The Secret Lives of Parks

The Colorado River flows through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the Southwest, provides drinking water to more than 40 million people, and is one of the most important sources of water for U.S. agriculture. But access to the river has never been fair, and now, water levels are at historic lows after decades of extreme drought.Photojournalist and visual storyteller Pete McBride has photographed every mile of the river over nearly 20 years of reporting and exploration. This episode, McBride speaks with host Jennifer Errick about his new book, “The Colorado River: Chasing Water,” and how he sought to capture not just the magnificence of the river but its “lost, dead beauty.” Despite the complexity of the crisis, he shares ideas for solutions — and reasons for hope.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.Episode 28, The Beauty of Loss, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Special thanks to National Parks magazine Editor-in-Chief Rona Marech, NPCA Southwest Regional Director Ernie Atencio and NPCA Southwest Associate Director Erika Pollard.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about Pete McBride’s book, “The Colorado River: Chasing Water,” at rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847899746See a selection of McBride’s photos in the new Spring issue of National Parks magazine at npca.org/magazine. Subscribe to our award-winning magazine at npca.org/subscribeLearn 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

In the late 1970s, only three national park sites out of 300 had specifically been created to interpret women’s history. Judy Hart, then a chief ranger for legislation in the National Park Service’s Boston office, knew she wanted to improve that number, but she wasn’t sure how.Hart’s determination took her to Seneca Falls, New York, as well as Capitol Hill as she won people over with the power of her idea. She used every tactic at her disposal to honor notable leaders in the movement for women’s rights, even though the run-down buildings where they had once made history didn’t meet the standard of the time for what a national park was supposed to look like.This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Judy Hart about her quest to preserve nine buildings in Seneca Falls and Waterloo, New York; her new new book, “A National Park for Women’s History”; and why the concept of an “idea park” marked an important shift in thinking for the Park Service that allowed the agency to be more inclusive.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.Episode 27, Creating the Country’s First ‘Idea Park,’ was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton.Special thanks to NPCA Mid-Atlantic Senior Program Director Pam Goddard.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about Judy Hart’s new book, “A National Park for Women’s Rights,” at https://parkb.it/3SWYoaTLearn 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.Learn more and join us at npca.org

In the 1950s and ’60s, Alabama was a battleground for voting equality. White elected officials had long denied Black citizens their constitutional right to vote, and thousands of activists faced violent opposition from white residents and officials. In 1965, the Selma to Montgomery march made history, galvanizing the nation and leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which finally allowed millions of disenfranchised Black citizens to cast ballots.The march route is preserved in the National Park System. But event wouldn’t have been possible without private landowners along the route who risked their lives and jobs to allow hundreds of participants to camp on their properties. Now these campsites are falling into disrepair — and conservationists are carefully considering how to save this history before it’s lost.This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with preservationist and film producer Phillip Howard of the Conservation Fund; DaVine Hall McGuire, granddaughter of David Hall, owner of the first campsite along the march route; and Cheryl Gardner Davis, daughter of Robert and Mary Gardner, owners of the third campsite along the march route.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.Episode 26, Stamped in the Soil, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Special thanks to Eboni Preston, acting director of NPCA’s Southeast Region.Original theme music by Chad Fischer. Learn more about the film “54 Miles to Home” at vimeo.com/591288364 and southernexposurefilms.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.Learn more and join us at npca.org

Paleontologists have long explored Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the border of Arizona and Utah for its fossils, notably its prolific dinosaur tracks — but few bones have ever been found there. But last March, after watching the waters at Lake Powell drop, scientists made a calculated hunch to investigate areas of the lakebed that hadn’t been exposed in 60 years. Their hunch paid off — and then some — with an unprecedented trove of remains that could provide scientists with new insights into one of the early Jurassic’s quirkiest hybrid creatures.This episode, meet the tritylodont, the 190-million-year-old mammal-like reptile that walked among some of the earliest dinosaurs and might be able to teach us about adapting to climate change.This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with the distinguished team responsible for the discovery: Andrew R.C. Milner, site paleontologist and curator at the Saint George Dinosaur Discovery site in Saint George, Utah; Vincent Santucci, senior paleontologist and Paleontology Program coordinator for the National Park Service; Dr. Hans Sues, senior research geologist and curator of paleontology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History; and Dr. Adam Marsh, lead paleontologist and research coordinator at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.Episode 25, The Skeleton Crew, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn about the 286 sites across the National Park System that have known fossils at nps.gov/subjects/fossilsLearn 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.Learn more and join us at npca.org

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in America and a storied waterway where the Atlantic Ocean meets a series of rivers. It’s the place where Algonquian Chief Powhatan met with early English settlers in the 1600s; where the first enslaved people were brought to America; where Harriet Tubman was born and emancipated herself and many others; and where a Civil War fort became a destination of hope for enslaved people seeking freedom. It’s also a beautiful landscape with bountiful wildlife and ample recreational opportunities.Over the summer, members of Congress introduced a bill that would create a new national recreation area that includes these sites and many others.Advocates throughout the Mid-Atlantic are passionate about preserving Chesapeake history. This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse General Manager John Potvin, National Parks Conservation Association Senior Program Director Pam Goddard, and founding Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member John Reynolds about why the Chesapeake Bay is historically rich, nationally significant and special to so many people.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.Episode 24, The Beacon, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton.Special thanks to Ed Stierli.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about the Chesapeake Conservancy at chesapeakeconservancy.org.Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.For 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.Learn more and join us at npca.org.

Barrier islands naturally undergo erosion. But in the tiny town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, near Cape Hatteras National Seashore, sea-level rise fueled by climate change has intensified this process, creating difficult and dangerous conditions for the community. Four homes have collapsed into the ocean since February 2022, and the park’s dunes and beaches are washing into the sea, making the boundary between public and private land harder to determine.Journalist Melanie D.G. Kaplan covers this issue in her new story, “On the Brink,” in National Parks magazine. This episode, host Jennifer Errick asks Kaplan what she learned from her reporting and why the community is starkly divided on how to handle the ongoing crisis.The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.Episode 23, A Reporter ‘On the Brink’ at Cape Hatteras, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius.Special thanks to Rona Marech and Katherine DeGroff.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Read “On the Brink” by Melanie D.G. Kaplan at www.npca.org/onthebrink. Get a year’s subscription to National Parks magazine by visiting www.npca.org/subscribe.Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.For 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.Learn more and join us at npca.org.

Anacostia Park is a lesser-known gem of southeast Washington, D.C. Stretching for 8 miles along both sides of the Anacostia River, the park encompasses a distinctive aquatic garden with lilies and lotuses, a historic golf course from the segregation area, and the only roller-skating rink in the National Park System, among many other scenic vistas and recreational facilities just up the street from the neighborhood where Frederick Douglass spent the last years of his life.This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with staff and volunteers from The Mission Continues; Richard Trent, executive director of the Friends of Anacostia Park; and Jimi Shaughnessy, Veterans Program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association, to learn more about this beloved park and why so many people are motivated to protect it. Featured guests from The Mission Continues include Navy veteran and Chief Strategy Officer Susan Thaxton, Army veteran and former Mission Continues troop leader James Fitzgerald, Marine Corps veteran Angel Carter, Army veteran Bernadette Plummer, and Army veteran and San Antonio troop leader Richard Diaz.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, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius. Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Special thanks to Keith Thomas, David Alvarado and everyone on staff at The Mission Continues. Learn more at missioncontinues.org. Learn more about the Friends of Anacostia Park and get in on those monthly skate parties at friendsofanacostiapark.org. Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.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 and join us at npca.org.

The only baseball stadium in the National Park System and one of the last surviving stadiums with a rich Negro League history, Hinchliffe Stadium at Paterson Great Falls was nearly lost for good. This spring, a fully restored Hinchliffe reopened to much fanfare—and we take you out to the ballgame. Host Todd Christopher captures the sounds of opening day and speaks with Brian LoPinto, founder of The Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium, Andre Sayegh, mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, and Darren Boch, superintendent of Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. Original theme music by Chad FischerThe 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

Created by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 as "a new kind of national park," national heritage areas are large, regionally distinctive sites that celebrate human experience and achievement. Congress passed new legislation expanding and improving the heritage area system late last year--yet many people are unfamiliar with these hidden gems and the economic benefits they offer. Now, as national heritage areas could be entering a new era of improved visibility, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Sara Capen, chair of the Alliance for National Heritage Areas and executive director of the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in New York State; Bernard Turner, writer, historian and executive director of the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area; and Dr. Tina Naremore Jones, vice president for Economic and Workforce Development and assistant provost at the University of West Alabama on why heritage areas are so important to the communities they serve.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, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius. Special thanks to Alan Spears, NPCA’s long-standing expert on national heritage areas. Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about national heritage areas at nationalheritageareas.us.Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.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 and join us at npca.org.

Christopher Benson, associate professor of journalism at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, has worked for years to preserve the story of Emmett Till. He coauthored two books with members of the Till family that counter widespread misinformation and emphasize the humanity of the child at the center one of America’s most heinous crimes.Now, as anticipation builds around a potential new national park site honoring Emmett Till and his mother, civil rights icon Mamie Till-Mobley, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Benson on both of his groundbreaking books with the Till family, the enduring significance of this history, and the importance of uncovering and preserving the truth.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 Vanessa Pius.Special thanks to Alan Spears and Kyle Groetzinger.Original theme music by Chad Fischer.Learn more about The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute at thetillinstitute.org.Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.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 and join us at npca.org