Owen Hoffman


Biography

Former NPS Park Ranger-Naturalist, Crater Lake National Park (1966-68), Zion National Park (1969), Yosemite National Park (1969-71).

Member of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (www.npsretirees.org)

Member of the Board, Crater Lake Institute (www.craterlakeinstitute.com)

President and Director, SENES Oak Ridge, Inc., Center for Risk Analysis (www.senes.com)



Owen's Most Recent Comments (view all)


Owen's Most Recent Articles (view all)

Exploring the "Other Half" of Our National Parks: Stargazing Under Protected Dark Skies

The renowned amateur astronomer and telescope maker, John Lowery Dobson, 92, once said, "National Parks are special places where dark skies and curious minds collide." Dobson and the famed Sidewalk Astronomers have spent three decades taking their home-made telescopes to the national parks to meet park visitors willing to stay out after dark to help them explore the "other half" of their parks.

A Winter Visit to Grand Canyon National Park's Phantom Ranch

From the South Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, the first view of Phantom Ranch reveals that the trees, Fremont cottonwoods, do not know that it's winter.

Interpretation on the Tallgrass Prairie

Owen Hoffman has just returned from a trip across Kansas. He has provided us with a detailed trip report from his visit to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The wide open skies and history of the area piqued his interest, but the interpretive program on-site left something to be desired.

How Are Entrance Fees Affecting Visitation?

Two weeks ago, on Earth Day, I had the opportunity to visit Shenandoah National Park. The drive along

Centennial Listening: First Impressions

    I attended yesterday's National Park Service first "listening session" on the needs and goals for the 2016 NPS centennial.  The meeting was held at the Mills Auditorium near the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a major gateway community to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.