Known as "America's best idea," the national parks of the United States protect the gems of our natural world. With 58 areas classified as national parks in 29 different states and territories, they range from the snow-capped mountains of Glacier Bay, Alaska, to the tropical beaches and forests of the Virgin Islands, and everywhere in between.
In addition to the national parks, there are nearly 350 other protected properties in the care of the National Parks Service, covering more than 84 million acres. Each year, hundreds of millions of visitors seek out the beauty of these natural wonders. Whether you're planning a trip to one or would like a new location to vicariously visit, stop by our display this month. Here are a few things you will find.
Get a personalized tour of six of the parks in National Geographic's "Our National Parks: Tours with Rangers." This beautifully illustrated book features interviews with more than 40 park rangers discussing what they like best about their parks and their jobs. These insiders provide a range of perspectives on what makes each park special. Armchair travelers will find that the stunning photographs whisk them away to the seascapes, canyons and forested mountains of these diverse landscapes.
If you are looking to get out of the chair and really explore the parks, check out the latest edition of the "Guide to the National Parks of the United States." This guidebook features more than 375 photos and 80 full-color detailed maps. The parks are organized alphabetically by region, with a description of the best time of year to visit and a recommendation of what to do with your time there, including the key sights and the amount of time visitors need to devote to them. In addition to this overall guide, the library also has travel guides to a number of specific parks, including Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Take a visual tour of the national parks with the DVD "America's National Parks." This two-disc DVD offers four hours of footage from 55 of the national parks, including nearby Acadia National Park in Maine, the breathtaking Arches of Utah and the grandeur of Yosemite in California, to name a few. Without ever leaving the comfort of home, travel the country and discover spectacular vistas while learning the history of each park.
Ken Burns' latest documentary, the visually striking and well-researched "The National Parks," presents the history of the idea of the national park, beginning with the creation of the world's first national park, Yellowstone, in 1872. The documentary details the evolution of the park system and the difficulties it faced in its founding, while telling the stories of famous individuals whose lives were impacted by the parks and who impacted the parks immeasurably with their lives. Individuals like John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt and Ansel Adams are all focused on in the series. A companion book by the same name further explores "America's best idea" through historic photos and interviews.
The spectacular sights found in our nation's national parks are well worth a trip, whether down the road to your local library or across the country to see the parks themselves. In honor of American Adventures Month, come by for a book or video on our greatest natural treasures, the national parks, a true American idea.
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Kendall Ann Koladish is the public services librarian at Leach Library, 276 Mammoth Road in Londonderry. For more information, call 432-1132 or visit londonderrynh.org/library/library.htm.
Upcoming events
We have almost come to the end of our summer reading program. We would like to thank all those who participated in making this year's program such a success. Remember, you can keep reading until Saturday, Sept. 11, with every book helping us get closer to our goal. Prize bags can be collected until 5 p.m. on that date as well.
There's an adult program, "Granite State Sacrifice During the American Civil War," on Thursday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m.
New Hampshire Civil War historian Steven Closs discusses the Granite State soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the American Civil War. He will pay particular attention to the 12 fallen soldiers from Londonderry.
The event is being sponsored by the Londonderry Historical Society. It is free and open to the public, and will be held in the library's lower-level meeting room. Light refreshments will be served.
