by bill-youngs | Oct 4, 2022 | Fireside Talks
Long before Alex Honnold free-soloed El Capitan, John Muir had his own climbing adventure in the Yosemite environs during a windstorm. Fortunately many (most? all?) of John Muir’s writings are available on line. I have chosen this story for what it shows us of...
by bill-youngs | Oct 4, 2022 | Fireside Talks, National Park
There is a movement afoot to “restore” Hetch Hetchy. Once a park has lost some of its grandeur, can it be recovered? These folks hope so: they advocate draining Hetch Hetchy Canyon and restoring its primitive glory. This web site provides some striking...
by Brian O'Riley | Jul 16, 2022 | Fireside Talks, National Park
Usually my “Talks” in History 498 are based on places I have actually visited and filmed. But this morning a news article about Akagera National Park in Rwanda caught my eye. We will look at the article later but first here is some information about the...
by Brian O'Riley | Dec 8, 2020 | Fireside Talks, National Park
Click here to see the full talk: https://www.americanrealities.com/home-page/reflections-on-graffiti-in-national-parks-and-elsewhere
by Brian O'Riley | Nov 22, 2019 | Fireside Talks
(Note: I wrote this post two years ago, but it is as relevant for our class today as it was then.) November 22, 2019 I am writing this post from my lodging near Walden Pond. Let’s begin with a map: I’m staying across the road at “Thoreau’s...
by bill-youngs | Nov 11, 2018 | Fireside Talks, National Park
Fireside Talk: Jackson Hole Journal, November 7-11. 2018 One of the things we learn in the History of National Parks is to recognize ways in which distinct park phenomena are part of wider patterns or topics. During the past four days, I have tested that...
