Yellowstone National Park: A Vast Outdoor Classroom
© Imaginexxus LLC
People are fascinated by Yellowstone National Park, and for good reason. It’s not only America’s first national park, it became the first of its kind in the world when Congress set this unique area aside in 1872 for everyone.
The geysers are perhaps Yellowstone’s most distinctive and main attraction. Yet, the diverse wildlife is also a draw for visitors who come to this vast park that straddles parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
We sat up on a bluff overlooking a plain by the Yellowstone River. Our eyes were drawn to a bald eagle sitting in a nearby dead tree scoping out dinner possibilities swimming past his perch. Then a mother grizzly started trotting out of the woods. Her two cubs diligently followed. It was early May. They’d left hibernation only a month ago and the world was still new to them. Which lesson would she have on today’s docket for the pair?
To the members of the 1872 Congress, we’re grateful for your foresight in reserving this outdoor classroom for us and the animals.
If you enjoyed this story in our series, you may also enjoy two other stories about Yellowstone’s bison and Old Faithful. We also encourage you to check out any of our books.