The first national park I visited in the US was Denali national park in Alaska. I traveled continuously for 50 hours from India (with flight layovers of course) all the way to Anchorage. While I was eager to sleep on a bed, I peeked over my plane window just before landing in Anchorage. It was 1 AM and the sun was just setting and was also getting ready to sleep. Next few days was all about traveling and experiencing the last frontier. During a tour in Denali national park, everyone in the bus were excited when we first saw a grizzly bear with two little cubs. The wildlife is so abundant that at the end of the day, the attitude of my bus-mates was “yeah…ok…yet another grizzly bear”.
The why part?
Grizzly population is on a decline due to decline in the salmon fish which the bears rely on. More than 50% of the salmons have been declined in the past decade due to increase in water temperatures, overfishing and habitat loss. The healthy cubs and the mother that I saw in Denali might not be so lucky in the next few years because of human activities (directly or indirectly). Photographs enables us to deliver these messages.
Now that I had watched the last sunset in the US, I had to watch the first sunrise. Acadia national park in Maine was the place to be to watch the first sunrise in the US. I also watched humpback whales up-close and tried to understand the intimate relationship between a mother whale and her calf.
The why part?
What was nearly extinct humpback whales have now almost regained their numbers. Through photographs and other latest techniques, it is possible to further understand the behavior, feeding and mating patterns of these extraordinary creatures.
Around 11 million people visit the Great Smoky mountains national park and I found the right time at the end of winter to experience the beauty of the smokies. On the way to Tennessee, I made a stop in Virginia to visit Shenandoah national park. While the skyline drive in Shenandoah is good, cades cove in the smokies proved even better.
The why part?
Smokies houses roughly 1500 bears. Due to forest fires, global temperatures, irregular patterns in seasons, their breeding patterns are changing. Due to conservation of wildlife and the forests, the elk’s population have increased and is in good numbers than before. Similar positive stories can be recorded through photographs and explaining the younger generation about the conservation of the flora and fauna.
Three days to see and explore the Grand Canyon national park is not sufficient to fully understand its beauty, the vastness, rugged terrain and the views it holds. Stretching hundreds of miles in all directions, it truly is one of a kind on the planet.
The why part?
These red rocks which bear the extreme heat and cold are protected strictly by the national park service, non-profitable organizations etc. Videos and photos of these mighty canyons reveal a lot of information. Places like the Havasu falls have stern rules about the number of visitors and thus protecting the landscape.
Yosemite national park in California is surely on everyone’s checklist and I made no second thoughts when I decided to visit Yosemite. The granite cliffs of El Capitan and the iconic frozen Bridalveil falls was surely breathtaking.
The why part?
During the recent US government shutdown, visitors piled up a lot of trash in Yosemite. We humans are kinda of trained to throw away the red bull can after we drink it. The trash removal was scarce during the government shutdown and photographs and notices on the Google maps and other media enables us to be prepared to use resources wisely and dispose in a safe location.
There are many social media platforms which enables us to share photos and convey messages. The thing I like about Google maps is that it lets you know about any information about a place all in one location. This includes but not limited to photos, videos, reviews, questions, timings, busy timings, similar places, places nearby, phone numbers, directions, busy routes, construction routes, routes which include tolls and slippery roads. While all of the information are numbers and text, photos help us convey powerful messages be it a cute little puppy in the neighborhood or a humpback whale. We have to first make friends or connections on all social media platforms in order to reach a vast audience. The final crucial part about Google Maps is that when we post a photo, it instantly becomes available to the public. I do not need to tell about people using Google to search for a photo or information about a place.