From the Great Smoky Mountains to Point Reyes National Seashore, America's national parks are home to some of nature's great wildlife spectacles. Here, Gary W. Vequist and Daniel S. Licht, two veterans of the National Park Service, focus on twelve animals that have been imperiled and at risk, but are now protected within the National Park System.
Showcasing one species for each month of the year, including gray wolf, black bear, prairie dog, sea turtle, bison, bats, salmon, elk, beaver, American alligator, gray whale, and bald eagle, Vequist and Licht pair each premier species with a featured park, adding information about other parks where the species may also be readily seen and identifying other animals to look for in the same habitat – animals that prey, are preyed upon, or exist side by side with the focal species.
Beyond being a guide to observing these remarkable animals, Wildlife Watching in America's National Parks, as the title implies, is also a book about America's national parks. Reminding Americans why national parks are truly our "best idea" and encouraging readers to go find out why, these career wildlife specialists stress that it is "impossible to fathom America without these animals and without the parks in which they reside."
Nature lovers, travelers, and outdoor hobbyists of all types will be enthralled by this inside view of America's wildlife and the breathtaking photographs of places they inhabit.
List of Wildlife and Parks Featured:
Yellowstone National Park: Gray Wolf
Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Black Bear
Badlands National Park: Prairie Dog
Dry Tortugas National Park: Sea Turtle
Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Plains Bison
Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Bats
Olympic National Park: Pacific Salmon
Buffalo National River: Rocky Mountain Elk
Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Beaver
Everglades National Park: American Alligator
Point Reyes National Seashore: Gray Whale
Gary W Vequist’s career as a biologist, ranger naturalist, and nature interpreter spans forty years and six parks. He is Associate Regional Director for Natural Resource Stewardship and Science at the Midwest Regional office of the National Park Service in Omaha.
Daniel S Licht has been professionally involved in wildlife issues in Alaska, Maine, South Carolina, Texas, California, and several states in the Midwest and Great Plains. He is currently the National Park Service’s Midwest Regional Wildlife Biologist, stationed in Rapid City, South Dakota.
"This was an enjoyable read. I believe it has a distinctive niche and should have relatively wide appeal to a popular market. The writing is lively, accessible, and interesting enough to retain the interest of a "lay person" public. There is a nice and succinct balance of education, history and tourism logistics."
– John Crompton, University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor, and Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence in the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Science, Texas A&M University
"[...] so well written you will be hard pressed not to jump into your car or camper and head off to a national park even before you are finished reading the book [...] This is a wonderful book and one you will treasure having."
– Lake Region Audubon Society newsletter
"Nature lovers, travelers, and outdoor hobbyists of all types will be enthralled by this inside view of America's wildlife and the breathtaking photographs of places they inhabit."
– Southeastern Naturalist