A thorough understanding of those resources is essential to their long-term preservation. Such understanding requires a sound scientific basis.
National parks are also unique laboratories for scientific research.
The National Park System provides university professors with unique laboratories for research, and outstanding opportunities to contribute to the preservation of the nation's most significant natural and cultural resources. The system is diverse and includes large natural areas, cultural resources, historic sites, recreations areas and more. It includes areas such as Yellowstone National Park , Everglades National Park , Mesa Verde National Park , Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park , Golden Gate National Recreation Area , Martin Luther King National Historic Site , and many others. Benefits to Faculty National parks provide uncommon and unique field opportunities for research, such as endangered species recovery, archeological investigations, park visitor studies, watershed analysis, and more. Working in national parks allows faculty members to ground their academic knowledge in practice, benefiting both their research and teaching.