I’m posting this “Fireside Talk” in a different way than some others; read this introduction and then click below to see the talk itself. It addresses a question that we will see a lot in our study of the parks: to what extent are they there to allow people to enjoy nature, and to what extent are they there to host entertainment that might as easily appear with or without the natural features of the park. In my conversation with Jan van Wagtendonk in a “Talk” I posted last week, we discussed the golf course in Yosemite. What about tennis courts, concerts, and other facilities and events in the parks that don’t speak to what the parks are really “supposed to be” about, the preservation and experience of nature. Read about “Jellystone Park.”