Here is this weeks roundup. Today we are looking at the recently published WACAP report on pollutants in our western National Parks, getting some tips on outdoor photography, and examining an article that points to an obvious design flaw in most outdoor programs for kids.
Photo of the Week
The photo of the week is titled Winter @ Yosemite National Park and was taken by Karamsingh via Flicker.com.
Polluted Parks
On the NPS website, the Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project (WACAP) published results of it's study on pollutants (mercury, DDT, PCBs) in western National Parks.
The project objectives were to:
- Determine if contaminants are present in western national parks
- If present, determine where contaminants are accumulating (geographically and by elevation)
- If present, determine which contaminants pose a potential ecological threat
- Determine which indicators appear to be the most useful to address contamination
- Determine the sources for contaminants measured at the national park sites
The results are not good. You can read the conclusions here
Outdoor Photography
Students of outdoor photography got a treat this week when the folks at Digital Photography School published a tutorial for low light photography and weather and landscape photography. This site always produces great stuff, but the low light photography course hit home for us. Our photos of the eclipse this last week had some room for improvement.
Outdoor Program Design Flaw
Eric Sharp at the Detroit Free Press made the argument in his column that programs aimed at getting kids outdoors are fundamentally flawed. They are doomed for failure because they generally focus on creating a single recreational opportunity for kids and not changing the habits of the adults.
This is critical because the adults provide the access and support required for subsequent recreational opportunities. You can pack the kids in a bus and take them fishing, but without the parental support the children don't have the access to continue.
I think that he is absolutely right. The first step in any outdoor recreation and leisure goal that includes kids involves the parent allocating the required time.