Evening star., 1936-10-18

parks are happy W uISCOfcI tilde tAlc
National Park Service has arranged
special features for them. At Yo-
semitic, for instance, the children gath
er every morning during July and
August at the museum building, where
Mother Natures many wonders are
interpreted for them by ranger nat
uralist, who tells in simple language
of wild flowers, trees. animals and
geology. After the talk at the mu-
scum the guide leads his embryo nat
uralists on an interesting field trip
over the outdoor trail.
Flower lovers unfailingly show
deep interest in the wild flower dis
plays found in all of the major parks.
In the museums, lodges and hotels
the naturalists have arranged color
full exhibits that. acquaint visitors with
the parks bounty of plant life. Near
the south rim of Grand Canyon q
series of gardens exhibit plants from
various life zones in the canyon. The
labeled specimens furnish a compre-
hensive view of the parks wild
flowers.
Wild animals, once doomed to ex-
tinction, today abound in the parks
and are star performers in the Ma
tional Park Service big show" Deer,
coyote, big-horn sheep, mountain
lions, bobcats, buffalo and bears are
some of the creatures that roam the
parks. Until recently visitors who
hurried through a park seldom saw
any of these animals. Today the
National Park Service wild-life dis
plays attract the visitor who cannot
linger. In Yellowstone during the
Summer months, when the buffalo
herd is far away in the range coun-
try, a number of the huge, shaggy
| animals are kept at the mammoth
buffalo corral without this ar
rangement Summer visitors would
seldom see this almost extinct ami.
NAL. Yosemite has a small ZOO,
where mountain lions and wildcats
are viewed by the traveller. Displays
of snakes and lizards at Grand Can
yon and Zion National Parks are al
ways attended by large crowds.
Bears are the most popular troupers
of the parks animal family and never
fail to entertain sight-seers. Through
out the season crowds of spectators
assemble at the feeding grounds" to
watch rotund bears and fluffy cubs
stage gastronomic orgies. At Yosemite
the performance is held under bril-
liant arc lights. One of the year.
round attractions at Bear Hill" in
Sequoia National Park, Calf, is the
lecture about bears given daily by
the park naturalist.
A CTIVITIES on the National Park
Service program do not cease
with sunset. The evenings fun at
Yosemite begins with the "firefah," a
dazzling cometlike spectacle achieved
by pushing flaming Goals over the
steep canyon rim. Another long-re-
membered occasion is the camp-f fire
meetings under starlit skies. The
gatherings are arranged by the nat
uralists. BY the Pickering light of
the camp fire the crowd sings merry
tunes and hears illustrated nature
talks. Musical skits and specialties
round out the program. Often celeb
rites of stage. screen and radio are
campfire guests and offer their serv-
ices for the occasion.
Campfire programs have met with
instant success wherever sponsored by
the National Park Service. At times
as many as 5000 enthusiastic visitors
have gathered around roaring camp
fire. Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde
programs feature Navajo and Hopi
Indians, who dance and sing tribal
songs. In recent years rustic camp
fire amphitheaters have been built
in several of the major parks.
Scientists and students find special
interest in the museums which have
been constructed by the National
Park Service. In these museums
wonderful exhibits portray the nat
ural and historic wealth of the coun-
try's vast vacation lands. So valu-
able are the museums, with their
comprehensive exhibits, that in Yell
lowstone alone. five museums have
been built by the Government.
Yosemite offers unique "live ex-
hibit" in an open area back of the
headquarters museum, where a replica
of one Of the early Indian camps has
been contracted. An old Indian
squaw, who occupies the camp daily,
demonstrates basket weaving and
sings the traditional song of her tribe
Uncle Sans master Snowman is
not a mere fair weather friend OF
the touring public. Many of the
parks are unusually beautiful ir
Winter. When dazzling snow fields
and ice-capped peaks beckon the Win.
ter visitor, full program awaits him
Skiing. ice hockey. figure skating
Eskimo dog races and ice carnivals
always attract Winter sports enthusi-
asts at Yosemite Valley. Here excel.
lent snow fields for skiing may be
| quickly reached over the Govern.
ment's all-year highway. "Ash Car
Alley" popular snowslide, is alst
a Government-sponsored attraction
The slide is 50 called because the
trip down the snowy slope is made
in heavy tin pans that resemble ash.
can covers. Yosemite Valley Winter
tourists are indeed fortunate. Or
the northern side of the valley motor
ing, horseback riding and hiking are
enjoyed, while on the southern side
screened from the sun by the tower.
ing cliffs, all OF the Winter sports
prevail.
Hawaii, Hot Springs, Grand Can
] x.o,. and ,,nansr iHskhar laafinnal r,arI.