A Few Committed People: Celebrating Natural Sounds

Just minutes before Rocky Mountain National Park unveiled a new wayside exhibit - Protecting Natural Sounds - at the Upper Beaver Meadows picnic area, a symphony of coyotes sang in the meadow and the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. The exhibit highlights the importance of natural sound, like the call of an owl and the rustle of leaves, and is placed where visitors can hear nearby Boulder Brook.

Thanks to the dedicated work of concerned citizens, led by the League of Women Voters of Estes Park, Congress enacted a permanent ban on commercial air tours over Rocky Mountain National Park in October 1998. Rocky is the only National Park in the western United States that has such a ban. This ban protects natural sound and shows the importance visitors place on tranquility. The League of Women Voters funded this wayside exhibit. This group exemplifies Margaret Mead’s saying – “Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”