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SOUNDS OF DENALI

• NPS Natural Sounds Program

Want to hear and learn more about natural sounds in national parks, including Denali? Visit the NPS Natural Sounds Program website for information, including a brochure and poster, and audio podcasts for free download. One recording features an interview with Denali wildlife biologist Carol McIntyre about the distinctive adaptations and vocalizations of Ptarmigan (Time 03:26, 37.8 MB WAV).

 

MELTING RIVERS OF ICE: DENALI'S SHRINKING GLACIERS
(Time 3:00)

• PowerPoint (12.4 MB)

Park scientists created this slide presentation as an exhibit for the Eielson Visitor Center, some 66 miles from the park entrance. It compares historic photos, taken by scientists such as Stephen R. Capps as long ago as 1916, with contemporary images of five glaciers to illustrate how Denali’s glaciers have changed over the last century – The Kahiltna Glacier shows significant thinning and some adjacent smaller glaciers have disappeared. Hidden Creek Glacier shows significant retreat. A view of Muldrow Glacier shows the loss of hanging glaciers on Mount Brooks. Sunset Glacier and nearby hanging glaciers have thinned and retreated. The East Teklanika Glacier has lost approximately 980 feet (300 m) of thickness and has experienced significant retreat. In conclusion, the presentation asks visitors to consider how climate change may affect Denali’s glaciers over the next century.

 

VINTAGE GRIZZLY
(Time 01:08)

• Quicktime (2.54 MB)
• Windows Media (2.14 MB)

This short, silent film clip from the 1940s depicts a brown bear foraging and romping on the open tundra of Mount McKinley National Park, as it was known at that time. (Used with permission, Alfred and Elma Milotte Collection, AAF-1294, Archives, Alaska and Polar Regions Collections, Rasmuson Library, University of Alaska Fairbanks.)

 

GETTING INTO DENALI
(Time 2:00, Captioned)

• Quicktime (13.3 MB)
• Windows Media (15.1 MB)

This two-minute overview offers visitors an introduction to Denali's 91-mile park road and transporation system, as well as important distinctions between riding green shuttle buses and tan tour buses.

 

HIKING THE DENALI WILDERNESS
(Time 28:56, Quicktime)

• Introduction (13.5 MB)
• Preparation (37.1 MB)
• Hiking (33.1 MB)
• Making Camp (35.8 MB)
• Crossing Rivers (41.0 MB)
• Bear Encounters (38.1 MB)
• Returning (12.6 MB)

The National Park Service requires all backpackers to watch this 29-minute safety video at the Backcountry Information Center (BIC) before they are issued a permit to hike and camp overnight in Denali wilderness areas. Please note: This compressed video is presented here only as a public service for trip planning and educational purposes. All backpackers will be required to watch the entire video in person even if they have already seen it online (Copyright © 2003, Alaska Natural History Association).

 

DENALI TRIVIA BEE

• PowerPoint (6.02 MB)
• Tally Sheet, PDF (65.4 KB)

This computer quiz game asks 20 multiple-choice questions about Denali’s rich natural and cultural history, ranging from just how fast a grizzly bear can run to where Mount McKinley ranks among the tallest peaks on the planet. It is presented in PowerPoint, so most players won’t need special equipment, software or instructions to get started. A separate, printable tally sheet is provided so that players can keep track of questions that they have answered correctly. While the game doesn’t keep score or track mistakes, that doesn’t preclude players from making up their own way of determining winners and losers. It can be played alone or as a group activity, especially if large-screen projection equipment is available. Future versions tailored for appropriate age groups are being written for educators to use in school classrooms.

 

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