Paul "Barky" Dionne


Biography

I am, quite simply, a National Park System enthusiast and collector. I have visted over 100 of them so far. The parks dovetail quite nicely into two of my interests: American history and the natural world. Having no other qualifications than amateur studies and personal explorations of the NPS, I am posting essays of my observations, experiences, and insights in my own blog, americaincontext.com.

Homepage:
America In Context


Paul's Most Recent Comments (view all)
  • 5/10/2008 6:16 pm - Ken Burns' National Parks Documentary: Where Does it Stand? : Sounds great! ===================================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
  • 5/08/2008 2:26 pm - National Park System Geofactoids Quiz: Are You Centered? : 9 out of 10. :-) Never heard of St. Croix National River. :-P ================================================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
  • 4/30/2008 5:03 pm - Bald Eagles at Yorktown : Just to prove I'm not on crack ;-), here's the "backyard bird count" for bald eagles in Virginia in 2001. [url]http://gbbc.birdsource.org/gbbcApps/report?cmd=showReport&reportName=SpeciesCity&species=baleag&state=US-VA&year=2001[/url] The Great Bald Eagle Comeback is one of the best success stories the environmental movement has ever had. :-) ================================================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
  • 4/30/2008 4:57 pm - Guns in the Parks, Time to Arm Ourselves? : Sorry, double post
  • 4/30/2008 4:57 pm - Guns in the Parks, Time to Arm Ourselves? : Personally, I've shed my hang-up about guns in general. The law-abiding will continue to be law-abiding, the criminals will continue to be criminals, gun laws or no. I won't feel any more or less safe knowing fellow park travelers may be carrying guns. Even if one feels the biggest danger ...
  • 4/20/2008 6:06 am - Should Canyon de Chelly Be Given to the Navajo Nation? : Removing Canyon de Chelly would be a tremendous shame. I hate to say this, becuase it's not entirely PC, but the Navajo nation is part of America, and all native tribes (those still in existance and those who were wiped out by European migration) are part of American history. Understanding ...
  • 4/02/2008 7:31 pm - Who Visits Alaska's National Parks? : I certainly hope to head back to AK this summer. I hope to visit the remoter parks (Krusenstern, Kobuk Valley, Noatak), even though getting there is a tad more difficult (and expensive). ========================= My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
  • 3/30/2008 5:49 pm - Our Endangered National Parks : One can only hope that the "green" movement can be enlisted to protect the parks. Their voice and political clout is increasing, if saving the parks can be considered a green initiative, maybe that will turn the tide. =========================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
  • 3/24/2008 5:51 pm - Whatever Became of the Decommissioned National Parks? : Based on encroachment, gentrification, motorized recreation, and other threats to natural and historic treasures, I'd love to see [i]more [/i]NPS involvement, not less. The answer to an underfunded and over-worked NPS is to properly fund and staff it, not knuckle under pressure to decommission sites. BTW, an absolute NO to ...
  • 3/15/2008 4:06 pm - House Parks Committee To Hold Hearing On ORVs on Federal Lands : Personally, I feel ORVs are a bigger danger to the parks than guns. They damage the flora, muck up the trails, and increase erosion. They're noisy and they disruit & scare off the wildlife. A gun-toter can still responsibly enjoy the parks and not threaten anyone or anything. There is ...