1. National Parks Brianna R. & Shawn M.

3. National Parks  A reserve of land that a state owns  84 million acres of protected National Park land  Over 58 National Parks in the United State  Over 400 sites including historic buildings, monuments, battlefields, and seashores  More than 275 million visitors each year  Criteria includes beauty, geological features, ecosystems, and recreation  Spread throughout 27 states

4. Conservation  Teddy Roosevelt was a big supporter:  32 nd President of United States (“Conservationist President”)  Established 51 Federal Bird Reservations, 4 National Game Preserves, 140 National Forests, 5 National Parks, 18, National Monuments  Birth place is now considered a national historic site in New York City

5. Junior Ranger Program  Gives youngest visitors opportunity to uniquely explore the parks with their families  Allows kids to become engaged and interested  Badges and/or certificates can be earned when the program is completed

6. Yellowstone National Park

7.  Established in 1872 in Wyoming, extending into Montana and Idaho  First national park in the United States  Famous for its geysers  “Old Faithful”=most popular  Inhabited by grizzly bears, wolves, bison, elk, and many others  Hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and sightseeing are recreational activities offered by the park

8. Grand Canyon

9.  Located in Arizona  Colorado River carved the steep-sided canyon many years ago  277 miles long, 18 miles wide, depth of over a mile!  Inhabited by 34 mammal species  18 rodents, 8 bats  Nearly 5 million visitors a year  Camping, hiking, rafting among recreational activities  Canyon traveled by mule, foot, and kayak

10. Great Smoky Mountains

11.  Created in 1934  Serves as the border between Tennessee and North Carolina  Most visited of the National Parks with over 9 million tourists a year  Hiking, camping, and fishing among the most popular recreational activities  Gets its name from a constant fog that hangs over the mountains (“Smokies”)  187,000 acres of old growth forest  Receives heavy rainfall/snowfall each year (flooding)

12. GROUP ACTIVITY!!!!