1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:00,760 Speaker 1: Guess what will? 2 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:01,640 Speaker 2: What's that mango? 3 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: So I found this thread from Reddit on some of 4 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: the stupidest things that park rangers have had to deal 5 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,119 Speaker 1: with every day, and I just had to share some 6 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: of these ridiculous stories. So there are people who try 7 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: to take selfies with bears. 8 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, I say that's pretty stupid. 9 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 1: There are people who try to take home baby gators 10 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: from the Everglades because they think they're so cute, which 11 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: is partially dumb because these things obviously grow up, but 12 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: also because baby gaters apparently cry and that puts all 13 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: the mamma gators in the area in attack mode. Oh wow. 14 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: And there's a family who thought that bear spray, which 15 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: is like a heavy duty pepper spray, was supposed to 16 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: be applied on their bodies like mosquito spray. 17 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'd say that takes the crown. That's pretty bad. 18 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, should have made for a rough day. But the 19 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: saddest and funniest thing to me is the complaints that 20 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: they get. So apparently one woman balled out this park 21 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: ranger because the tree she traveled to visit looked exactly 22 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: like the trees in her backyard. 23 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 2: I like that she was bawling out of park range, Like, 24 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 2: I kind of don't think that's the range Here's fault exactly. 25 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is an n ridiculous tourist. Are the least 26 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: of what these heroic park rangers have to deal with today. 27 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: We're talking about how they've foiled poachers, saved species, and yes, 28 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: help plenty of tourists along the way. 29 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 2: Let's dive in, Hey their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part 30 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,119 Speaker 2: Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm joined 31 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 2: by my good friend Mangesha Ticketer and on the other 32 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 2: side of the soundproof glass, decked out in a Smoky 33 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 2: the Bear cosplay man. This is just going all out. 34 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: That's our friend, producer Tristan McNeil. He's even wearing this 35 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: fuzzy brown sweater. I guess is this is this because 36 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: smoke he always refuses to wear a shirt or what. 37 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, but dressing like a bear is a pretty sharp 38 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: look because trist And really pulls it off it really does, 39 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: you know. I didn't have the heart to tell him 40 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: that Smokey's actually a symbol of the National Forest Service, 41 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: not the National Park Service. 42 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 2: Well, I think you have to be fair here because 43 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: the hat is part of the National Park Rangers' uniform. Now, 44 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: speaking of hats, park rangers wear a bunch of different 45 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: hats figuratively speaking. And that's because national parks, no matter 46 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: how safe they might feel to us, there's still wild 47 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 2: places and anything can happen there, and that means park 48 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 2: rangers have to be prepared to serve the public in 49 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:32,839 Speaker 2: whatever way is needed, whether that's teachers, tour guides, EMTs, 50 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:37,079 Speaker 2: search and rescue workers, even law enforcement officers, and sadly, 51 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 2: even as coroners you know, sometimes all in the same day. 52 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: So with all the rigors of the rangers job in mind, 53 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 2: we thought we'd show a little appreciation by devoting an 54 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: entire episode to them. We'll talk about how park rangers 55 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 2: got their start, how the job has changed over the 56 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 2: last one hundred years, and we'll also learn some of 57 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: the tricks rangers used to contend with whatever nature throws 58 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: their way. I mean, we're talking things like grizzly bears 59 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: and even these annoying tourists. So where do you want 60 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: to start, Mango, Well, believe it. 61 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: Or not, I actually want to stick with the hats 62 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: for a second, because the ranger hat we've been talking about, 63 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: which is I guess that flat hat with what's called 64 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: a lemon squeezer on top. It's actually a really interesting 65 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: holdover from the earliest days of the national parks. And 66 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: this is back when they were patrolled and protected by 67 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: military soldiers rather than park rangers. 68 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 2: Which isn't something most people know, I imagine, So clueus 69 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 2: in on this. How did the military wind up in 70 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: charge of the national parks? 71 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: So it was really out of necessity essentially. President Grant 72 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: designated Yellowstone as the world's first official national park, and 73 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: this was way back in eighteen seventy two, but the 74 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: National Park Service wasn't established until about forty years later, 75 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: and in the meantime, there was no specialized government agency 76 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: task with overseeing national parks. Instead, that responsibility fell to 77 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: the Department of the Interior, where you know, there were 78 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: administrative duties that were passed from one point to the next, 79 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: but no one was particularly skilled or even that interested 80 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: in managing Stone properly, and as a result, poachers just 81 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: reaked havoc on the parks, like they decimated the bison population, 82 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: the elk population, the deer population. And it wasn't just poachers, 83 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: like it was a total free for all timber companies 84 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 1: cut down forests there, vandals graffitied rock formations and the geysers, 85 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: and visiting ranchers even fed their herds there. And there 86 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: was also this problem of former settlers who were now 87 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: illegally squatting in a national park. So rather than leave quietly, 88 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: these furious locals would set fires and destroy hundreds of 89 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: acres of parkland. And this all kept the administrators scrambling 90 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: to put it out. Like once word of all this 91 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: chaos reached Washington Congress, and the politicians were just so 92 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: mad that they refused to allocate any additional funding for Yellowstone, 93 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: And for a minute, it actually seemed like the dream 94 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: of a national park system might not make it to 95 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: the twentieth century. 96 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 2: And so is this where the military steps. 97 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: In or what that's right? So Congress basically reached a 98 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: compromise with the Department of the Interior, and it said 99 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: that Yellowstone would only continue to be funded as long 100 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: as the day to day management shifted to the military. 101 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: So this is in eighteen eighty six, which is fourteen 102 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: years after Yellowstone's founding, but a troop of sixty US 103 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: cavalrymen came to stand guard there over the park's two 104 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: point two million acres. And you know, if you think 105 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: about a sixty people covering two point two million acres 106 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,119 Speaker 1: of land, isn't a lot of people. 107 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, But this was still a. 108 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: Major improvement over the park's civilian run days, when there 109 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: were only about ten people on patrol, and plus only 110 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: about five hundred people were visiting Yellowstone each year in 111 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:35,239 Speaker 1: the eighteen eighties, so a small staff kind of worked 112 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: well for the most part. And as more people started visiting, 113 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: the military's presence increased too, and by nineteen ten there 114 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: were actually a total of four sixty man troops in 115 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: Yellowstone and the yearly park attendants had grown to nineteen 116 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: thousand people. 117 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 2: Wow, all right, but I don't want us to lose 118 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: track of the hats. We were talking about the hats earlier, 119 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 2: So so you're saying these cavalrymen, they were the first 120 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 2: to wear the flat hats that we associate with park rangers. 121 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: That's right. But it wasn't just a fashion choice. So 122 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: the hats actually served a very practical purpose and it 123 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: has a history from eighteen ninety eight. This is when 124 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 1: American cavalry had been sent to fight in Cuba and 125 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: the Philippines, and this is during the Spanish American War, 126 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 1: and while they were there, they had to deal with 127 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: intense tropical rains, you know, like monsoons that would just 128 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: soak them to the bone. And the soldiers wore army 129 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: issue hats that were pretty similar to the modern ones 130 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 1: worn by rangers, but according to the regulations at the time, 131 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: they were only supposed to increase the hats in the 132 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: front and back. But the soldiers found that if they 133 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 1: pinched it in quadrants, it actually shed the rain water 134 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: off better. 135 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 2: So that's where you get what you call that lemon 136 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 2: squeezer pinch. 137 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. So if you actually want to get technical, 138 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: that particular kind of hat pinch is known as the 139 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: Montana peak. 140 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 2: Anyway, I definitely want to get technical. If it's called 141 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 2: the Montana peak, that's just the Yeah. 142 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: Well, veterans of the Spanish American War brought their hats 143 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: back and other soldiers realized it was worth doing the 144 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: same squeeze, and by nineteen eleven, the Montana peak was 145 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: officially added to the troopers uniform, and then a few 146 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 1: years later, when civilian park rangers took over the new 147 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: recruits adopted that same fashion. 148 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 2: Well, that's pretty cool, and I'm glad you directed as 149 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 2: to the military's early role in all of this, because 150 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 2: you know, not only did they set the bar for 151 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 2: the park ranger fashion, but they also pointed the way 152 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 2: forward in terms of the work that they did. You know, 153 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 2: for instance, pretty much from the moment troops arrived in Yellowstone, 154 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 2: they started waging war with the poachers there, and from 155 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 2: what I've read, this was no easy task, especially because 156 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 2: you know, the military didn't really have legal authority to 157 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 2: punish these poachers, or at least not in any significant way. 158 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: Right. There weren't any national protections for wildlife at the time, 159 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: so soldiers basically had the authority to like confiscate gear, 160 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: or they could kick connors out of the park, but 161 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: really there wasn't that much more they could do beyond that. 162 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, in most cases, that wasn't enough to dissuade these 163 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 2: people from coming back with new supplies the next week. 164 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 2: So I asked Gabe to pull the numbers, and a 165 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 2: fresh bison scalp could fetch you three hundred dollars back 166 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 2: in the eighteen nineties, and that was the equivalent of 167 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 2: about eight grand today, So for poachers, a shot at 168 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 2: that kind of money was well worth the stern talking 169 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 2: tos that they might get from the military. And of 170 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 2: course the soldiers at Yellowstone felt a little deflated about this, 171 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 2: so they decided to get creative and sort of stretch 172 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 2: the limits of the legal penalties that they could impose. 173 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 2: Sometimes they'd lock poachers in the guardhouse for a couple 174 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 2: of weeks, or you know, they'd force them to scrub 175 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 2: graffiti off the rocks. But probably the most effective practice 176 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 2: I'd heard about was that soldiers would march a group 177 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 2: of poachers to the south entrance of the park and 178 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,079 Speaker 2: then inform them that all of their guns and supplies 179 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 2: they were, you know, available for pickup at the park headquarters, 180 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 2: which was conveniently located about seventy five miles away at 181 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 2: the park's north enters. 182 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: Well, I mean it serves them right in of course, 183 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: park rangers have upheld that zero tolerance stance on poaching 184 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: ever since, so this actually has nothing to do with poaching. 185 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: But I do have to mention it. Do you hear 186 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,839 Speaker 1: about the park superintendent who kicked the KKK out of 187 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: the park? 188 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 2: No, but I definitely want to hear the story, So 189 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 2: what happened? 190 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: Well, to start with it, it helps me know that 191 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:08,319 Speaker 1: the Klan was super active in Colorado during the mid 192 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties. And not only that, but the group actually 193 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: received like open acceptance from a number of politicians, like, 194 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: I want to say, the governor, the mayor of Denver, 195 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: even a US Senator named Rice Means, and Wow. In 196 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 1: nineteen twenty six, Senator Means held his pr event in 197 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park, and of course, like a 198 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: bunch of clansmen came out to support their boy. Some 199 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: of them even tried to convince the park's superintendent, this 200 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: guy Jesse Nussbaum, to join up with them. 201 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 2: So let me guess he declined the offer, at least 202 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 2: I hope he did. 203 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, he did. And once the Klan knew where he stood, 204 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: they started threatening to hold a torchlide parade through the 205 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: park like it was supposed to culminate with this giant 206 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: rally and burning crosses right in front of the ruins 207 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,959 Speaker 1: of this famous Native American settlement. But Nussbaum wasn't having 208 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,960 Speaker 1: any of it, so he told a clan they weren't 209 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: welcome in Mesa Verde, and just to make sure he 210 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: got his point across, he armed his small park staff 211 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: with these pickaxe handles and other makeshift weapons, and he 212 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: positioned them where the clansmen could see them. And for 213 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: whatever reason, this intimidation tactic worked because the klan left 214 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: without incident. 215 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 2: Wow. That's pretty amazing though. It falls completely in line 216 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 2: with the ranger motto, which is to protect the park 217 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 2: from people, the people from the park, and the people 218 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 2: from the people. 219 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and well what Nusbaum did definitely take two of 220 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: those boxes. You know, Preserving natural spaces really takes a 221 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: lot of nerve. I mean, I feel like sometimes park 222 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: rangers are almost viewed as being on the softer side 223 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 1: when it comes to law enforcement officers, but their jobs 224 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: are really really hard. 225 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 2: Oh definitely, And actually I think you'll love this story 226 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 2: I read about from Glacier National Park and this happened 227 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 2: in the seventies when the park was apparently overrun with 228 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 2: a bunch of snowmobilers who just kept illegally cutting through 229 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 2: a stretch of the park that runs along the Montana Highway. 230 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 2: This really ticked off one ranger in particular, a guy 231 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,840 Speaker 2: named Art Sedlek, who he was just sick of issuing 232 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 2: these warnings over and over for this same stupid offense. 233 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 2: So one night in December, the ranger stopped yet another 234 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 2: group of snowmobilers and gave them the usual speech, you know, 235 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,400 Speaker 2: to stay out of the area so they wouldn't get 236 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 2: a ticket. And it was less than an hour later 237 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 2: he heard the sound of snowmobiles in the distance, so 238 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 2: of course he hops on his four x four to 239 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 2: go investigate, and when he caught up with them, he 240 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 2: realized it was the same four offenders from earlier. So 241 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 2: of course the guy was really mad and just about 242 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 2: to lose it, and so he pulls up alongside the 243 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 2: lead vehicle and he starts trying to pull out all 244 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,319 Speaker 2: of its spark plugs and couldn't get a good enough grip, 245 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 2: and so he decided just like go all action movie 246 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 2: on them, and he used a slightly different approach. So 247 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 2: he pulls out his standard issue thirty eight caliber pistol 248 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:45,840 Speaker 2: and fires it directly into the snowmobiles engine. That's insane, So, 249 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 2: I mean I could identify with that sort of anger. 250 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 2: Though if that was happening over and over and over, 251 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 2: you know. 252 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: I guess but uh, what happened to the other perfs, Like, 253 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: did they just speed away? 254 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 2: Well, what do you think? I mean, they pulled over 255 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 2: and once they were in custody, each trespasser was forced 256 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 2: to pay a whopping twenty five dollars in fines, So that. 257 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: Was totally worth it. But what about the ranger, Like, 258 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: I feel like that kind of behavior either you get 259 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 1: a promotion or you get put in jail, like depending 260 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 1: on who your boss is. I guess well. 261 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 2: It was actually neither of those. I mean, he was 262 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 2: reprimanded for firing the pistol, but he kind of became 263 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 2: a hero among the other officers, which you know, I'm 264 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,920 Speaker 2: sure took away some of this thing from that, but 265 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 2: he had the locals on his side for sure, and 266 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 2: for years after the incident, the Montana Wilderness Association gave 267 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 2: out this SEDLK Award for displays of creativity and defense 268 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 2: of public lands. That's amazing. 269 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: Well as exciting as arm standoffs and high speed snowmobile 270 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: chases are, we should probably talk a little bit about 271 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 1: some of the more low key but still super vital 272 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 1: work that park rangers do, especially when it comes to 273 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,679 Speaker 1: repopulating in endangered species. 274 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 2: Absolutely But before we do that, why don't we take 275 00:12:55,679 --> 00:13:10,719 Speaker 2: a quick break. You're listening to part Time Genius, and 276 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 2: we're talking about the highs and lows of being an 277 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 2: American park ranger. So, Meg, for as long as there 278 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 2: have been national parks, there have been poachers looking to 279 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 2: exploit the wildlife there. And you know, one of the 280 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 2: earliest species they targeted was, sadly, the American bison. Now, 281 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 2: a few centuries ago, tens of millions of bisons roam 282 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 2: freely across the plains of North America, but by the 283 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 2: late eighteen eighties, excessive hunting and poaching had drastically reduced 284 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 2: those numbers. In fact, by nineteen oh two, yellowstones, once 285 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 2: great herd, had decimated to just under two dozen animals. 286 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: I mean, that just feels absurd, especially when you consider 287 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 1: that Native Americans had hunted bison for centuries, but you know, 288 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,960 Speaker 1: they didn't have guns and horses, so it made it 289 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: a bit of a faerofight. Also, Native Americans had always 290 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: showed such a deep respect for buffalo and they were 291 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: careful to use every part of the animals they killed, 292 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,199 Speaker 1: and this wasn't the case for American poachers, who were 293 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: only interested in the body parts that commanded the highest 294 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,839 Speaker 1: prices on the market, and you know, you just had 295 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,079 Speaker 1: these enormous carcasses that were left to rot in the 296 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: fields for some poor park rangers to stumble upon. 297 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 2: Right. I feel like that's an aspect of this we 298 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 2: don't think about much, like the people who find the 299 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 2: horror shows that the poachers leave in their wake. The 300 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 2: fact that it's usually people who have sworn to protect 301 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 2: these animals and the land that they live on it 302 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: actually makes it that much more tragic. 303 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, but thankfully, the American bison story doesn't end in extinction, 304 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 1: or at least it hasn't yet, because once the park 305 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: officials realized the sorry state of Yellowstone's bison population, they 306 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: immediately set to work on fixing the problem. 307 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 2: And remember this was still. 308 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: A decade or so before the actual National Park system 309 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: was formed. At the time, Yellowstone was still under the 310 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: jurisdiction of the US Army, and it was actually these 311 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 1: soldiers who helped launch one of the world's first attempts 312 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 1: to preserve a wild species solely through protection and also stewardship. 313 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 2: I mean, that's pretty cool, But what did they do exactly? Well, 314 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 2: the first step was to try and rebuild the bison's numbers. 315 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 2: So to that end, Yellowstone bought twenty one bison from 316 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 2: private owners and think gradually started to mix them in 317 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: with the free range population. And when the NPS took 318 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 2: over the operation, the rangers kept up those husbandry methods 319 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 2: while continuing to crack down on poachers. And now they 320 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 2: also had the backing of new laws for a nature 321 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 2: species from Congress, and these efforts ultimately proved super effective. 322 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 2: By nineteen fifty four, the bison's numbers it skyrocketed to 323 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 2: about thirteen hundred animals, and today Yellowstone actually has about 324 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 2: five thousand American bison, which makes it both the largest 325 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 2: and the oldest free roaming bison herd in the whole country. Wow. So, 326 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 2: you know, so bison are obviously on the larger end 327 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,320 Speaker 2: of the spectrum of animals that the National Parks are 328 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 2: helping to preserve. But let's talk about a smaller animal 329 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 2: that could still use a lot of help, and that's 330 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 2: sea turtles. Because you know, at this point, just about 331 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 2: every species of sea turtle on the planet is classified 332 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 2: as endangered. We're talking all over the world. Adult sea 333 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 2: turtles are hunted for their eggs, or their skin, or 334 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 2: their meat and shells. I mean, all of this goes 335 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 2: for big bucks on the black market, and things aren't 336 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 2: any easier for their offspring. I mean, they have to 337 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 2: run the gauntlet of these crabs and raccoons and seagulls 338 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 2: just to get to the water after hatching. 339 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 1: And even if they do make it to that like water, like, 340 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: the babies still have to dodge like nets and pollution 341 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: and predators like sharks. It's crazy. 342 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 2: Well, in fact, less than one percent of sea turtle 343 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 2: eggs wind up producing a turtle that survives to adulthood. 344 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 2: Isn't that crazy? Less than one percent? 345 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean such grim numbers. But what are the 346 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: National Parks actually doing to help these little guys? 347 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 2: Well, anything they can really. I mean, for instance, at 348 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 2: the Canaveral National Seashore in Florida, you've got specialists there 349 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 2: who are helping the green turtle population recover, and they 350 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: do this by keeping local predators from chowing down on 351 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 2: the unhatched eggs. Beyond that, the National Parks work to 352 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 2: keep the coastline as clean and safe as possible for 353 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 2: the sea turtles that are nesting there. And I don't 354 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 2: know if you noticed or not, but most of the 355 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 2: threats to sea turtle survival we listed from humans. So 356 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 2: being able to preserve a pristine stretch of beach that's 357 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,919 Speaker 2: safe from developers and free of artificial noise and light pollution, 358 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 2: it goes a long way toward getting baby sea turtles 359 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 2: into the water. And actually I've noticed, you know, several 360 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 2: times when we go on trips down to the shore, 361 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,120 Speaker 2: especially if it's in more remote areas, you'll see these, 362 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 2: you know, signs on the you know, on the buildings 363 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,080 Speaker 2: that you stay in or on the houses that you 364 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 2: stay in that will remind you to turn your outdoor 365 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 2: lights off at night for that very reason. 366 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, but I mean, even with those protective measures, like 367 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 1: those odds still seem really slim. And you know, the 368 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,479 Speaker 1: rangers have to be a little despondent about this, right, 369 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: like they're fighting this losing battle to some degree, especially 370 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: when I guess, like one hungry shark or a careless 371 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: fisherman could you know, destroy the effort of the little 372 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: hatchling that finally makes it to the water. 373 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 2: Well. And it's certainly stressful, but there's some encouraging signs 374 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 2: so staff members that Canaveral counted fewer than one hundred 375 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 2: nests each year back in the mid to late eighties, 376 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 2: but since launching their program, those numbers have risen sharply. 377 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 2: In fact, twenty fifteen was a banner year for green 378 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 2: sea turtles, with more than thirty five hundred nests found 379 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 2: along the shore there at Canaveral. But at the same time, 380 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 2: park rangers aren't blind to what they're up against. I mean, 381 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,399 Speaker 2: they know they can't save all or even most of 382 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 2: these animals, but it never stops them from doing what 383 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 2: they can. For instance, I read this account from a 384 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 2: former park ranger. Her name is Andrea Lankford, and she 385 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,959 Speaker 2: spent some time working at Cape Patteras at the National 386 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 2: Seashore there in North Carolina, and she routinely prowled the 387 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 2: beaches in search of sea turtle nest and then documented 388 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 2: the location so she could check back in from time 389 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 2: to time. One day, she comes across this tiny baby 390 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 2: loggerhead turtle in the dunes, and the experience, which was 391 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 2: early in her career, it really made her reflect on 392 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 2: whether or not her work was truly worthwhile. So this 393 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 2: is from an article in backpacker dot Com and Andrea 394 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 2: writes this. She says, holding this single turtle in my 395 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 2: hands brought my decision about being a park ranger into 396 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 2: sharp focus. How could I not fight to keep this 397 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 2: in danger? It's she's from becoming extinct. How could I 398 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 2: not risk my life jumping from helicopters or fording rivers 399 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 2: so this baby turtle could someday return and lay its 400 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 2: own eggs, retirement benefits, health insurance, decent housing. On my 401 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 2: knees in the sand with a baby turtle struggling for 402 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 2: its life in the palm of my hand, I thought 403 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 2: I had found the best and most important job in 404 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:21,719 Speaker 2: the world. 405 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: That's such a beautiful thought. And you know that danger 406 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: she mentions, like jumping out of helicopters and fording rivers. 407 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: It's a part of the park rangers' jobs that we 408 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 1: don't even see often or think about, but it's so present. 409 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: In fact, I read some statistics from the Department of Justice, 410 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: and apparently National Park rangers are more likely to be 411 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,880 Speaker 1: assaulted while on the job than any other federal officer, 412 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: and in terms of fatal accidents involving plane crashes and 413 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: natural disasters, park rangers are up to twelve times more 414 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: likely to die in the line of duty than FBI agents. 415 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,680 Speaker 2: That is unbelievable. Well, we really don't give them enough credit, 416 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 2: and their search and rescue work alone should have us 417 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,880 Speaker 2: singing their praises. According to the NPS, park rangers came 418 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,719 Speaker 2: to the aid of over forty five thousand people between 419 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 2: two thousand and four and twenty fourteen, and only about 420 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 2: fifteen hundred of those incidents resulted in fatalities. That's a 421 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 2: pretty amazing track record. 422 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,399 Speaker 1: Definitely, And since we're giving credit where it's due, I 423 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 1: do want to make sure we're not overlooking one of 424 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: the most unique heroes to serve on the frontlines of 425 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 1: our parks, and that's the bark Ranger, which the Montana 426 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: Glacier National Park added to its team in twenty sixteen. 427 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 2: Wait, sir, are we letting dogs be park rangers? 428 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,879 Speaker 1: Now bark rangers? And it's not just any dog. This 429 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,439 Speaker 1: one is a border calling named Gracie, and it's her 430 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: job to help keep wildlife at a safe distance from 431 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: park visitors. So apparently there's this particular parking lot where 432 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: mountain goats and bighorn sheep like to gather, and this 433 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: led to all kinds of problems, like sometimes the animals 434 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:53,879 Speaker 1: would lick the poisonous anti freeze that leaked out of 435 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: people's cars. And of course they're the tourists who try 436 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: to spook the animals or get too close while trying 437 00:20:59,080 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: to snap selfies. 438 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 2: All right, but couldn't a good old fashioned human ranger 439 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 2: drive away the hers just as easily as a dog. 440 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: So that's why I was wondering too, But apparently not. 441 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: I mean, they tried this for a while, but the 442 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: animals always came right back after being driven away by humans, 443 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,360 Speaker 1: and this is partially because they were getting so many 444 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: mixed signals. I mean, you've got tourists trying to feed 445 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:21,440 Speaker 1: the animals and coax them closer for better pictures, and 446 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: then you've got these park rangers who are like simultaneously 447 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: like shouting and waving their arms to scare the animals off, 448 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: and it probably seemed almost like a game to the 449 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: sheep and goats. But Gracie has changed all of that, 450 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:34,719 Speaker 1: Like the herds could tell when she barked, she met business, 451 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: and now she and her handler visit the parking lot 452 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: to scare off animals a couple times a week, and 453 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: it's with the hopes that eventually the wild sheep and 454 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: goats will just deer clear of the parking lot altogether. 455 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 2: Has some pretty good interspecies teamwork there. That's pretty interesting. Well, 456 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 2: I want to steer us back to the human side 457 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 2: of things because there are a few more notable park 458 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 2: rangers I want to make sure we get to. But 459 00:21:55,000 --> 00:22:08,959 Speaker 2: before we do that, let's take a quick break. 460 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, so before we run down the list of 461 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: park Ranger All Stars, I do want to just take 462 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: a minute to talk about some of the colorful lingo 463 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: you might hear in a national park. So we've already 464 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: mentioned flat hats and lemon squeezers, which are actual nicknames 465 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 1: that rangers use to talk about their headgear. But have 466 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: you ever heard of code W? 467 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 2: I can't say that I have is just guessing. Is 468 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 2: W for water? Is this like when a hiker gets 469 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 2: dehydrated or something? 470 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: So, I mean, code water is a pretty good guest, 471 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 1: but the W actually stands for wimpy, and really code 472 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: W is just a playful put down that some park 473 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: rangers developed to describe these melodramatic tourists who call in 474 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 1: for a rescue when there's no actual emergency. 475 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 2: That's pretty great. 476 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: Rangers actually waste a lot of time fielding calls about 477 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: fake emergencies, you know, and it's mostly from hikers who 478 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:56,320 Speaker 1: just bit off more than they could chew. 479 00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 2: I do feel for the park rangers and the said 480 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,359 Speaker 2: sUAS because partially because they have to put up with 481 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,359 Speaker 2: so many silly requests and all these weird questions that 482 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 2: come from visitors. Actually read this one anonymous account from 483 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 2: a park ranger at the Grand Canyon, and he listed 484 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 2: out some of the ridiculous questions he's had to feel 485 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 2: out from adult tourists, like is the Grand Canyon human made? 486 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 2: And what time do you feed the animals? And when 487 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 2: do you turn on the waterfalls. One time, this poor 488 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:24,840 Speaker 2: guy even caught a confused tourist who had rolled his 489 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 2: suitcase several miles into the Grand Canyon because he thought 490 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 2: his hotel was down there. 491 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 1: Oh no, well, I mean they also try to take 492 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: measures to prevent that sort of thing. I read about 493 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,679 Speaker 1: this effort called PRS, which is, uh, it's preventive search 494 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: and rescue, and it's basically a way to make sure 495 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: our visitors are prepared before they go out on hikes. 496 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: You know. It's mainly so rangers won't have to save 497 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: them later on. But the program trains rangers to look 498 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:52,760 Speaker 1: out for all these telltale signs of novice hikers, like 499 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: someone shows up in flip flops or is heading into 500 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 1: the wilderness without a backpack. You know, when they see 501 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,360 Speaker 1: someone like that, the rangers make suggestions like wear shoes, 502 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: or a stock up on water, or try a shorter trail. 503 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,479 Speaker 1: And you know, they can't force tourists to take this advice. 504 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,159 Speaker 1: But the program does seem to be working. Since it 505 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: was institute at the Grand Canyon in nineteen ninety seven, 506 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:14,959 Speaker 1: the park has actually seen this dramatic drop in its 507 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: search and rescue efforts. 508 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 2: That's pretty cool. And speaking of saving people from their 509 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 2: own dumb choices, you remember that ranger I mentioned that 510 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 2: that really sweet moment with the turtles, Andrea Langford. 511 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:26,520 Speaker 1: I'll never forget her. 512 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 2: Well, she also worked a stretch at Yosemite, and there 513 00:24:29,359 --> 00:24:31,879 Speaker 2: was this one time she actually wound up foiling a 514 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 2: bank heist. I mean, this woman has done everything. Apparently 515 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 2: these robbers were just hiding out in the park after 516 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: pulling a job, but they got lost in the middle 517 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:41,959 Speaker 2: of the night and they got so scared that they 518 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 2: ended up calling the police to come get them. 519 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: That's amazing. I feel like I want to hear all 520 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: of Langford's stories because she sounds like a park legend. 521 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: But perhaps the ranger who's had the roughest GOVID all 522 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: in the line of duty is Roy Sullivan, who has 523 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,479 Speaker 1: to be the most put upon render in history. 524 00:24:58,160 --> 00:24:59,160 Speaker 2: So what makes you say that? 525 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: So during his tenure at Gendoah, he was actually struck 526 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 1: by lightning seven different times. 527 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 2: It's just crazy. It's hard not to laugh at that. 528 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:09,920 Speaker 2: I know we shouldn't laugh at something. I mean, the 529 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:12,480 Speaker 2: guy's been struck by lightning seven times when we're laughing 530 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:14,879 Speaker 2: about it, but that just is crazy. And I have 531 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 2: heard of this guy. I'm pretty sure he actually holds 532 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 2: the Guinness record for being struck by lightning more than 533 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 2: anyone else. At least I hope nobody's been struck more 534 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 2: than that. 535 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:24,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I hope it's the record. No one's 536 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 1: trying to break. And if they did try, though, the 537 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:29,679 Speaker 1: odds wouldn't be easy. So the odds being struck by 538 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: lightning are actually one in two hundred and eighty million, 539 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: but seven times like according to a George Washington University 540 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: staff's professor. The odds at that are actually four in. 541 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: I don't really know how to say this number, but 542 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 1: it's one with thirty two zeros after it, so it's 543 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 1: a pretty big number. Wow. 544 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 2: And so did all seven of those strikes happen while 545 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 2: he was. 546 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: A park ranger, so not exactly. The last one actually 547 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,439 Speaker 1: happened after his retirement, when Roy was trout fishing at 548 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: a lake near his house. Poor cock, talk about bad luck, 549 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: I know. So on the way back to his car, 550 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,479 Speaker 1: a black bear actually stole the fish he had hooked, 551 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: but I think just survived this like lightning attack and 552 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: his seventh lightning attack on top of that. Roy was 553 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 1: in no mood to be messed with by a bear, 554 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: so instead he just took a stick and he hit 555 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: the bear and stole his fish back, and then he 556 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: ran He high tailed it out of there, kind of 557 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: dazed but triumphant. Anyway, Roy Sullivan's kind of a legend, 558 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: and people call him the spark Ranger. 559 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 2: Oh that makes sense, all right. Well, we've talked a 560 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 2: lot today about the courage and the empathy that park 561 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 2: rangers bring to their preservation efforts, but there's one more 562 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,679 Speaker 2: rather unique preservation campaign that I want to mention, and 563 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 2: that's the one headed up by Ranger Doug Lean. So, 564 00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 2: first of all, you've probably seen those classic travel posters 565 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,120 Speaker 2: from you know, several of the national parks, and they're 566 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 2: those colorful silkscreen posters that were used as promotional tools, 567 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 2: and this was all to boost tourism back in the 568 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 2: nineteen thirties and forties. 569 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love this so much. It's kind of that 570 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: like art deco style you see on those old Disneyland 571 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: detraction posters, and it's got such beautiful like light and 572 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: shadows and muted colors. They're great. 573 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, those are the ones, and the original posters were 574 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 2: made by the WPA or the Works Progress Administration, and 575 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 2: you know, if you remember, that was all part of 576 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 2: Roosevelt's wide scale effort to get America up and running 577 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,920 Speaker 2: following the Depression. And to this end, a nice chunk 578 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,200 Speaker 2: of the WPA's budget went to arts projects, including these 579 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 2: four thousand public murals and over two million posters intended 580 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 2: to promote art and education, health and travel. And you know, 581 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 2: on the travel side, a team of Berkeley artists they 582 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 2: were hired to produce more than fifty poster designs and 583 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 2: they were all under this banner see America. And among 584 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 2: these were a handful of designs representing the fourteen national parks. 585 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 1: So were they sold as like souvenirs or just hung 586 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: around town or what was the deal there? 587 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:49,119 Speaker 2: Well, the silk screens used to make the posters, they 588 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,919 Speaker 2: were pretty fragile, so only between fifty and one hundred 589 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:54,439 Speaker 2: of these posters were made for each park, and of 590 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 2: course that's way too few to be sold to the 591 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:00,040 Speaker 2: general public. So instead the posters were distributed to places like, 592 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 2: you know, chambers of commerce or other local government buildings, 593 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 2: and then they were put in these communities surrounding each park. 594 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,719 Speaker 2: And so for a few years, the posters did their jobs. 595 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 2: They started getting new people, new visitors into the parks 596 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,639 Speaker 2: and really helping America get back on its feet. But 597 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,080 Speaker 2: then once their usefulness had kind of ended, the posters 598 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:21,760 Speaker 2: started disappearing, and once they were gone, nobody could find them, 599 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 2: at least for several decades. 600 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 1: That's crazy. So now, obviously you can buy prints and 601 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: postcards of all that old WPA art at the park, 602 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: so obviously it must have resurfaced at. 603 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:34,719 Speaker 2: Some point, right well, and that's where Ranger Doug comes in. 604 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 2: This was back in nineteen seventy one. He was working 605 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 2: as a seasonal ranger at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, 606 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 2: and one day in the fall, the rangers were doing 607 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 2: a general cleanup of the park and this was after 608 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 2: a pretty busy summer season, so Doug was working on 609 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 2: clearing out an old horse stall when he came across 610 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 2: this tattered WPA poster for this park. It was the 611 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 2: very first design produced in the series. Now, the poster 612 00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 2: would have just ended up on the park burn pile 613 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 2: if not for Doug, and he really took a liking 614 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 2: to it and actually got permission to keep it for himself. 615 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 2: But this was just the start for him. He actually 616 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 2: figured that if Grand Teton Park had a poster like this, 617 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 2: maybe others did too. So over the next couple of decades, 618 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 2: Doug started piecing together this forgotten story of these now 619 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 2: iconic posters, and his biggest breakthrough came in nineteen ninety three. 620 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:23,719 Speaker 2: So that's the year Doug got in touch with the 621 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:27,480 Speaker 2: NPS archives in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, and he actually 622 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 2: uncovered thirteen black and white poster negatives. They'd just been 623 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 2: tucked away in a file drawer for safe keeping. 624 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: Wow. 625 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 2: And using those Doug was able to reproduce the whole series. 626 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 2: And that's why you can find all these postcards and 627 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 2: prints you mentioned in the National park gift shops today. 628 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: That's really incredible. And I think you said though that 629 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: the WPA only made like posters for fourteen parks, but 630 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: you know, I've seen so many of those, and especially 631 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 1: for parks that didn't exist in the thirties. 632 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 2: How's that come about? Well, that's the other really cool 633 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 2: thing about this. So once Doug started reproducing the original 634 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 2: post other parks began commissioning new posters in that same 635 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 2: style as the WPA ones. So today they're over fifty 636 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 2: national parks and monuments represented in this collection, with more coming. 637 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 2: And you know, none of that would have ever happened 638 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 2: if not for Doug lem you know, the self proclaimed 639 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 2: ranger of the lost art. 640 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: I love that. You know. We actually drove through Shendo 641 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: on the way back from Thanksgiving this year and I 642 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: was just so floored by the beauty there. And every 643 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: time I look at those little postcards that we bought, 644 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: which are just these tiny replicas of that art, like 645 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: it really makes me very happy. 646 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 2: No, I completely agree. And the parks really are incredible. 647 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 2: I mean, not only do they offer the chance to 648 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 2: have these breathtaking or kind of life affirming experiences in 649 00:30:41,360 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 2: our nation's most precious places, but they really offer that 650 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:48,560 Speaker 2: chance an equal measure to everybody. So to quote Dayton Duncan, 651 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 2: a former director of the National Park Foundation, quote, national 652 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 2: parks are the declaration of independence expressed on the landscape. 653 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 2: We were the first nation in the history of mankind 654 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 2: to say that the most special place should be set aside, 655 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 2: not for royalty, not for the rich, not for the 656 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,760 Speaker 2: well connected, but for everyone and for all time. 657 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: I mean that sounds so America to me. But before 658 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:12,959 Speaker 1: we make a beeline for the closest park, let's salute 659 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: a few more of our favorite rangers and today's backed off. 660 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: Did you know that before he went to law school, 661 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,240 Speaker 1: Gerald Ford briefly worked as a park ranger. Apparently he 662 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: was a seasonal ranger at Yellowstone, where he was assigned 663 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: to work as an armed guard on a bear feeding truck, 664 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:38,479 Speaker 1: and in years later he referred to it as one 665 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: of the greatest summers of his life. Huh. 666 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 2: So, the country's oldest park ranger is ninety six years old. 667 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 2: Her name is Betty Reed Soskin and she works at 668 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 2: the Rosie the Riveter World War Two home Front National 669 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 2: Historical Park in California. Though she only got into her 670 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 2: career a little over a decade ago. She's also been 671 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 2: a tremendous activist, from her civil rights work earlier to 672 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 2: denouncing the defunding of parks, and she's won a presidential 673 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 2: medal for her efforts. 674 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: So while the least visited national parks might be in 675 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,800 Speaker 1: Alaska or American Samoa within the contiguous US, the least 676 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: visited park is actually in the middle of Lake Superior, 677 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 1: and it's known as Isled Royal National Park. The problem 678 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: is mainly accessibility, so you can actually only get there 679 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: via a seaplane or boat, and that actually shows in 680 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: the numbers. The number of people who come there over 681 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: a year is about sixteen thousand people, and that's equal 682 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 1: to the number of people that might visit Yosemite on 683 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: a single day in June. 684 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:34,120 Speaker 2: I've actually never heard of that park, but now I 685 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 2: kind of want to go visit this. So did you 686 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 2: know that for a while, Yellowstone was actually referred to 687 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 2: as Wonderland like we said in the beginning of the show, 688 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 2: only a few thousand visitors used to go to Yellowstone 689 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 2: every year at first, but when the North Pacific Railroad 690 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 2: was completed in eighteen eighty three, suddenly the accessibility of 691 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 2: the park changed, and so to boost train travel, the 692 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,719 Speaker 2: railroad decided to launch this ad campaign for Yellowstone, kind 693 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 2: of building off the popularity of the Allison One Underland books. 694 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 2: So they talked about Yellowstone as Wonderland. They even handed 695 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 2: out pamphlets using Alice as a fictional tour guide to 696 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 2: the parks and pointing out places you should visit it. 697 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 2: In fact, one of the quotes from the brochure that 698 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 2: I saw has her gushing and saying, tell me, is 699 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 2: this not wonderland? 700 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: So I'm going to tell you about the bear lunch counter. 701 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 1: So I guess Yellowstone used to have an open air 702 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 1: garbage jump at the park, which were definitely not the 703 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 1: prettiest thing at the parks, but it was an easy 704 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: place to gin up a wild animal show if you 705 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 1: ever wanted to see scavenging animals, and of course this 706 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 1: meant big birds, but it also included black bears and grizzlies, 707 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: which is how the dump got called the bear lunch counter. 708 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:39,800 Speaker 1: But the weirdest part of it is that in the 709 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties and thirties, the park operators decided to take 710 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: advantage of this, and they put bleachers around the trash 711 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: pits so visitors could sit and watch, And they also 712 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: put up signs that said lunch counter for bears only, 713 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: which you know, I'm not sure why they had to 714 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:52,920 Speaker 1: clarify it. 715 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 2: Actually, since we're on a Yellowstone tear, I'm going to 716 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 2: throw one more here, So did you know that park? 717 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 2: Part of the reason we've got Yellowstone as a national 718 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 2: park is thanks to an artist. His name is Thomas Moran, 719 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 2: and in eighteen seventy one, Moran was part of a 720 00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:12,560 Speaker 2: federally funded expedition to document the area along with geologists, botanists, 721 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 2: and zoologists. His sketches in watercolors gave America its first 722 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 2: view of Yellowstone. But the real story is that his 723 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 2: work was exhibited in Congress later that year, and that's 724 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,839 Speaker 2: where the sheer beauty of the depicted cliffs and geysers 725 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 2: and rivers. This convinced politicians to protect the land and 726 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 2: turn it into what they called a national playground. 727 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: Oh, I like that well. I want to do another 728 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 1: show later on, specifically on the parks because there's just 729 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 1: so much wonder and beauty there. But why don't you 730 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:40,240 Speaker 1: take home today's trophy? 731 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:42,240 Speaker 2: I mean it kind of sounds like you're just giving 732 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 2: it to me, like I didn't really earn it, but 733 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 2: I'll take it either way. And listeners, I'm sure we 734 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,959 Speaker 2: forgot some great facts about the National Parks. We would 735 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:51,840 Speaker 2: love to hear those from it. You can always email 736 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 2: us part Time Genius at HowStuffWorks dot com or call 737 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:56,840 Speaker 2: us on our twenty four to seven fact hotline. We 738 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:59,400 Speaker 2: always love hearing your messages. That's one eight four to 739 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:01,840 Speaker 2: four p Genius, or you can hit us up on 740 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 2: Facebook or Twitter. But thanks so much for listening. Thanks 741 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 2: again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production of 742 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,720 Speaker 2: How Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant 743 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 2: people who do the important things we couldn't even begin 744 00:35:26,239 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 2: to understand. 745 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:28,759 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. 746 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 2: Noel Brown made the theme song and does the mixy 747 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 2: mixy sound thing. 748 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:34,440 Speaker 1: Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. 749 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 2: Gabeluesier is our lead researcher, with support from the Research Army, 750 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,839 Speaker 2: including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eves. 751 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:43,320 Speaker 1: Jeffcok gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 752 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,320 Speaker 2: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 753 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,239 Speaker 2: and if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 754 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:48,759 Speaker 2: you could leave a good review for us. 755 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:50,240 Speaker 1: Do we forget Jason? 756 00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:51,040 Speaker 2: Jason who