Park Scientists

Some of the best scientific ideas are happening right now inside America's national parks. Welcoming more than 270 million visitors each year, these wonderlands of scientific discovery are teeming with plants, animals, and geological marvels that can't be found anywhere else on the globe. You can see geysers and glimpse grizzlies in Yellowstone, and dodge poisonous Gila monsters and giant saguaro cacti in southern Arizona. Or perhaps you might tiptoe through the Smoky Mountains, hoping for a glimpse of the world's only known population of red-cheeked salamanders, or witnessing thousands of in-sync fireflies. Exploring national parks offers more to do than just vacation. In some parks you can roll up your sleeves and actively participate as a citizen scientist, doing your part to preserve our most treasured natural resources. America's parks have something for everyone. So grab your binoculars and backpack. Set off in search of these and other park science adventures with the intrepid Scientist in the Field author and photographer team of Mary Kay Carson and Tom Uhlman as they travel the nation's living laboratories. Because there is much to see, and even more to do and learn, right here in America's own backyard. 80 pages. Hardcover. 2014. Ages10-12.