel, a veteran of national park advocacy, delve into the unique wonders of the monument, which houses over 1,500 dinosaur fossils. They address alarming threats from new government policies pushing for resource extraction. The duo emphasizes the immense ecological and cultural significance of this landmark, while urging public engagement in conservation efforts to protect not just Dinosaur National Monument, but all vulnerable national treasures.

“Half the park is after dark.” This phrase was coined by the astronomer and artist Tyler Nordgren in 2010 as part of a series of posters he created of nightscapes at public lands. National parks are some of the best places in the country to see dark night skies. Still, many visitors head home after sunset, not even considering the sights they’re missing out on. This episode, photographer and night-sky enthusiast Jeff Pfaller speaks with host Jennifer Errick on some of the techniques he uses to take stunning images of stars, synchronous fireflies and other phenomena at national parks. He explains how he got started, the three essential capabilities you need your camera to have, why right now is an excellent time to see the northern lights, and reasons he recommends Yosemite as an ideal place for admiring dark skies.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. Episode 38, Photographing Parks After Dark, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton Original theme music by Chad Fischer. Learn more about Jeff Pfaller’s photography and preorder his upcoming book at jeffpfaller.comLearn more about the National Park Service night sky program and look up astronomy programs in your area at nps.gov/subjects/nightskies/Get information about certified dark-sky parks at darksky.orgLearn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.orgFor more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. And we’re proud of it, too.You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org

The Mojave Desert of Southern California is a place where creatures move and grow at a slow pace. In this vast, harsh landscape, the desert tortoise has served as a hard-working hero that has helped life flourish around it for centuries. But its population has been plummeting for decades, and activists have been working to preserve more than half a million acres that will help the tortoise, and many other species, survive.In this episode, host Jennifer Errick travels to the Mojave Desert to speak with desert tortoise expert and NPCA California Program Manager Luke Basulto and Executive Director of the Desert Advocate Media Network and 90 Miles from Needles podcast host Chris Clarke. These two long-time desert residents and park advocates talk about how the desert tortoise is critical to the Mojave, why the proposed national monument is a special place for a variety of plants and animals, the special lure that blank spots have on the map, and some of the rare desert sights you can only see at Chuckwalla.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Special thanks to NPCA Communications Manager Caitlyn Burford.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about the Protect California Deserts Coalition at protectchuckwalla.orgLearn more about the Desert Advocate Media Network and listen to Chris Clarke’s 90 Miles from Needles podcast at thedamn.orgLearn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.orgFor more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. And we’re proud of it, too.You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org

Have you ever dreamed of living on the road and exploring national parks for months at a time? One Minnesota couple uprooted their lives to go on a year-long adventure with their twin daughters, building a curriculum for their girls’ education at public lands around the country.How did they do it? This episode, we explore some of the joys and challenges of “roadschooling.”Host Jennifer Errick speaks with Jen Goepfert, Travis Pedersen, and their daughters Aela and Eva. From the seed of the idea to their first taste of living in a 42-foot trailer together, this adventurous and creative family shares why they spent years planning their trip and some of their hopes and concerns for their year on wheels.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Special thanks to NPCA Upper Midwest Campaign Director Chris Goepfert, Jen Goepfert’s sister, for sharing this adventure with our team.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about the Goepfert-Pedersen family and follow their blog at thebigfunrv.comRead the National Parks magazine story that first inspired Jen at npca.org/articles/1865-lessons-in-motionLearn about the Every Kid Outdoors program at everykidoutdoors.govLearn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.orgFor more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.And we’re proud of it, too.You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org

If you enjoy having time off on the weekend, you can thank the woman who standardized the 40-hour workweek and made the concept possible. Frances Perkins also created Social Security and unemployment insurance, banned child labor, and put many safety measures and workplace protections in place that we simply take for granted. Yet, few people know much about the first female U.S. cabinet secretary and how she continues to shape our lives decades later.Giovanna Gray Lockhart is executive director of the Frances Perkins Center and a key advocate for making Perkins’ homestead in Newcastle, Maine, our newest national park site; it would be just the thirteenth devoted to interpreting women’s history. In this episode, host Jennifer Errick talks with Lockhart about why Perkins was so important, why we don’t know more about her, and what visitors can see at her wooded 57-acre riverside farm.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Special thanks to NPCA Communications Director Alison Heis and Government Affairs Senior Vice President Kristen Brengel.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about the Frances Perkins Center at francesperkinscenter.orgLearn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.orgFor more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.And we’re proud of it, too.You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org