“All the wild world is beautiful, and it matters but little where we go, to highlands or lowlands, woods or plains, on the sea or land or down among the crystals of waves or high in a balloon in the sky; through all the climates, hot or cold, storms and calms, everywhere and always we are in God’s eternal beauty and love. So universally true is this, the spot where we chance to be always seems the best.” John Muir
Every Kid in a Park
How the Every Kid in a Park initiative works
Get your Every Kid in a Park pass
Every Kid in a Park Facebook Page
U.S. National Parks
National Park Service lesson plans for teachers and parents
Explore the National Parks with Sesame Street
Junior Ranger Activity Book: Puzzles, Games, Facts, and Tons More Fun Inspired by the U.S. National Parks! (publication date February 9, 2016)
“Audubon’s Field Guide to Birding in the National Parks” by Kenn Kaufman
Our National Parks by John Muir, 1901; free online edition at The Sierra Club
National Geographic’s free app guide to 25 of the National Parks
“The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”, Ken Burns’s 12-hour PBS series
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, An Illustrated History by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, companion volume to the PBS series
Ansel Adams in the National Parks
America’s National Parks: A Pop-Up Book by Bruce Foster, Dave Ember, and Don Compton
M is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet, written by David Domeniconi and illustrated by Pamela Carroll
National Parks coloring book (A Dover Nature Coloring Book)
National Geographic Kids National Parks Guide USA
National Geographic Kids’ National Parks Guide USA, Centennial Edition: The Most Amazing Sights, Scenes, and Cool Activities from Coast to Coast! (publication date February 9, 2016)
Yosemite National Park
Birdwatching at Yosemite National Park
Birds in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Wildlife Species Lists
Yosemite’s Kids & Youth page with links and more resources
The Yosemite by John Muir, 1912; free online edition at The Sierra Club
The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada, written and illustrated by John Muir Laws, published by the California Academy of Sciences
Sierra Birds: A Hiker’s Guide Paperback, written and illustrated by John Muir Laws, published by the California Academy of Sciences
Birds of Yosemite and the East Slope by David Gaines; more on California birder and environmentalist David Gaines here
Yosemite: The Complete Guide: Yosemite National Park by James Kaiser
Lonely Planet Guide to Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Four Seasons of Yosemite: A Photographer’s Journey by Mark Boster, with foreword by Robert Redford
The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite by Michael Frye
My Yosemite: A Guide for Young Adventurers by Mike Graf and Annette Filice
Yosemite National Park: Harrowing Ascent of Half Dome by Mike Graf, illustrated by Marjorie Leggitt (from the kids’ book series, “Adventures with the Parkers”)
Yosemite’s Songster: One Coyote’s Story, picture book by Ginger Wadsworth and Daniel San Souci
Two Bear Cubs: A Miwok Legend from California’s Yosemite Valley, picture book by Robert D. San Souci and Daniel San Souci
The Camping Trip that Changed America, picture book by Barb Rosenstock and Mordicai Gerstein; President Theodore Roosevelt joins John Muir on a camping trip through Yosemite in 1903
Who Pooped in the Park? Yosemite National Park: Scat and Tracks for Kids by Gary D. Robson and Elijah Brady Clark
The Super Silly Yosemite Sticker and Activity Book: Puzzles, Games, Mazes and More! by Katherine Brumage and Doug Hansen
Good Night Yosemite by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper (publication date, May 2016)
The Sierra Adventure Coloring Book: Featuring Yosemite National Park by Doug Hansen
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park Centennial (1916-2016) website
Acadia Centennial Activities for Kids & Teens, Families & Schools
Birding at Acadia National Park
Acadia Bird Checklist (free to download)
Acadia’s Kids & Youth page with links and more resources
Acadia’s For Kids page with more resources
Acadia Birding Festival, June 2-5, 2016 (registration begins March 1); with keynote speakers
Stephen Kress, Jen Brumfield, and Sharon Stiteler
“Migration is for the Birds” by Richard MacDonald from the Fall 2014 Friends of Acadia Journal
Field Card for the Birds of Mount Desert Island by Richard MacDonald, The Natural History Center, free to download (PDF); a single-page, trifold card (best printed on card stock and then folded) listing the 355 extant species of birds documented for Mount Desert Island.
Checklist of the Birds of Mount Desert Island by Richard MacDonald, The Natural History Center; this free, printable 20-page checklist includes all 353 species of birds documented for Mount Desert Island, including Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park (including introduced, released, or extinct species).
Birds of Mount Desert Island, Maine, and Acadia National Park by Richard MacDonald (5th edition pending): “Birds of Mount Desert Island will be a completely revised and expanded version of the work of ornithologist James Bond (first and second editions) and local science teacher Ralph “Bud” Long (third and fourth editions). In addition to the traditional species accounts, this new edition will include robust chapters on the history of birding and ornithology on Mount Desert Island and where to find the birds.”
Maine Birding Trail website, free printable booklet (PDF), and complete guide, Maine Birding Trail: The Official Guide to More Than 260 Accessible Sites by Bob Duchesne
Field Guide to Acadia National Park, Maine by Russell D. Butcher; available in paperback and via Kindle
Acadia: The Complete Guide: Mt Desert Island & Acadia National Park by James Kaiser; available in paperback and via Kindle
Maine Birding Trail: The Official Guide to More Than 260 Accessible Sites by Bob Duchesne
Discover Acadia National Park by Jerry and Marcy Monkman (Appalachian Mountain Club)
Ultimate Acadia: 50 Reasons to Visit Maine’s National Park by Virginia M. Wright; available in hardcover and via Kindle
The Park Loop Road: A Guide to Acadia National Park’s Scenic Byway, written and photographed by Robert A. Thayer
Acadia National Park: A Centennial Celebration; with photography by Tom Blagden Jr., and contributions by David Macdonald, Sheridan Steele, Christopher Crosman, Dayton Duncan, Christopher Camuto, W. Kent Olson, and David Rockefeller Jr. (publication date March 15, 2016 by Rizzoli)
Coastal Maine: Including Acadia National Park by Hilary Nangle (Moon Handbooks); available in paperback and via Kindle
Acadia National Park waterproof trail map
Photographing Acadia National Park: The Essential Guide to When, Where, and How by Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
Who Pooped in the Park? Acadia National Park: Scat and Tracks for Kids by Gary D. Robson and Robert Rath
The Sea Cow: A Rhyming Tale Set in Acadia National Park, written by Beth Parks and illustrated by Danielle Ermitage Demers
Out of the Deep: A Mystery in Acadia National Park by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson (from the kids’ book series, “Mysteries in Our National Parks”)
Acadia National Park: Eye of the Whale by Mike Graf (from the kids’ book series, “Adventures with the Parkers”)
Grand Canyon National Park
California Condors at the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park Bird Checklist (pdf)
Grand Canyon programs for Kids & Youth
Grand Canyon Trust: citizen science, youth leadership, conservation internships
Grand Canyon Trust’s magazine, The Advocate
National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) Grand Canyon webpage
NPCA blog post, April 2016: “How a child’s first visit to the Grand Canyon seeded a life-long path”
“A Birder’s View of the Grand Canyon”, July 2015 blog post by Sharon “Birdchick” Stiteler, a birder, blogger, digiscoper, and National Park ranger
Maricopa Audubon Society website, and their NW Arizona Birding Info page
Arizona Important Bird Areas Program
Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide: Grand Canyon National Park by James Kaiser
Lonely Planet Guide to Grand Canyon National Park
Belknap’s Waterproof Grand Canyon River Guide
Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon by Edward Dolnick
Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West by Wallace Stegner
The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko
The Grand Canyon Reader, edited by by Lance Newman
The Hidden Canyon: A River Journey by Edward Abbey, photography by John Blaustein
Windows into the Earth: The Geologic Story of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks by Robert B. Smith and Lee J. Siegel
Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon by Stephen Trimble
Birds of Arizona Field Guide by Stan Tekiela
Jim Burns’ Arizona Birds: From the Backyard to the Backwoods
American Birding Association’s Field Guide to Birds of Arizona by Rick Wright, photographs by Brian E. Small; to be published on August 1, 2016
A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon by Stephen R. Whitney
The children’s classic, Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by Wesley Dennis
In the Canyon by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
Over the Edge: A Mystery in Grand Canyon National Park by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson (from the kids’ book series, “Mysteries in Our National Parks”)
Grand Canyon National Park: Tail of the Scorpion by Mike Graf, illustrated by Marjorie Leggitt (from the kids’ book series, “Adventures with the Parkers”)
Who Pooped in the Park? Grand Canyon National Park: Scat and Tracks for Kids by Gary D. Robson, illustrated by Elijah Brady Clark
Where Is the Grand Canyon? by Jim O’Connor, illustrated by Daniel Colón
Puzzler’s Guide to the Grand Canyon by Kristy McGowan and Karen Richards, illustrated by Harvey Jackson
Dover’s Grand Canyon Plants and Animals Coloring Book
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Birds of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Checklist of Chequamegon Bay Birds (pdf)
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore programs for Kids & Youth
Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Apostle Islands Nature & Wildlife page at Oh Ranger
Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival
List of birds to be seen during the Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival (May)
Apostle Islands (Souvenir Edition): From Land and Sea, photographed by Craig Blacklock
Discovering the Apostle Islands: Where to Go, What to Do, How to Get There by Lawrence Newman
Sailing Adventures in the Apostle Islands: The Cruising Guide for Boaters in the Apostle Islands by Lawrence Newman
This Superior Place: Stories of Bayfield and the Apostle Islands by Dennis McCann
National Geographic’s waterproof Apostle Islands National Lakeshore map
The classic picture book (a Caldecott Honor winner), Paddle-to-the-Sea, written and illustrated by Holling C. Holling
The modern classic (set on Madeline Island) The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich (Author)
On Sand Island by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by David A. Johnson; a picture book by the author of Snowflake Bentley
Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities by Katherine L. House
Dover’s North American Lighthouses Coloring Book, by John Batchelor
Olympic National Park
Wildlife viewing in Olympic National Park
Birds of Olympic National Park
Birding in Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park’s Kids & Youth programs
Olympic National Park’s “Bark Ranger” program for park visitors and their dogs
Audubon Washington’s Olympic Loop page with an Olympic Loop guide (pdf)
Oh Ranger’s Olympic National Park page
REI Co-op’s Olympic National Park Visitor Guide
Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula: National Park/Coastal Beaches/Southwest Washington by Craig Romano
Olympic Mountains Trail Guide: National Park & National Forest by Robert L. Wood
National Geographic Olympic National Park waterproof map
Who Pooped in the Park? Olympic National Park: Scat and Tracks for Kids by Gary Robson, illustrated by Robert Rath
Olympic National Park: Touch of the Tide Pool, Crack of the Glacier by Mike Graf and Marjorie Leggitt (from the kids’ book series, “Adventures with the Parkers”)
Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve
Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve
Animals at Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve
Aniakchak Species Lists: Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Mammals, Reptiles, Vascular Plants
Inventory of Breeding Birds in Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (final report from the National Park Service’s Inventory & Monitoring Program)
“Baked Alaska: Surviving Aniakchak National Monument” by Christopher Solomon
Prairie Birder 