Over a hundred years ago, people thought they could use the land anyway they wanted. They believed there would always be more land, more water, more wilderness. They didn't understand that if you use up all the land and use up all the water, then the whole Earth would die.

People thought there would always be wild places to explore. Lewis and Clark explored our country from 1803 to 1806. They were looking for a safer and faster way to travel from the east coast to the west coast. They traveled more than 8,000 miles.

Everyday, they made maps of the land they explored. They wrote down all the animals and plants they saw in the huge wilderness they were exploring.

The awe inspiring Old Faithful Geyser erupts regularly. You can watch it from your home on the Geyser Cam at the following website: www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/yellowstonelive.htm

One of the men helping Lewis and Clark was named John Colter. He later explored the West on his own.He told stories of a special place he had seen full of hot springs and boiling geysers. The area was called "Colter's Hell". The Native Americans who lived nearby called the place Yellowstone.

The next major exploration of the region happened after the American Civil War. Geologist Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden led an expedition to the Rocky Mountains. He took with him artist Thomas Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson. They spent more than a month writing about, painting, and photographing the Yellowstone area.

Grizzly bears are protected!

When he returned to Washington, D.C., Hayden gave more than 400 pictures of the Yellowstone area to Congress. His written report was more than 500 pages long. He believed that Yellowstone was so special that it should be protected for all time. He was able to make congressmen and senators understand this.

On March 1, 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Act of Dedication. This act made Yellowstone the first National Park in the whole world. This meant the land, the water, and all living things would be protected for all time to come. Now all people had a place to go to enjoy life through outdoor recreation for all time to come, too. We call this preservation. Over 2 million acres are protected inside Yellowstone National Park.

At first the park had little protection from poachers and vandals. Then in 1886, the park came under the protection of the United States Army. The army served the park as its protector, but something was missing.

People needed help to understand the park. They needed help to get the most out of their experience in the park. They needed help so they wouldn't hurt the park.

On August 25, 1916, Congress created a new service for the American people. They called it the National Park Service. The National Park Rangers in parks all across American are there for you. They protect your parks. They preserve the stories of your parks. They are there to help you enjoy YOUR parks.

One of the easiest ways to spot a ranger is by the hat.

Today, there are almost 400 National Parks in the United States.

Park Rangers protect the natural resources and preserve our cultural history of these parks. Junior Park Rangers help them by learning and doing as much as they can to understand why preservation is important.

National Parks belong to all people to enjoy.

National Parks are Your Parks!

After reading the story, pick the MAIN IDEA:

A. Over a hundred years ago, people used the land anyway they wanted.

B. National Parks protect the land, the water, and all living things forever.

C. Lewis and Clark explored the west looking for a safer and faster way to travel.

D. Hayden believed Yellowstone should be protected for all time.

(Do you agree with the answer below?)



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B. National Parks protect the  land, the water, and all living things forever.

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