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YOSEMITE
WHERE: Yosemite is in California.
LANDMARKS: There are five different habitats: forests,
meadows, mountains, streams and lakes. There are also mountains called
the Cathedral Mountains, these are shaped like cathedrals, that's why they
are called the Cathedral Mountains. It also has the biggest waterfall in
North America and fifth in in the world. That waterfall is called Yosemite
Falls (rather obviously). Yosemite Falls has to fall three steps to get
to the ground, with a total drop of 2,425 feet!
HOW THE PARK WAS FORMED: Thousands of years ago
glaciers shaped Yosemite's valleys, lakes and cliffs. Another few thousand
years later the temperature grew warmer and melted, filling in the lakes,
rivers and waterfalls.
HOW YOSEMITE BECAME A PARK: John Muir said that Yosemite
should be protected for all eternity. With the hard efforts of John and
people who thought the same Yosemite became a park! Yosemite now is one
of America's most popular vacation spots. There are now hotels, stores,
restaurants, a church, offices, a gas station, parking lots- even a correctional
center and a dentist's office.
PLANTS AND ANIMALS: There are giant trees called
Sequoias .Some are up to 3,000 years old, 300 feet tall and 35 feet in
diameter. To see the best of the Giant Sequoias, visit the Mariposa Grove,
the biggest Sequoia there is the Grizzly Giant, it is 200 feet tall and
31 feet in diameter. The Grizzly Giant was named from Yosemite"s most famous
animal the grizzly bear. A big Grizzly can weigh 800 pounds but Yosemite's
Grizzlies are all gone. Most of them were killed before Yosemite became
a park by ranchers, miners, and hunters. But Yosemite still has hundreds
of the Grizzly's smaller cousin, the Black Bear. Visitors that came to
Yosemite used to attract Black Bear with human food. Feeding wild animals
was a mistake because it made them forget how to find their natural food,
such as fish and honey. Bears are attracted to human food and garbage,
and destroy everything in their path, hundreds of thousands of dollars
of property destroyed. Mountain lions live in Yosemite, attacks are rare,
but just to be safe avoid hiking alone and letting small children crawl
alone. If you encounter a lion pick up any small children, wave, shout
and throw stones. If attacked fight back. Yosemite has about 77 types of
mammals, like coyotes, Bighorn sheep, bears, and deer. There are also around
30 species of amphibians and reptiles. The most common reptiles are snakes
and lizards, and the most common amphibians are frogs and toads. There
are only 11 species of fish in their lakes and streams. The most common
is the Rainbow Trout. Trout are pretty and yummy to eat. Birds are the
most common animals in Yosemite. More than 240 types of birds live in the
park. Some migrate, some don't. Some of them are night hunting owls, noisy
woodpeckers, and soaring hawks. The best way to see Yosemite's wildlife
is to hike a lot and camp.
HISTORY: The Southern Miwok and Mono Lake Paiutes
were the original people in Yosemite. They gathered wild plants for food
and medicine, hunted, and fished. They probably could have lived for eternity
in Yosemite if it weren't for the white settlers who discovered Yosemite
country in the middle 1800's. When this happened they forced he Native
Americans out. They cut down the forests for timber and used it for roads
and houses. They tunneled into the mountains for minerals and made many
species in Yosemite almost extinct. If they kept on doing this destruction
then there would be almost none of Yosemite left today.
PARK RANGERS: Who cares for America's most beautiful lands?
Park Rangers! Park rangers have lots of responsibility, for instance, guiding
people in nature walks and showing people things about nature. If you traveled
to a national park, a park ranger would greet you and give you maps to
help you stay on the trails and stay away from dangerous things like waterfalls
and If you need help, like finding interesting sights. They make exhibits
about history in the park by dressing up and telling stories. sometimes
they tell stories by a bonfire, about the park. It takes a lot of
studying to become a park ranger, they know a lot about nature and the
park. When people are lost or hurt they do very dangerous rescue missions.
They need a lot of tools to rescue people because they can be trapped in
a cave, next to a waterfall or being chased off a trail by a dangerous
animal like a bear. They are in charge of the park and mule packing, so
it's up to them to take care of the animals and make sure they eat only
natural foods, put out the unnatural fires and set up some fires if necessary.
For example, some trees only grow because of a fire. Park rangers
let you have a fun and safe time! |
