11.15.25 - Part 2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to Radioized Children Story Hour. As a reminder,
radio is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Today, we will be reading from various
books on national parks. Your reader today is Diane. Our

(00:22):
first book is called Grand Canyon National Park and it
was published by Bell Weather Media Incorporated. Has a copyright
year of twenty twenty three and the author of our
text is Christina Leaf. The North Rim. A family is

(00:45):
ready to explore the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
They start at the Walhalla Overlook. The canyon stretches out
before them, stripes of red and purple paint the steep
walls and mesas far below small streams lined through ravines.
Is hard to believe how huge the canyon is. Eventually

(01:05):
they cross the road to Visiwajalla Glades. Ancestral Pobloians once
lived at this site each summer to farm. The family
imagines the buildings that rose from the stones that remain.
Grand Canyon National Park is full of beauty and history.
Grand Canyon National Park preserves one of the natural wonders

(01:29):
of the world. Located in north central Arizona, The park
covers one thousand, eight hundred and seventy eight square miles.
The Navajo Nation and the Hula Pa and have Aspa
reservations border the park. The powerful Colorado River flows through
the Canyon Grand Canyons. All spiring views make it one

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of the country's most popular national parks. Most visitors enjoy
the views from the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
Others had to the north rim or trek down to
the canyon floor. The Grand Canyon stretches two hundred seventy
seven miles long, is up to eighteen miles wide, and

(02:11):
can reach more than one mile deep. The Grand Canyon
began forming almost two billion years ago. Ingious and metaformic
rock covered the ground. Over time, layers of sedimentary rock
formed on top. Eventually the area was pushed upward, forming
the Colorado Plateau. Around five or six million years ago,

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the mighty Colorado River began to carve the Grand Canyon.
Visitors can view the many different layers of the rock
on the canyon walls. The youngest rock layers two hundred
seventy million years old. The river cut through the rock quickly.
Its rushing waters carried rocks that wore down. The sedimentary
layers underneath small streams and runoff from the rim caused erosion,

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widening the ca canyon. Today, erosion from water and wind
continue to shape the canyon. Water movement picks up and
carries rocks and sand, moving rocks and sand where away
more pieces of the river beds. The Green Canyon has

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live echosystems. They occurrent different elevations. The highest elevations are
along the north rim. This area is thickly forested and
has cold, snowy winters. The next highest elevations support Ponderosa
pine forests along both rims. They get some snow in
winter and thunderstorms in summer. Just below the rim, short

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junipers and pines form another ecosystem. Here, the weather is
dry with hot summers. Desert scrubland makes up the lowest
elevations of the canyon to the canyon floor. This is
the canyon's driest ecosystem. An ecosystem of lush trees and
plants rises along the river. It has mild winters and

(04:03):
very hot summers, plants and wildlife. The Grand Canyon is
full of life. Each of its ecosystems is home to
unique animals and plants. On the north rim, tiring spruce
and fir trees mixed with aspen and other trees to
form thick forests. Mule deer and elk search for plants
to munch, while bison wander flatter areas. Mountain lions roam

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above and below the canyon rim. Cabab squirrels chatter from
Ponderosa's pine forest on the north rim. Spotted owls also
rest in these trees. Ring tails and bats come out
at night to hunt. Condors perch on the canyon rim
and search for prey below. Inside the canyon, bighorn sheep

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scale the steep walls. Falcons and canyon rain rings nest
in the cliff. Bobcats hide among short pints and juniper
shrubs as they hunt for desert. Cottontails and the lowest
layer of the canyon toward us nibble on prickly pear cactuses.

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Collared lizards lay on rocks to bask in the sun.
Pink rattlesnakes curl up between rocks. Cottonwood and wollow trees
shade the canyon floor. Tree frocks sing from their branches.
Great blue herons wade and the waters of the Colorado river,
suckers and chubs swim below them. Humans in Grand Canyan

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National Park, ancient people were living in and around the
Grand more than thirteen thousand years ago. The ancestral hoblowing
In people arrived around two thousand years ago. They began
as hunter gatherers known for weaving beautiful baskets. Later they
began to farm and make stone homes, but they were
gone by thirteen CE. Other Native American groups soon moved

(06:00):
moved into the area. The Hope, descendants of the ancestral Pabloonians,
were among the first. The Southern Paiute lived around the
north rim. The Havisoupa and Hulape lived in the western
part of the canyon. Around one thy four hundred, the
canyon became home to Navajo people. The Canyan is sacred

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to many groups. The Zuni believed they began near the
north rim. The Hope believe all life began in the canyon.
A spring in the canyon is important to the Hope
and the nava Ho. The first Europeans arrived in the
Grand Canyon in fifteen forty. Hope guides let Garcia Lopez
did carniness to the canyon. However, the Europeans were enabled

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to reach the bottom. In the following centuries, few other
European groups tried to explore the canyon. Then, in eighteen
sixty nine, American John Wesley Powell boted down the Colorado
River and became the first white man to explore the canyon.
Following his trip, more people started coming to the area.
Miners searched for gold and other valuable items. Many ended

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up working in tourism instead. Once the railroad reached to
the area, the canyon's popularity exploded. The heavy spots to
live within the canyon walls, but they do not live
within the park. Their home is in the Habitsou Canyon.
Many tourists visit this canyon to see its stunning waterfalls.
President Benjamin Harrison preserved the canyon as the Grand Canyon

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Forest Reserve in eighteen ninety three. President Theodore Roosevelt later
made it a National monument in nineteen oh eight. Finally,
in nineteen nineteen, President Woodrow Wilson signed the law, but
made it a national park. In nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties,
government workers created trails and other structures within the park. Today,
Grand Canyon National Park draws around six million visitors each year.

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Eleven Native American groups are still connected to the canyon.
They are looking for opportunities with the National Park Service
to share their cultures with visitors. They hope to restore
native prisons in the park. There are many ways to
explore the Grand Canyon. Visitors can view the canyon by
driving or biking along the rim. Many hike on the

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parks hundreds of miles of trails. Mule rides take visitors
down to the canyon floor. Some people camp there. Rafts
and dories take people through the canyon on the Colorado River.
The park offers opportunities for learning to Museums highlight the
formation of the park and teach about Native American cultures.

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Ruins also reveal Native American history. Each June, visitors can
appreciate the park's dark skies and learn about stars at
the yearly Star Party. Protecting the park, the Grand Canyon
faces many threats. Uranium mining began in nearby areas in
the nineteen fifties. Pollution from the mining can run into

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streams that flow into the canyon just in the air
can harm wildlife. The Grand Canyon's popularity is also harmful.
More people traveling to the area leads to more buildings
and roads. This takes away natural lands. Too many hikers
can you road trails and threaten wildlife. Climate change is
another major problem. Warming temperatures will make the canyon even drier.

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With less water available, plants and animals will be unable
to survive. Frequent droughts also make wildfires more common. Pollution
and smoke from wildfires can make it harder to see
the canyon sites. In nineteen sixty three, the Glen Canyon
Dam was completed on the Colorado River near the Grand Canyon.

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The dam affects the Grand Canyon's ecosystem. It blocks important
sediment that would be carried by the river. Many groups
are working to protect the Grand Canyon. Twenty fifteen, thousands
of people wrote letters opposing the nearby development that would
threaten the water supply. They stop the development. In twenty

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twenty one, Arizona lawmakers worked with the Havesoupey and other
groups on the Grand Canyon Protection Act. This bill could
ban new uranium mines. You can help protect the park too.
Stand on the trail while visiting province erosion. Taking all
trash with you when you leave helps keep wildlife and
the environment safe. Reducing water and energy use can help

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limit the climate change. Everyone can keep this natural wonder safe.
Do not throw rocks. It can be tempting to throw
a rock from the rim into the canyon, but is
dangerous and against the rules. Rocks could harm hikers or animals.
They could even start a landslide. Grand Canyon National Park Facts.

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The area is one thousand air and semniate square miles.
It has four point million visitors in twenty twenty one.
It is ranked the eleventh largest park. It has fourth
most visited park in twenty twenty one. Is designated February
twenty sixth, nineteen nineteen, and the highest point is Point Imperial,

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which is eight thousand, eight hundred and three feet in
the north rim. A Grand Canyon timeline the twelve hundreds
ancestral Poblonians begin to leave the Grand Canyon area. In
fifteen forty Hope guides lay Spanish explores to the Canon Canyon.

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In eighteen sixty eight, John Wesley Palley's an expedition through
the canyon by boat. In nineteen nineteen, President Woodrow Wilson
signs a law established in Grand Canyon National Park In
nineteen seventy five, the US government returns one hundred eighty
five thousand acres of to the half A Soupay people.

(12:03):
In nineteen seventy nine, the park has made a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Our next book is Joshua Tree National
Park and it was published by Children's Press, an imprint
of Scholastic Incorporated. It has a copyright year of twenty

(12:26):
nineteen and the author is Jody Shepherd's I Am Ringja
Red Fox Your Tour Gun. Are you ready for an
Amazing Adventure? Joshua Tree. Welcome to Joshua Tree National Park.
Joshua Tree is in southern California. It was made a
National park in nineteen ninety four. People visit national parks

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to explore nature. The park's name comes from the strange,
spikey Joshua trees that grow there. Joshua Tree National Park
is the meeting place of two deserts, the Colorado Desert
and the Hire in cooler Mohave Desert. Different plants and
animals live in each area. Long ago, Native Americans lived here.
They carved pictures and cymbals into the rocks. Later, ranchers

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and gold and silver miners made the area of their home.
Chapter one. A weird Rocky World. Joshua Tree is known
for its giant, strange shaped boaters. The unusual shapes were
formed when ice and strong rains and wind wore away
parts of the rocks. Scientists believe that the oldest rocks
in the park are about one point seven billion years old.

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There are many mountains in the park. The tallest is
the Quail Mountain, but only the most experienced hikers can
get to the top. There are no developed trails on Quail.
Visitors can trek to the top of Ryan Mountain, though
Ryan is the second tallest mountain in the park. Chapter two.

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Water in the desert, Joshua Tree does not get a
lot of rain, so every drop is important. Two sources
of water in the park are oasis and springs. Oasis
is a small green area where water can be found.
Springs of water bubble up from underground streams. Oases and
springs made it possible for Native Americans to live in

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the area long ago. Ranchers who came later needed the
water for their cattle. The miners who arrived in the
eighteen hundreds used the springs for drinking water and to
wash the gold they found. The park is animals and plants.
I'll need water to live. There are nearly three hundred

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abandoned gold and silver mines in the park. Chapter three.
The Parks Trees and plant The Mohabi Desert is the
only place on Earth where the Joshua tree grows. Even
though it looks like a cactus, it is not one.
It is not a tree either. It is a type
of yucca plant. The park's Black Rock Canyon is also

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home to punknown juniper in oak trees. More than seven
hundred and fifty kinds of plants grow in the park.
They are all very good at surviving in the dry desert.
Cocti can store water for a long time. Desert flowers
only bloom after the winter rains. If rains don't come,
they save their water and wait until the next year

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to flour. Chapter four. At Home in the heat. Is
not easy for animals to live in the desert. Most
mammals in the park are small rodents. They hide underground
or among rocks to escape the heat of the day.
They are active at night when it is cooler. Joshua trees.
Road runners can't fly far, but they can run fast. Kangaroo.

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Rats don't need to drink. They use water stored in
the seeds they eat. Reptiles are all well adapted to
desert life too. They get the water they need from
the food they eat. Many lizards and snakes never drink.
There are seven different kinds of rattles snakes that live
in Joshua Tree. Thousands of different kinds of insects and

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spiders also live in the park. The honeypot ants store
so much food in its abdomen that it's hard for
the ant to move. It is shaped like a honey jar.
Joshua Tran National Park is an awe inspiring place to visit.
Whether you're hiking, climbing over boaters, or looking up at

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the night sky, you are sure to see something you
have never seen before. Visitors to the park can see
millions of stars at night. Imagine you could visit Joshua
Trean National Park. What would you do there? Here's some
of the amazing animals that live in Joshua Tran National Park.

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The desert bighorned sheep, the gambles quail, western pigmy blue butterfly,
desert scorpion, desert kit fox, red spotted toad, coast as
humming bird, desert black tailed jack rabbit, mojave desert tortoise,
California mountain lion. Wildlife by the numbers, the park is

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home to about two hundred and fifty types of birds,
fifty two types of mammals, forty six types of reptiles
and amphibians, and zero native fish species. Our next book
is titled Zion National Park and it was published by

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Children's Press and Imprint of Scholastic Incorporated. It has a
copyright year of twenty eighteen and the author of the
book is Jody Sheppard. I am Ranger Red Fox, your
tour guide. Are you ready for an amazing adventure in Zion?
Welcome to Zion National Park. Zion is in southern Utah.

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It was Maine National Park in nineteen nineteen. People visit
national parks to explore nature. The word Zion means safe,
peaceful place. The park is filled with beautiful canyons. It
is home to incredible animals and plants. American Indians called
this place Mukinshuop. This means straight up canyon. Visitors to

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Zion stand at the bottom of the canyon. They look
up at the steep orange and red colored cliffs. The
view is amazing. The layers of rocks were formed over
millions of years ago. Chapter one Rock the Park. Zion
did not always look this way. About two undred and

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fifty million years ago, the area was covered by a
shallow sea. Over millions of years, the sea became lakes.
Then the area turned into desert. Forces under the earth
pushed up huge sandstone cliffs. The land is still changing.
You're after your wind and water reshape the cliffs. If

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you take your car to the park, you can drive
right through the cliffs. The Zion Mount Caramel Tunnel open
in nineteen thirty. The tunnel was famous. It was hard
to dig a road through the rock. It is about
a mile long and it took three years to build.
There are six windows carved into the tunnel. They let
in light and fresh air. They also let in amazing use.

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Just outside the tunnel, visitors passed checkerboard Mesa. Many visitors
stop their cars to get a good look at the
unique rock formation. Chapter two. Let it grow. Some parts
of Zion are high and others low, so there are
many habitats. There are desert areas and woodlands. Wetlands line

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the river banks. Each habitat is home to different types
of trees and plants. These range from desert cacti to
the pine trees that grow in the park's highest spots.
The prickly pear cactus grow in the lower part of
the park. Golden coalbindes grow in the hanging gardens. Water

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seeps through the rocks, allowing plants to grow there. In
Zion's famous Hanging Garden, plants seem to grow straight out
of the rocks. The gardens are home to many unique plants.
They are also home to the world's smallest snell. The
Zion snell looks like a tiny black spot on the
rocky cliffs. This tiny creature can be found only in

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this park. Chapter three, Watch Out for Water. Much of
Zion is desert, but water is still an important part
of the park. Animals need the water to live. The
Virgin River and smaller streams that empty into it wind
through the park. A trail called the Narrows leads hikers
along the river at the bottom of the canyon. Flash

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floods are a danger. They happen when heavy rainfall causes
the river's water level to rise suddenly. The part of
the park known as the colaw Be Canyons gets more
rain than the rest of Zion. Spring rains bring beautiful
waterfalls to this quiet area. The skies over Zion are
very dark at night. That makes the star gazing out

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of this world. Chapter four Wonderful Wildlife. Zion is home
to all kinds of animals. Some are in danger. That
means few or left desert. Bighorn sheep had disappeared from
Zion completely, then scientists brought some back to the park.
Now there are more than four hundreds. Then dagere California

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condors the largest bird in North America. Mule diaer easy
to spot in the park. They get their name from
their large mule like ears. Their sense of smell is
about one thousand times as good as a person's. Tarantulas
are not dangerous to humans, but watch out for scorpions.

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Seeing a mute dear baby or fawn has spotted coat
for the first few months of its life. Vizard explore
Zion National Park and lots of waste. They may ride
horses or bicycles. They may go rot climbing, or hiking.
Any way you choose. This park is always a wild adventure.

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Imagine you could visit Zion. What would you do there?
There are just here are just some of the incredible
animals that make their home in Zion. Red fox, Western rattlesnake,
giant desert hairy scorpion, mule deer, paragrine falcon, California condor,

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Mexican spotted out horns, a leopard, lizard, desert big horn sheep,
kingan tree frog, mountain lion. Wildlife by the numbers, the
park is home to about two hundred and ninety one
types of birds, seventy eight types of mammals for four
types of reptiles and amphibians, and eight types of fish.

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That is really all the time that we have for today.
So this concludes our story our for today. Please join
us next time as we will read more stories, fables
and fairy tales. Thank you for listening and please stay
tuned for the Lex and Herald Leader on RADIOI