Pocahontas State Park - Virginia (Episode 23)

Pocahontas State Park is the largest state park in Virginia and has great outdoor recreation, camping, and conservation programs.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
I'm taking you to one of my favorite parks, a spot
in Virginia where it's easy toforget that you are right
outside of the state capital andis host to nearly every outdoor
recreation activity you couldthink of.
Join me as we explore PocahontasState Park.
I'm your host, Missy Renz, andthis is the Parks Podcast.

(00:22):
Today, we are lucky to have NateClark, who is the park manager
at Pocahontas State Park inVirginia.
Nate, welcome to the ParksPodcast.

SPEAKER_01 (00:30):
I appreciate you having me on.
I appreciate the time today.

SPEAKER_00 (00:34):
We start each episode with park stats.
Let's run through them forPocahontas State Park.
The park is located inChesterfield, Virginia, which is
just south of Richmond.
It was established in 1946 afterbeing part of the Virginia
Conservation Commission for 12years.
The park is 7,000 919 acres andsome fun facts about pocahontas

(00:56):
state park it's virginia'slargest state park it's home to
three lakes swift creek lakewhich is 225 acres beaver lake
is 24 acres and camp seven lakeis seven acres there are 90
miles of trails including sixmiles of hiking trails and 44
miles of mountain biking trailsand 13 miles of bridal trails it

(01:20):
is a very active park for arecreation, but also for the
plants and animals that livethere, including 446 plant
species, 26 mammals, 109 birds,28 reptiles, 23 amphibians, 150
butterflies, and so many moreanimals.
Nate, I love this park.

(01:41):
I feel like I'm on home turftalking to you because it's the
one I go to all the time.

SPEAKER_01 (01:46):
Awesome.
Awesome.
Yeah, it's a cool park.
It's a really neat place here inthe said we're only 30 minutes
south of Richmond and the statecapital in a very urban area so
to have almost 8,000 acres ofprotected land here is just a
it's a real gem for this areatruly truly really cool park

(02:07):
here a lot of activities

SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
it is one of those where you're driving down the
interstate and you have 95 andthe hustle and the bustle and
all of a sudden there's thispeacefulness that you can escape
to it's a gift to the community

SPEAKER_01 (02:19):
yeah if you pull up a map on your phone of the
Chesterfield area, there's a biggreen blob in the middle of the
county, and that's us.
Chesterfield is definitely anurban county.
It's lots of development, lotsof stuff going on, so it's nice
to have this protected arearight here.

SPEAKER_00 (02:36):
Absolutely.
And so I talked about how it wascreated by the Conservation
Commission as a recreation area,and then it later became a
Virginia state park.
Why is this area so important topreserve for the state parks?

SPEAKER_01 (02:50):
Well, like we just talked about, in this area
having protected public land iskind of rare.
We're the only state park righthere in the metro area.
There's a couple other ones,Farmville, Cumberland, Powhatan,
and over towards York River andWilliamsburg in that area.
But we are the only state parkright here in the Richmond area.

(03:10):
So to be able to protect andconserve this land and to be
able to offer these recreationalopportunities like we do, it's
just really great opportunitiesright here.

SPEAKER_00 (03:19):
Okay, so we've talked to several national
parks, particularly in the area.
And they talk a lot about theCivilian Conservation Corps.
And so I knew it with thenational parks, but I didn't
realize that they played such asignificant role in the creation
of some of the state parks.
I read a lot about it, but youall actually have a museum
dedicated to the role the CCCplayed in the park.

SPEAKER_01 (03:43):
We do.
It's the only CivilianConservation Corps museum in
Virginia State Parks.
It's right down by our visitorcenter and it's open on weekends
We have a lot of times ourvolunteers are staffing the
building for us.
But it's a really neat facilityand the CCC is such a cool
history like you talked about.
I mean, the impact and thefootprint that they left across

(04:05):
the country and in particularhere in Virginia is pretty
amazing.
We have seven original CCC stateparks in Virginia, which
Pocahontas is not one becauselike you said, we became a park
in the 40s a little bit afterall the other parks opened.
But see if I can get this rightbecause you put me on the spot.
The seven original ones areFirst Landing in Virginia Beach

(04:26):
and Douthit in Bath County,Allegheny County.
Westmoreland is up in thenorthern neck.
There's Fairystone in PatrickCounty, Hungry Mother in Smith
County, where I worked aboutfive years there before I came
up here, and Stanton River inHalifax County is, I believe
that's seven.
Those are the original stateparks that we actually, as an

(04:48):
agency, opened all seven ofthose on the same day, June
1936.
I hope I have that right.
But like you said, we've gotsome CCC history here at
Pocahontas also.
We've got some originalfacilities still, a lot of
things, stonework, culverts onthe road, stuff like that that's
original.
So it's a really cool legacywhen you look back.

(05:11):
The fact that we're still usingsome of these buildings and some
of the infrastructure that wasbuilt back in the 30s is a real
testament to the quality and theworkmanship that they did.
And we have a lot of these CCCcabins around the state and some
of those original parks that Ijust mentioned are still being
used as rental cabins.
It's a really cool legacy andpretty incredible what they did
for us.

SPEAKER_00 (05:32):
Would they have come in and really built the entire
park, especially in those seventhat you mentioned?
Or was their purposeinfrastructure or what was their
mission there?

SPEAKER_01 (05:42):
Well, I think it was a little bit of everything.
And then obviously all thoseparks have developed and grown
quite a bit since.
But I'll talk a little bit aboutHungry Mother because I worked
there for five years.
So that is in Smith County inSouthwest Virginia and one of
the original parks, like wesaid.
So there are original cabins.
There are five log civilianconservation cabins, civilian

(06:05):
conservation corps cabins, plusthe lodge at Hunger Mother are
still in use.
So they're public rental cabins.
Picnic shelters there were builtby the CCC.
The beach area was built by theCCC.
The dam, Hunger Mother Lake, isa dammed impoundment, as is
Swift Creek Lake here, or the isalso CCC construction.
So there's a lot of, a littlebit of everything.

(06:26):
I mean, trails, you name it,they build infrastructure, they
build cabins.
I mean, they built their owncamps, of course, the barracks
and buildings and workshopswhile they're here.
I'm sure it was quite a sight tosee when they're in action
building everything.

SPEAKER_00 (06:40):
I bet.
And I always find the structuresto be really beautiful too.
I feel like maybe now we put upstuff that's more utilitarian
and to see the stonework thatgoes into those original
structures is really beautiful.
Oh,

SPEAKER_01 (06:53):
absolutely.
It's some of the stonework thatyou see around the state,
particularly some of thefireplaces and shelters and some
of the culverts and drainageareas off the roads and the
infrastructure.
Hungry Mother had several waterfountains that they built, stone
water fountains that the CCC.
So it's really cool because theconstruction techniques, like

(07:13):
you said, now are very, verydifferent.
So to think of the quality andthe craftsmanship that they did
and the construction tools arevery, very different.
different now, so they didn'thave access to some of the
things that we have now.
So it's pretty amazing what theyleft for us.

SPEAKER_00 (07:28):
Yeah, and it's really great that you guys
actually have a museum so thatpeople can go and learn a lot
more about what they did andfeel a little more connected to
the work as they're walkingthrough the park.
I tend to use Pocahontas forrecreation, but I loved seeing
as you go through the park, it'svery obvious that the
preservation is very importantto you in the park.

(07:50):
And I noticed there's a lot ofthe beehive.
I think they're the beehive, thewooden structures that are set
up.
But there's also a lot of landthat's protected that's not
meant for us to use.
Can you talk a little bit aboutthe preservation and restoration
projects that you guys have atPocahontas?

SPEAKER_01 (08:10):
Yeah, I mean, resource management for us is
part of our mission.
We're the Department ofConservation and Recreation.
So on the recreation side, youtouched on that a little bit,
and I'm sure we'll talk moreabout it.
The conservation side is theresource management.
So it could be naturalresources.
It could be physical resourceslike the CCC buildings.
It could be cultural resourceslike we have some artifacts and

(08:31):
some things in our museum thatwould fit under that.
So we try to, it's always abalance with Virginia State
Parks because conservation andrecreation It's just a balance
between the two.
But the biggest, honestly, thebiggest conservation aspect that
we have is just protecting theselands.
There is an 8,000 acre park andI'm making up a stat here.

(08:52):
I don't know if this is accurateor not, but the developed area
is probably a 10, maybe aquarter.
So you think about all thatundeveloped land here in the
park still, that's a greathabitat for all the species that
you talked about.
We've got all the typicalmammals and plants and birds and
everything else that you'll seein Virginia.

(09:13):
Deer, very good white-taileddeer population.
We have a couple bear sightingsevery year, which is actually
really cool.
I have not seen a bear here inPocahontas, but two, yeah, one,
two, maybe three a year, we getsome sightings.
And if you think about it, it'sagain, it's just perfect
habitat.
It's 8,000 acres of protectedarea through here.
So statewide, and every park isa little different in Virginia,

(09:37):
every state park with some ofthe missions, some of the kind
of their resource goals theirmanagement goals but the biggest
thing is that we're justprotecting all this land across
the commonwealth that all thatwill never be developed and
always remain in the state thatit is

SPEAKER_00 (09:51):
yeah it's so great and i i mean it's it's nice to
see it when you're there andbecause it's so big you really
do feel that impact of being inpreserved spaces and natural
spaces but i mentioned i comefor the recreation so there's a
lot to do i almost feel likewhen I come there, it's like a

(10:12):
playground for children of allages at Pocahontas State Park.

SPEAKER_01 (10:16):
Definitely is.

SPEAKER_00 (10:17):
And so recreation is a big piece of the world that
you play in.
What can people do when theycome to visit the park?

SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
Everything.

SPEAKER_00 (10:27):
That's so true.
That's very true.

SPEAKER_01 (10:30):
Well, I guess we'll kind of break it down into
overnight use or day use on verysimple terms.
So for overnight, we've got acampground.
We've got a rather largecampground that has sites that
will accommodate most sizes ofRVs and motor as well as all the
way down to your typical tent,which is usually my still
preferred method.
Also in the campground, we haveyurts and camping cabins.

(10:53):
So the yurts are basically awood-framed, canvas-covered
permanent tent, I guess, in verybasic terms.
But there's furniture inside, sothere's a bed, there's a sofa,
there's a table and chairs.
So our camping cabins arerelatively rustic buildings, but
they've got a couple sets ofbunk beds and table and chairs,

(11:15):
and they do have electricity inthem, too.
So the camping cabins and yurtsare really great for first-time
campers, someone who may nothave the tent in a sleeping bag
and all the stuff that you needto go camping, but they want to
come try it out.
So it's a great opportunity toget in and camp around and
experience an overnight stayhere.
We also have cabins, kind offull, I mean, nice cabins.

(11:39):
Think like beach house cabins.
So we've got five three-bedroomcabins and one six-bedroom
lodge.
So a lot of parks around thestate have these cabins.
Ours are relatively new.
We only opened them in 21, Ibelieve.
So they are actually the newestcabins in state parks.
So overnight options for comingin during the day.

(12:00):
One of the big draws here, well,in the summertime, our pool
complex, the aquatic complex isreally one of the biggest draws.
We've got a rather large waterpark, four individual bodies of
water, a wet deck, an activitystructure.
So think like a playground inthe middle of the pool with
water jets and stuff shootingall over the place and a couple

(12:22):
of water slides also.
So that's really, really popularin summertime, especially on
weekends.
But the other big kind ofrecreational opportunity here is
trail use.
We have close to 100 miles oftrail total.
We have some mountain bikingonly trails.
We have hiking only trails.
We have equestrian accessibletrails.
And we have a pretty extensivenetwork of forest roads, fire

(12:46):
roads, kind of what we callthem.
But they are basically a graveldouble track trail running
through the woods.
So a Great, great opportunitiesfor trail use.
Our mountain bike trails are, Iwould say, world-class.
We've been recognized by theInternational Mountain Bike
Association for our trails.

(13:06):
We get a lot of folks who comein regionally from different
states to come and ride ourtrails.
So really, really popular withtrail use.
And then the lakes, lots ofboating opportunities, canoe,
kayak, paddle boats, stand-uppaddle boards.
We got playgrounds.
You can go fishing.
It's just a little bit ofeverything.

(13:28):
It's kind of endlessopportunities there.

SPEAKER_00 (13:30):
So if you're new to this, I like this park because
you can kind of try things.
There's rental programs,correct?
Or do you have to bring all yourequipment?
Yeah, that's what I thought.
And then, but are there, like ifI'm brand new and I'm
intimidated by the hiking orwhatnot, what kind of programs
do you all offer or to kind ofhelp educate people about the

(13:52):
park and what there is to do?

SPEAKER_01 (13:55):
Sure.
Sure.
Yeah.
Well, we do.
We have a really extensiveeducational program,
interpretive programs.
So out of our visitor center,which is in that same area as
the CCC Museum that we talkedabout, we run all of our nature
programs from that, from thevisitor center.
So our chief ranger, RebeccaWhalen, and her staff just do an
awesome job.
So kids of all ages ages, adultsof all ages.

(14:16):
There's programs that are gearedtowards the homeschoolers and
younger age and then all the wayup to really you name it.
So they do a great job with theprograms down there and think
like Junior Ranger programs andFishing 101.
They've done some Camping 101programs and just a little bit
of everything.
So that's a great opportunity ifyou, I mean, again, people of

(14:40):
all ages, but if you are aparent and bringing your kids
here, that's a great opportunityget some programs there and let
them learn some things.
We do rent boats, like you said.
So we have canoes and kayaks andpaddle boats that we'll rent
out.
And if you just want to try acanoe for an hour, you can do
that.
And then as soon as you're done,you can cross a little

(15:01):
footbridge down there and hikeon Co-op Trail, which is about
two miles.
So there's a lot of little kindof quick hitters like that that
you can do without reallyspending all day on anything.
Or if you want to just try acouple of different
opportunities and see what youenjoy or just do several things
all in one day.

SPEAKER_00 (15:17):
Right.
Yeah.
I mean, the variety is so great.
But I think, at least for me,starting something new and
trying something, you want to beable to put your toe in the
water and figure out if youactually are going to like it
before you invest in it.
And I think that you guys do anamazing job offering that.
When someone is planning a tripto come visit the park, what do
you recommend as far as how theygo about planning their trip?

SPEAKER_01 (15:42):
Well, our website is a good resource.
Our website is has all the kindof different amenities and kind
of details and a lot ofquestions that somebody may have
will probably be answered on thewebsite.
So I would start there and justkind of see what is available
and what we have and what mightinterest you.
For the campground and thecabins, if you're looking for an

(16:02):
overnight stay, we, as all parksin Virginia, we stay very busy
in the summertime and especiallyon weekends.
So I would say make yourreservations as early as you
can.
And if you're flexible and cancome during the week, then you
probably shouldn't have anyproblems getting a reservation.
The weekends are pretty busy.
So definitely check our website.

(16:23):
Give us a call at the office orjust stop by.
Just stop by and pop in to theoffice of a visitor center and
find somebody in a uniform andjust ask some questions.
We'd be happy to stop whateverwe're doing and talk to people
and answer questions.

SPEAKER_00 (16:36):
That's what I love to point that out because I
think that the rangers want totalk to people.
They want to share their passionand love for the park.
So I think that you're notinterrupting.
You're not, no question issilly.
You ask the questions becausethey are the ones to know.
And when I go to a park, I liketo go talk to a ranger because

(16:56):
oftentimes they know the betterthings to do.
They might know that a trail isparticularly wet one day and
there may be another option orthere's great flowers in bloom
on another trail.
So it's really always good totap into their massive amounts
of knowledge in the park.

SPEAKER_01 (17:13):
Yeah, I mean, we work here.
We're here 40 hours a week ormore, so we're very familiar
with the park, and a lot of ususe the park also.
It's not just a workplace, butit's somewhere that we use a lot
on our off time, and I certainlydo.
So yeah, and we...
We've really seen a lot of newfolks and a lot of new families

(17:34):
post-COVID, which I think is anational trend.
All the visitation numbers wentup.
Everybody wanted to get outsideand start doing some different
things.
So we've seen a lot of newvisitors to the park.
And you and I, we've spent yearsand years and a lifetime in
parks.
We kind of were used to it.
We're familiar with it.
We know the kind ofquote-unquote proper way to use
a park.
But some people don't.

(17:54):
And so we're happy to answerthose questions.
And stewardship ideals issomething that we really
appreciate.
We really enjoy being able topass that on to folks.

SPEAKER_00 (18:03):
And this is a region of the country where you can use
the park year-round.
Are there peak times that peopleshould be aware of?

SPEAKER_01 (18:10):
Well, summertime is usually our busiest.
Memorial Day through Labor Dayis kind of our typical summer
season.
So weekends are very busy,especially when the pools open.
So if you're looking for alittle less crowded time, I
would say during the week.
And then, of course, spring andfall is just gorgeous.
The summertime weather andhumidity around the Richmond

(18:33):
area.
So if you can get out in thespring and fall and get out on a
trail when the weather's nicer,it's a really nice time to be
out.
The other really nice thingabout this park is that it is
8,000 acres and we've got amillion plus visitors every
year.
It's the busiest state park inthe state.
But it's very easy to get out onthe trail and be out by

(18:54):
yourself.
There's a lot of times, I'm arunner, so I'll run trails.
And there's a lot of times whereI can count on one thing.
and how many people I actuallysee on the trail.
So a lot of the crowds and a lotof the congestions are around
the pool and the day use areasand all that, but it's very easy
to get out on a trail and reallyget that experience like you're
out in the woods here.

SPEAKER_00 (19:15):
Yeah.
Beaver Lake is my go-to, and Ihave been on it multiple times
where I never ran into a singleperson, which is, even though
there's cars in the parking lot,I don't know where everybody is.
They're not on my route.
And then wintertime is,obviously, you just dress for
the weather, but most, I mean,not the pools and stuff, but
most things are accessible inthe winter.
And it's a really pretty timeand a very different time to see

(19:36):
a park.

SPEAKER_01 (19:37):
Yeah, it can be real nice in the winter.
And we have pretty mild weatherhere, so not a whole lot of
barriers as far as weather orsnow or anything like that.
But yeah, it can be a great timeout here.
The leaves are down, so you cansee a little better through the
woods, better chance of seeingwildlife, certainly less people.
The weather's not awful, and ifyou're moving, you can keep warm

(19:58):
pretty easy.
Yeah.
Yeah, wintertime is one of myfavorite times here.

SPEAKER_00 (20:03):
The other thing I want to point out with the
camping, and if you're new,because of its proximity, it's
also very easy to stock up onthings that you may need.
When I was first starting tocamp, I felt like every time I
set up camp, I forgot something.
And so your proximity, it'sreally easy to run to the
grocery store or just get whatyou need.

(20:23):
So this is a great spot to startyour camping and outdoor
adventures.

SPEAKER_01 (20:29):
Yeah, absolutely.
Some of the parks across thestate are, most of the parks
across the state are more ruralareas.
So you might be 20, 30, 45minutes away from your nearest
grocery store or conveniencestore or whatever.
But right here in Chesterfield,we're real close.
I mean, you can pop out of thepark and hit your good end of
Route 10 and hit a grocery storepretty quick.
And we've got a camp store inthe campground also, so it can

(20:50):
see us.
So a lot of basics you can pickup right there.

SPEAKER_00 (20:54):
So if someone comes to the park and experiences the
park, they may want to get moreinvolved.
No.
What can you do at PocahontasState Park if you just want to
do a little extra?

SPEAKER_01 (21:30):
If somebody wants to give back and wants to
volunteer, there's all kinds ofopportunities here.
The Friends Group is theorganization, but there's a lot
of individual opportunities too.
It could be trail maintenance.
It could be working in the CCCMuseum, like we talked about,
and spending a few hours thereand talking to people,
interacting with guests whenthey come in.

(21:50):
There's some resourceopportunities.
Master Naturalists is anotherorganization that does a lot of
work here in the park, so theydo a like bat monitoring and
bluebird monitoring andbutterfly gardens.
And there's a butterfly countevery year that's happening here
in a few weeks.
So there's a lot ofopportunities if you want to get
involved.

SPEAKER_00 (22:11):
That's pretty cool.
Now, if you wanted to getinvolved, do you just go into
the office and ask a parkranger?
Is there a place on the website?
How would you direct people?

SPEAKER_01 (22:22):
Yeah, so the friends group is fopsp.org, I believe.
If you Google Friends ofPocahontas State Park, it'll pop
right up and And

SPEAKER_00 (22:30):
we'll put a link on the episode page too.

SPEAKER_01 (22:33):
Okay, great.
So yeah, so you can contact themthat way.
We have a volunteer coordinatorhere at the park.
So if you want to give us acall, we can get you in touch
with Brian is his name.
Then he can get you all thedifferent opportunities.

SPEAKER_00 (22:44):
And we'll put links to all of these on the website
if you go to the episode page.
And so you have a quick accessif you're looking to volunteer.
I love the butterfly count idea.
That's really neat.

SPEAKER_01 (22:56):
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Our volunteers do some awesomethings for us.
We're a state agency.
so we track everything.
But we are always at or veryclose to the top in the state
for volunteer support.
So we would not be able to offerthe programs in the park that we
have if it weren't for thededicated volunteers that
support us.

SPEAKER_00 (23:15):
So Nate, we end every episode with a speed round
of questions and I would love togo through these with you.

SPEAKER_01 (23:20):
Okay.

SPEAKER_00 (23:22):
What is your earliest park memory?

SPEAKER_01 (23:24):
For me, probably my parents taking me up to
Shenandoah National Park when Iwas a kid and going and taking
and hiking down to South RiverFalls.
And that's probably my earliestmemory.

SPEAKER_00 (23:36):
What made you love the parks?

SPEAKER_01 (23:39):
Probably same answer as above.
Just getting out there as a kid.
My parents exposed me to it alot.
My sister and I.
Just getting out there and I'vejust always loved it.

SPEAKER_00 (23:53):
What is your favorite thing about Pocahontas
State Park?

SPEAKER_01 (23:57):
I think the variety, the variety of recreational
opportunities like we talkedabout, the variety of visitors
that we see, and the trails.
I think I mentioned I'm arunner, I'm a trail runner, so I
run these trails all the time,but I'm not working.

SPEAKER_00 (24:12):
What is your favorite thing to do at
Pocahontas State Park?

SPEAKER_01 (24:16):
The trails.
I'm here 40 hours a week atleast, so when I'm off, it's
nice to get out and get awayfrom people and get out on the
trails and just kind of enjoymyself.

SPEAKER_00 (24:26):
What park have you yet to visit, but it's on your
bucket list, and why?
I

SPEAKER_01 (24:31):
would say Yosemite.
I've been to Yeltsin severaltimes.
I worked there for a summer, soI've been out west.
And my mom says that I was atYosemite when I was very young,
but I don't remember it.
But Yosemite is kind of one ofthe iconic parks.
Yosemite Valley and Half Dome,and I think Yosemite would be
top of my list right now.

SPEAKER_00 (24:51):
What are three must-haves you pack for a park
visit?

SPEAKER_01 (24:56):
Well, as a park ranger who has had to go out and
find people in the past, I willsay some kind of a navigational
tool, whether it's a phone withsome good maps loaded on it and
plenty of battery life, becausewe do have good service here.
Rain jacket, some layers for theweather, even in the summertime
when there's nothing forecast, astorm can always roll through.

(25:16):
Good footwear and food andwater.

SPEAKER_00 (25:20):
What is your favorite campfire activity?

SPEAKER_01 (25:22):
I think I would say just hanging out with friends or
family.
Talking and just being in frontof a campfire.

SPEAKER_00 (25:34):
Tent, camper, or cabin?

SPEAKER_01 (25:37):
If it's just me, tent.
If it's the family and my wife,probably cabin.

SPEAKER_00 (25:41):
Hiking with or without trekking poles?

SPEAKER_01 (25:44):
It generally goes out.

SPEAKER_00 (25:47):
What is your favorite trail snack?

SPEAKER_01 (25:50):
Well, for snack, of course, trail rigs.
My favorite trail lunch, I'll goto this.
My favorite trail lunch is aturkey and cheese bagel.
For me, that just hits perfect.

SPEAKER_00 (26:02):
What is your favorite animal sighting?

SPEAKER_01 (26:06):
Well, I've seen a lot of really cool animals out
west, grizzlies and moose andbison and everything like that.
I had a really cool one, though,just about two weeks ago.
I saw a bobcat on theAppalachian Trail up in
Shenandoah National Park, rightin the kind of mile and gap
area, a little south of Big Man,it was, I think, the second
bobcat I'd ever seen, but it wascool.
Came around and turned, and hewas standing right in the middle

(26:28):
of the trail about 20 yardsaway.

SPEAKER_00 (26:30):
What is your favorite sound in the park?

SPEAKER_01 (26:34):
Silence.

SPEAKER_00 (26:35):
What is the greatest gift that the parks give to us?
The

SPEAKER_01 (26:39):
protection.
The protection and theconservation and the
opportunities to get out hereand use these resources and love
these resources.

SPEAKER_00 (26:49):
Nate, thank you for being part of the episode.
I love learning just a littlebit more about the park that I
call home.
And thanks for being with ustoday.

SPEAKER_01 (26:57):
Absolutely.
I appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
That's it for today's episode.
Until next time, we'll see youin the parks.
Thanks for listening.
If you enjoyed today's episode,please be sure to like and share
on your favorite podcastplatform.
Music for the Parks podcast iswritten, performed, and produced
by Porter Hardy.
For more information, pleasefollow us on Instagram at

(27:21):
theparkspodcast or visit ourwebsite at theparkspodcast.com.