Episodes
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The Colorado River flows through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the Southwest, provides drinking water to more than 40 million people, and is one of the most important sources of water for U.S. agriculture. But access to the river has never been fair, and now, water levels are at historic lows after decades of extreme drought.
Photojournalist and visual storyteller Pete McBride has photographed every mile of the river over nearly 20 years of reporting and exploration. This episode, McBride speaks with host Jennifer Errick about his new book, “The Colorado River: Chasing Water,” and how he sought to capture not just the magnificence of the river but its “lost, dead beauty.” Despite the complexity of the crisis, he shares ideas for solutions — and reasons for hope.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Episode 28, The Beauty of Loss, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.
Special thanks to National Parks magazine Editor-in-Chief Rona Marech, NPCA Southwest Regional Director Ernie Atencio and NPCA Southwest Associate Director Erika Pollard.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about Pete McBride’s book, “The Colorado River: Chasing Water,” at rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847899746
See a selection of McBride’s photos in the new Spring issue of National Parks magazine at npca.org/magazine. Subscribe to our award-winning magazine at npca.org/subscribe
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org
For more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
And we’re proud of it, too.
You can join the fight to preserve our national parks. Learn more and join us at npca.org
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In the late 1970s, only three national park sites out of 300 had specifically been created to interpret women’s history. Judy Hart, then a chief ranger for legislation in the National Park Service’s Boston office, knew she wanted to improve that number, but she wasn’t sure how.
Hart’s determination took her to Seneca Falls, New York, as well as Capitol Hill as she won people over with the power of her idea. She used every tactic at her disposal to honor notable leaders in the movement for women’s rights, even though the run-down buildings where they had once made history didn’t meet the standard of the time for what a national park was supposed to look like.
This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Judy Hart about her quest to preserve nine buildings in Seneca Falls and Waterloo, New York; her new new book, “A National Park for Women’s History”; and why the concept of an “idea park” marked an important shift in thinking for the Park Service that allowed the agency to be more inclusive.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Episode 27, Creating the Country’s First ‘Idea Park,’ was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton.
Special thanks to NPCA Mid-Atlantic Senior Program Director Pam Goddard.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about Judy Hart’s new book, “A National Park for Women’s Rights,” at https://parkb.it/3SWYoaT
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org
For more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America's national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org
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Missing episodes?
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In the 1950s and ’60s, Alabama was a battleground for voting equality. White elected officials had long denied Black citizens their constitutional right to vote, and thousands of activists faced violent opposition from white residents and officials. In 1965, the Selma to Montgomery march made history, galvanizing the nation and leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which finally allowed millions of disenfranchised Black citizens to cast ballots.
The march route is preserved in the National Park System. But event wouldn’t have been possible without private landowners along the route who risked their lives and jobs to allow hundreds of participants to camp on their properties. Now these campsites are falling into disrepair — and conservationists are carefully considering how to save this history before it’s lost.
This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with preservationist and film producer Phillip Howard of the Conservation Fund; DaVine Hall McGuire, granddaughter of David Hall, owner of the first campsite along the march route; and Cheryl Gardner Davis, daughter of Robert and Mary Gardner, owners of the third campsite along the march route.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Episode 26, Stamped in the Soil, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.
Special thanks to Eboni Preston, acting director of NPCA’s Southeast Region.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer. Learn more about the film “54 Miles to Home” at vimeo.com/591288364 and southernexposurefilms.org
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org
For more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America's national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org
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Paleontologists have long explored Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on the border of Arizona and Utah for its fossils, notably its prolific dinosaur tracks — but few bones have ever been found there. But last March, after watching the waters at Lake Powell drop, scientists made a calculated hunch to investigate areas of the lakebed that hadn’t been exposed in 60 years. Their hunch paid off — and then some — with an unprecedented trove of remains that could provide scientists with new insights into one of the early Jurassic’s quirkiest hybrid creatures.
This episode, meet the tritylodont, the 190-million-year-old mammal-like reptile that walked among some of the earliest dinosaurs and might be able to teach us about adapting to climate change.
This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with the distinguished team responsible for the discovery: Andrew R.C. Milner, site paleontologist and curator at the Saint George Dinosaur Discovery site in Saint George, Utah; Vincent Santucci, senior paleontologist and Paleontology Program coordinator for the National Park Service; Dr. Hans Sues, senior research geologist and curator of paleontology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History; and Dr. Adam Marsh, lead paleontologist and research coordinator at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Episode 25, The Skeleton Crew, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Linda Coutant.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn about the 286 sites across the National Park System that have known fossils at nps.gov/subjects/fossils
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org
For more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America's national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org
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The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in America and a storied waterway where the Atlantic Ocean meets a series of rivers. It’s the place where Algonquian Chief Powhatan met with early English settlers in the 1600s; where the first enslaved people were brought to America; where Harriet Tubman was born and emancipated herself and many others; and where a Civil War fort became a destination of hope for enslaved people seeking freedom. It’s also a beautiful landscape with bountiful wildlife and ample recreational opportunities.
Over the summer, members of Congress introduced a bill that would create a new national recreation area that includes these sites and many others.
Advocates throughout the Mid-Atlantic are passionate about preserving Chesapeake history. This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse General Manager John Potvin, National Parks Conservation Association Senior Program Director Pam Goddard, and founding Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member John Reynolds about why the Chesapeake Bay is historically rich, nationally significant and special to so many people.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Episode 24, The Beacon, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton.
Special thanks to Ed Stierli.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about the Chesapeake Conservancy at chesapeakeconservancy.org.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
For more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America's national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org.
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Barrier islands naturally undergo erosion. But in the tiny town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, near Cape Hatteras National Seashore, sea-level rise fueled by climate change has intensified this process, creating difficult and dangerous conditions for the community. Four homes have collapsed into the ocean since February 2022, and the park’s dunes and beaches are washing into the sea, making the boundary between public and private land harder to determine.
Journalist Melanie D.G. Kaplan covers this issue in her new story, “On the Brink,” in National Parks magazine. This episode, host Jennifer Errick asks Kaplan what she learned from her reporting and why the community is starkly divided on how to handle the ongoing crisis.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association.
Episode 23, A Reporter ‘On the Brink’ at Cape Hatteras, was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius.
Special thanks to Rona Marech and Katherine DeGroff.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Read “On the Brink” by Melanie D.G. Kaplan at www.npca.org/onthebrink. Get a year’s subscription to National Parks magazine by visiting www.npca.org/subscribe.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
For more than a century, the National Parks Conservation Association has been protecting and enhancing America's national parks for present and future generations. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org.
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Anacostia Park is a lesser-known gem of southeast Washington, D.C. Stretching for 8 miles along both sides of the Anacostia River, the park encompasses a distinctive aquatic garden with lilies and lotuses, a historic golf course from the segregation area, and the only roller-skating rink in the National Park System, among many other scenic vistas and recreational facilities just up the street from the neighborhood where Frederick Douglass spent the last years of his life.
This episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with staff and volunteers from The Mission Continues; Richard Trent, executive director of the Friends of Anacostia Park; and Jimi Shaughnessy, Veterans Program manager at the National Parks Conservation Association, to learn more about this beloved park and why so many people are motivated to protect it. Featured guests from The Mission Continues include Navy veteran and Chief Strategy Officer Susan Thaxton, Army veteran and former Mission Continues troop leader James Fitzgerald, Marine Corps veteran Angel Carter, Army veteran Bernadette Plummer, and Army veteran and San Antonio troop leader Richard Diaz.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Special thanks to Keith Thomas, David Alvarado and everyone on staff at The Mission Continues. Learn more at missioncontinues.org.
Learn more about the Friends of Anacostia Park and get in on those monthly skate parties at friendsofanacostiapark.org.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org.
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The only baseball stadium in the National Park System and one of the last surviving stadiums with a rich Negro League history, Hinchliffe Stadium at Paterson Great Falls was nearly lost for good. This spring, a fully restored Hinchliffe reopened to much fanfare—and we take you out to the ballgame.
Host Todd Christopher captures the sounds of opening day and speaks with Brian LoPinto, founder of The Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium, Andre Sayegh, mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, and Darren Boch, superintendent of Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer
The Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by:
Todd Christopher – Producer & Host
Jennifer Errick – Producer & Host
Bev Stanton – Online ProducerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org
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Created by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 as "a new kind of national park," national heritage areas are large, regionally distinctive sites that celebrate human experience and achievement. Congress passed new legislation expanding and improving the heritage area system late last year--yet many people are unfamiliar with these hidden gems and the economic benefits they offer.
Now, as national heritage areas could be entering a new era of improved visibility, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Sara Capen, chair of the Alliance for National Heritage Areas and executive director of the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area in New York State; Bernard Turner, writer, historian and executive director of the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area; and Dr. Tina Naremore Jones, vice president for Economic and Workforce Development and assistant provost at the University of West Alabama on why heritage areas are so important to the communities they serve.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius.
Special thanks to Alan Spears, NPCA’s long-standing expert on national heritage areas.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about national heritage areas at nationalheritageareas.us.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org.
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Christopher Benson, associate professor of journalism at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, has worked for years to preserve the story of Emmett Till. He coauthored two books with members of the Till family that counter widespread misinformation and emphasize the humanity of the child at the center one of America’s most heinous crimes.
Now, as anticipation builds around a potential new national park site honoring Emmett Till and his mother, civil rights icon Mamie Till-Mobley, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Benson on both of his groundbreaking books with the Till family, the enduring significance of this history, and the importance of uncovering and preserving the truth.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Vanessa Pius.
Special thanks to Alan Spears and Kyle Groetzinger.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute at thetillinstitute.org.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org
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The Cuyahoga River was once a burning symbol of pollution and neglect — then the public demanded action to protect it. Decades of work have transformed the river into a thriving recreational destination for millions of visitors.
Today, this dedication continues with major restoration projects that are revitalizing waterways, bringing back wildlife and improving the park and the Great Lakes region. Want a dose of optimism this Earth Day? We’ve got you covered.
In this episode, host Jennifer Errick speaks with Plant Ecologist Chris Davis at Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Great Lakes Senior Program Manager Kira Davis with the National Parks Conservation Association on how funding from a dedicated initiative has supported vital restoration work in the Cuyahoga River watershed as well as many other improvement projects in the Great Lakes region.
This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Alison Heis, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius.
Special thanks to Terrance Liggins for capturing the sounds of Stanford Run and other special places at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
Learn more about Cuyahoga Valley National Park at nps.gov/cuva and see their calendar of upcoming volunteer events at nps.gov/cuva/getinvolved/volunteer.htm
Learn more about projects the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is making possible throughout the Great Lakes region.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org
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What we experience in our national parks can sometimes leave us at a loss for words, but park-inspired poets prove that finding those words can be nothing short of extraordinary.
To honor the National Park Service centennial in 2016, the Academy of American Poets commissioned 50 poems to celebrate national parks in every state. Today, we’re taking a closer look at five of our favorites, including:
Ada Limón | Notes on the BelowNathalie Handal | Accepting Heaven at Great BasinArthur Sze | White SandsMeg Day | The Permanent WayMajor Jackson | Song as Abridged Thesis of George Perkins Marsh’s Man and NatureEpisode 17, “A Collision of Breaths,” was produced by Todd Christopher.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer
Audio clips courtesy of the American Academy of Poets. For the complete collection “Imagine Our Parks with Poems,” please visit: https://poets.org/imagine-our-parks-poems
The Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by:
Todd Christopher – Producer & Host
Jennifer Errick – Producer & Host
Bev Stanton – Online Producer
Vaness Pius – Social Media ManagerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org
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Ben Goldfarb was looking forward to a sunny kayaking trip at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, but unseasonable weather blew his plans apart, and he found himself instead falling face-first into the frigid waters of the Laguna Madre.
In this episode, the award-winning conservation writer speaks with host Jennifer Errick on his new feature in National Parks magazine — the trip he planned to have, the adventure he and his wife actually enjoyed, and how he wove elements of history, nature, wildlife and climate-driven conflict together into a lighthearted, informative story about the austere delights and disappointments of world’s largest undeveloped barrier island. He also shares how he built his career traveling to exciting places and writing about them, and the fascination with a particular rodent that led to his first book.
This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Rona Marech, Linda Coutant and Vanessa Pius.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
Read Ben Goldfarb’s story about Padre Island, “Into the Wind,” in the Spring 2023 issue of National Parks Magazine at npca.org/intothewind. Read his Summer 2002 story, “Troubled Waters,” at npca.org/troubledwaters.
National Parks magazine is a beautiful award-winning quarterly publication and an exclusive benefit of membership in the National Parks Conservation Association. Start your subscription at npca.org/subscribe.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org.
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Winter is often a time when we hunker down, shield ourselves from the cold, and sleep off the dark evenings. But it can also be an ideal time to visit parks, once we find a little motivation to turn off Netflix, put on a coat and venture outside.
In this episode, host Jennifer Errick turns to some of her favorite outdoor enthusiasts — her colleagues at the National Parks Conservation Association — for inspiration on where they love to travel in winter. She speaks with Michael Jamison, campaign director for NPCA's Northern Rockies Regional Office, on skating wild ice and finding meditative bliss on rigorous mountain climbs; Theresa Pierno, president and CEO, on the joys of toasting Yellowstone at negative-20 degrees; Miché Lozano, Arizona program manager, on the heritage area that changed their life and career; Cassidy Jones, senior outreach and engagement manager, on the romantic challenge that cleared up a misconception at Acadia National Park; and John Adornato on one of the most remote and idyllic stargazing excursions on the East Coast and how to plan a trip there.
This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton, Vanessa Pius and Linda Coutant.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Special thanks to the staff who contributed their stories, including Southern Appalachian Director Jeff Hunter, whose story we ultimately did not include.
Learn more about this podcast and listen to the rest of our stories at thesecretlivesofparks.org
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org
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Rock Creek Park is one of the oldest national parks in the country. It stretches through the heart of Washington, D.C., and creates a dividing line between neighborhoods to the east and west.
The Carter Barron Amphitheater, a performing arts venue in the park, once brought these communities together with a mix of big-name concerts and creative programs — but structural problems forced it to close in 2017. Can a new alliance of advocates restore this unique venue for the next generation?
In this episode, host Jennifer Errick interviews Rock Creek Park Superintendent Julia Washburn and Deputy Superintendent Brian Joyner and Rock Creek Conservancy Executive Director Jeanne Braha and Senior Manager of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Tony Richardson. They discuss why so many people describe the site as “magical,” some of their favorite performances, the progress that’s taking place to reopen the theater, and ambitious plans for a reopening.
This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Vanessa Pius.
Special thanks to Alan Spears and Ed Stierli for their invaluable assistance with this episode.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about the Carter Barron Alliance.
Learn more about this podcast at thesecretlivesofparks.org.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks.
Learn more and join us at npca.org.
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Witness trees were present for pivotal moments in our history but the stories they would tell, if they could, don’t have to die with them―thanks to a fascinating partnership between national park sites and student artists and designers. Host Todd Christopher visits Antietam National Battlefield’s renowned witness tree ― the Burnside Sycamore ― with natural resources manager Joe Calzarette, explores The Witness Tree Project’s unique mashup of history and design with RISD faculty members and founders Dale Broholm and Dan Cavicchi, and learns about the project’s impact from RISD student and participant Esther Akintoye.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer
Learn more about The Witness Tree Project and view galleries of the objects created by student artists at witnesstreeproject.org.
The Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by:
Todd Christopher – Producer & Host
Jennifer Errick – Producer & Host
Bev Stanton – Online ProducerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org
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Channel Islands National Park and the marine habitat that surrounds it make up one of the most biodiverse coastal regions in the world, with a long and rich cultural history. It’s the traditional home of the Chumash people, and members of these seafaring Tribes have been working for decades to preserve their lands and waters from drilling, development and other threats. After a devastating explosion at an oil well in 1969 devastated birds and marine life along the coast, the Chumash and their allies have been seeking formal federal protections in the form of a national marine sanctuary.
In this episode, host Jennifer Errick interviews guests Violet Sage Walker, Chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council and nominator for the proposed sanctuary; Sarah Barmeyer, Deputy Vice President of Conservation Programs for the National Parks Conservation Association; and Paul Michel, Regional Policy Coordinator for the West Coast Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They discuss some of the reasons this region is so special, what could be included in a proposed national marine sanctuary, and how Tribal members might remain involved in managing these lands and waters after the designation.
This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher and Bev Stanton.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about the proposed sanctuary at chumashsanctuary.org.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org
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National parks are extraordinary places. At The Secret Lives of Parks, we meet people who know and love them, and we share their remarkable stories. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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This week marks 67 years since the trial of Emmett Till’s murderers, a miscarriage of justice that focused the attention of the world on the tiny town of Sumner, Mississippi, galvanized international outrage and grief, and sparked leaders of the Civil Rights Movement to act. Today, advocates want to see the courthouse where the trial took place preserved as a national park site and want to continue to use the story of the Till tragedy as a way to facilitate conversations around race and racism and further healing in the community and beyond.
Host Jennifer Errick features insights from Alan Spears, NPCA Senior Director of Cultural Resources; Benjamin Saulsberry, Public Engagement and Museum Education Director for the Emmett Till Interpretive Center; and Dr. Percy Washington, educator and pastor of the Sweet Canaan Church of God in Christ, on the history of this shocking hate crime, what the culture was like in Mississippi before and after the tragedy, and how advocates now are preserving Till’s story and using it to work toward truth and justice.
This episode was produced by Jennifer Errick with help from Todd Christopher, Bev Stanton and Kyle Groetzinger. Additional assets by Eric Barese and Jeff Taylor.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer.
Learn more about the Emmett Till Interpretive Center at Emmett-Till.org.
The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org
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How far would you go to save a place you love? For Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, who was incensed by a proposal to pave his beloved C&O Canal into a parkway, the answer was all the way. Host Todd Christopher explores the media sensation that was the Douglas protest hike of 1954 and speaks with Mike Darzi and Carol Ivory, co-chairs of the epic One Day Hike where a new generation of park enthusiasts now goes the distance every April.
Original theme music by Chad Fischer
“The Canal Song” was performed by Michael Clem
The Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by:
Todd Christopher – Producer & Host
Jennifer Errick – Producer & Host
Bev Stanton – Online ProducerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org
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