National Parks

Overcrowding has been an issue at some of the nation’s most popular parks over the past decade.

On today's This Green Earth, host Chris Cherniak and guest host Claire Wiley will be speaking with (02:46) biologist turned perfumer, Elise Vernon Pearlstine, who turns our human centered perception of fragrance on its head and investigates plant evolutionary reasons for creating aromatic molecules. Her new book is called Scent: A Natural History of Fragrance. Then, (29:38) Chris and Claire will replay a recent favorite interview: Professor Emeritus William Lowry on National Parks in the Era of Climate Change.They conclude the show discussing Utah's drought.

Michael Oswald, author of Your Guide to the National Parks, talks about his comprehensive new book detailing America's National Parks.

On today's Local News Hour, host Leslie Thatcher's guests include: (19:33) Park City Manager Matt Dias with a preview of this week's city council meeting and (37:06) Michael Oswald, author of Your Guide to the National Parks, talks about his comprehensive new book detailing America's National Parks.

Professor Emeritus William Lowry comes on This Green Earth to discuss Requiem for America's Best Idea: National Parks in the Era of Climate Change; a book about our National Parks written by Michael Yochim. Yochim worked as a park ranger for 22 years at Yellowstone National Park, as well as Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Sequoia before he was diagnosed with ALS. While Yochim wrote this book, he used just his eyes and an eye-tracking machine. The book establishes a parallel between the author's terminal illness and the state of the National Parks.

This Green Earth airs on KPCW at 9am following NPR news and the Local News Hour. Today, Nell and Chris's guests include: (02:23) Professor Emeritus William Lowry, who discusses Requiem for America's Best Idea: National Parks in the Era of Climate Change; a book about our National Parks written by Michael Yochim. Yochim worked as a park ranger for 22 years at Yellowstone National Park, as well as Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Sequoia before he was diagnosed with ALS. While Yochim wrote this book, he used just his eyes and an eye-tracking machine. The book establishes a parallel between the author's terminal illness and the state of the National Parks, and Lowry wrote the forward to the book. (20:59) Jordan Clayton from Utah Snow Survey then joins This Green Earth to speak about the March water report and projections as we head into our warmer months.Nell and Chris end the hour discussing (44:24) Charles Darwin's missing notebooks, taken from Cambridge Library, have been returned more than 20 years later, (46:30) one of their favorite interviews of the past about stolen feathers from the British Natural History Museum, (47:14) the National Weather Service cutting back weather balloon launches, and (48:22) Swaner Ecocenter's event tonight from 7-9pm called Lights Out.

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah's five national parks were bustling with visitors over the weekend as parks re-opened at least for now. Lynn Ware Peek has more.

Saying it's a $1,000,000 loss to the state, Utah Governor Gary Herbert Tuesday formally requested President Obama to re-open the state's five national…