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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 261 | Coming to the Aid of Giant Sequoias

By Jess Repanshek - February 11th, 2024
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A man standing in the hollow of a giant sequoia tree at Sequoia National Park

Stand before a giant sequoia tree in Sequoia or Kings Canyon national parks or nearby Yosemite National Park and you’re overwhelmed by their size, and assume they’re impervious to anything that might be thrown at them. But as we learned from wildfires in 2020 and 2021 in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, that’s not the case.

The Castle Fire in 2020 and then the KNP Complex and Windy fires in 2021 that burned through the two parks destroyed thousands of giant sequoia trees. Estimates put the losses at more than 14,000 mature trees, or roughly 13-19 percent of the world’s giant sequoias.

At the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, just days after the KNP complex fires started in September of 2021 plans were being made to raise funds to help the National Park Service restore and recover areas in the two parks that were burned. Today we’re discussing the ongoing recovery work with Savannah Boiano, the executive director of the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
1:12 Sieur de Monts - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
1:27 Interior Federal Credit Union
1:54 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
2:18 Episode 261 - Coming to the Aid of Giant Sequoias
26:51 Big Country - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Yellowstone
27:12 NPT Promo
27:49 Great Smoky Mountains Association
28:14 Episode 261 - Coming to the Aid of Giant Sequoias Continues
50:08 Schoodic - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
50:38 Episode Closing
51:09 Orange Tree Productions
51:41 Splitbeard Productions
51:52 National Parks Traveler footer

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 271 | Wolverine Recovery in Colorado

A wolverine climbing on rocks, photo courtesy of NPS

Wolverines, the largest land-dwelling members of the weasel family, once roamed across the northern tier of the United States, and as far south as New Mexico in the Rockies and southern California in the Sierra Nevada range. But after more than a century of trapping and habitat loss, wolverines in the lower 48 today exist only as small, fragmented populations in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, and northeast Oregon.

April 21st, 2024 - Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 270 | Cultural Resource Challenge

Catherineberg plantation ruins, Virgin Islands National Park, photo by Kurt Repanshek

Spur a discussion about traveling to a national park for a vacation and odds are that it will revolve around getting out into nature, looking for wildlife, perhaps honing your photography skills, or marveling at incredible vistas.
Will the discussion include destinations that portray aspects of the country’s history, or cultural melting pot? 

April 14th, 2024 - Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 269 | Total Solar Eclipse of the Parks

Composite image of a total solar eclipse from Grand Teton National Park, from NPS Archives

Tens of millions of people in the United States will be able to witness a Total Solar Eclipse on Monday as the rare astronomical event cuts a path from Texas to Maine, up to 122 miles wide in some spots. This is a great opportunity to see the exact moment when the moon fully blocks the sun, creating a blazing corona visible to those observing from the center line of totality.

April 7th, 2024 - Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 268 | Music Inspired By The Parks

Bison at Grand Teton National Park, photo by Rebecca Latson

With March madness down to the Sweet 16, and Opening Day of Major League Baseball having arrived, we’re going to take a break this week and dive into our podcast archives for this week’s show.
 
This is Kurt Repanshek, your host at the National Parks Traveler. My NCAA bracket was busted the very first day, and while the Yankees won their opening day game against the Houston Astros, I don’t think they’ll go undefeated this year.
 

March 31st, 2024 - Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 267 | Padre Island's Sea Turtles

An image of a baby sea turtle at Padre Island National Seashore, by Rebecca Latson

One of the most popular public events in the National Park System was the release of sea turtle hatchlings, shuffling off into the Gulf of Mexico at Padre Island National Seashore. I say was, because the number of those public events has been drastically scaled back in recent years.

March 24th, 2024 - Read More
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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.