Yosemite Nature Notes

Yosemite Nature Notes is a video podcast series that tells unique stories about the natural and human history of Yosemite National Park. Produced by the National Park Service, this series features park rangers, scientists, historians and park visitors as they discuss the diverse plants and animals that make Yosemite their home, as well as the towering cliffs, giant waterfalls and mountain peaks that are known throughout the world.

You can also subscribe to Yosemite Nature Notes on iTunes or on YouTube (in high definition).

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  Episode 21: Snow Plants

  These striking red plants are a common Yosemite roadside attraction in the springtime, but most park visitors are confused about what they're seeing. Is it a plant, a mushroom, or maybe a visitor from another planet? Learn about the unique relationship between snow plants, fungi and trees, as well as the hummingbirds and insects that depend on their nectar.

  Duration:

  7 minutes, 24 seconds

  Date created:

  2013-06-18

  Download Original File:

  yose-ynn21-snowplants.m4v
  275,537 KB

 

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  One Day in Yosemite

  On Tuesday, June 26th, 2012, thirty filmmakers spread throughout Yosemite National Park to create this portrait of the park and the people who visit and work there.

  Date created:

  2013-01-24

 

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  Episode 20: Granite

  Many national parks were founded for their geology, and Yosemite is known throughout the world for its exceptional high cliffs and rounded domes. Visitors to the park, from hikers to rock climbers, experience a landscape dominated by granite.

  Date created:

  2012-11-06

 

Additional information:

• Yosemite's geology

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  Episode 19: Night Skies

  Yosemite's vast acreage and remote location protect some of the darkest night skies in the country. Astronomers, photographers, and city dwellers flock to the park to take advantage of this unique opportunity to view planets, stars, and galaxies.

  Date created:

  2012-08-27

 

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  Episode 18: Water

  Water is the life-blood of Yosemite National Park. The Tuolumne and Merced rivers water some of the most productive farmland on the Earth, and urban dwellers throughout the state depend on the Sierra Nevada snowpack for their domestic water needs.

  Date created:

  2012-05-14

 

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  Winter Moments

  While most visitors come during the summer months, winter is a special time of year in Yosemite National Park. (2:53)

  Date created:

  2012-01-06

  Download Original File:

  yose-ynns-wintermoments.m4v
  31,626 KB

 

Additional information:

• Visiting in Winter
• Winter Road Closures
• Winter Sports
• Snow (Yosemite Nature Notes - video)
• Winter in Yosemite (Yosemite Voices - audio podcast)

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  Episode 17: Black Oaks

  Changing appearance throughout the seasons, the black oak is one of the iconic trees of Yosemite Valley, and its acorn is used for food by both animals and people.

  Date created:

  2011-11-09

 

Additional Information:

• Black Oaks in Yosemite

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  Episode 16: Sky Islands

  Throughout the Sierra Nevada, high flat plateaus are found at elevations around twelve and thirteen thousand feet. These isolated sky islands are the home to unique plant communities that are found nowhere else.

  Date created:

  2011-09-12

 

Additional Information:

• General plant information for Yosemite
• When and where to see wildflowers in Yosemite
• Common wildflowers in Yosemite
• Yosemite Nature Notes 1: Wildflowers

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  Episode 15: Moonbows

  From the Milky Way to the moon, the beauty of Yosemite is on display 24 hours per day. During the full moon of the the spring and early summer, lunar rainbows, also known as moonbows, can be seen on many park waterfalls.

  Date created:

  2011-07-01

 

View previous Yosemite Nature Notes episodes.