NatParks-Albert+W.

Albert Walker Mrs. Cunningham Envi Sci 2/14/12 Shenandoah National Park

LOCATION AND CLIMATE- Temperatures in January range from -7 degrees C to 4 degrees C Temperatures in July range from 14-24 degrees C POINTS OF INTEREST- WILDLIFE AND ACTIVE TRAILS __Stony Man Trail 1.6 Mi. Round Trip, Difficulty- Easy hike__ __Millers Head Trail 1.6 Mi. Round Trip, Difficulty- Easy-to-moderate hike__ __Black Rock Trail .5 Mi. Round Trip, Difficulty- Easy hike__ __Dark Hollow Falls Trail 2.2 Mi. Round Trip, Difficulty- Moderate-to-challenging__ __Whiteoak Canyon Falls Trail 5 Mi. Round Trip, Difficulty- Challenging__ HISTORIC SITE TOURS-
 * Located in Virginia, Eastern region of the U.S.A.
 * Contains 199,017 Acres
 * Has four very distinct seasons, (Spring Summer Fall Winter) (The park is known for its fall foliage)
 * Shenandoah sees 1.2 Million visitors a year
 * The Shenandoah River,
 * The Shenandoah Valley located on the west side
 * Wildlife: There are over 200 resident and transient bird species, 51 reptile and amphibian species, over 50 species of mammals, and 30 species of fish. Only incomplete records of insects, spiders, and other invertebrates are availabe.
 * Hiking Trails:
 * Rapidan Camp: Travel by van, 30 minutes to tour President Hoover’s summer retreat. 3 Hour tour duration
 * Massanutten Lodge: 1 Hour tour duration

PARK HISTORY: -The park was authorized in 1926, and was later established in 1935.The park’s original owner went bankrupt, before George Freeman Pollock took over and charged people $9.50 a week to sleep in tents furnished with cots, chairs, washstands and pitchers between 1895 and 1896. It became a National Park to provide a peaceful refuge for nearby urban populations, but before it was a National Park, it was home to over 460 families. The park was pieced together from over 3,000 different tact’s of land as well. Shenandoah was dedicated by President Franklin Delanor Roosevelt at Big Meadows to a crowd of thousands.During the Civil War control of Shenandoah Valley was critical to the fate of Virginia and the Confederacy. The valley has seen Stonewall Jackson’s brilliant 1862 Valley Campaign, General Robert E. Lee’s advance to the Confederate “high tide” at Gettysburg, the VMI Cadets’ valiant charge at New Market, and U.S. General Philip H. Sheridan’s final Campaign to crush confederate hopes in the valley, which included The Burning, the fiery destruction of the region’s agricultural bounty. Betweeen 1939-1940 Economic and political pressures forced the building of campgrounds; and in 1950 all facilities within Shenandoah were desegregated. The Blue Ridge Mountains, located in Shenandoah National Park have been used for over 9,000 years to inhabit prehistoric humans, but the first Europeans to move into the valley appeared in the mid-18th century. Settling on the lower valley areas they moved upward looking for farm land, and some even bought mountain land to mine for resources. Shenandoah National Park has existed millions of years before human life. Some of the mountain ranges are around one billion years old. There is no doubt that Shenandoah National Park is a Natural Site. In the year 2012, the park will celebrate its 76th anniversary.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Geology- Weathering and Erosion of the Grenville Mountains

Ecosystems- Invasion of exotic plants and insects, improper use of resources by humans, water and air pollution, ACID RAIN!

Air Quality- Acid Rain! Air pollution around entire region (surrounded by close urbanization) Water Quality- Acid Rain! Human pollutants (surrounded by close urbanization)

Geologic Activity- Freezing and thawing causes cliff faces to collapse, erosion from rainfall, usually occur back to back

Hydrologic Activity- Erosion from severe weather conditions, short fast flowing streams (common in mountainous regions) cause a lot of erosion, water finds its way into cracks in the rock, freezing and expanding, breaking tons of rock free

Fire Activity- Like most places forest fires happen, whether it is due to human cause or not. Most recently in 2011 the Smith Run Fire occurred burning Shenandoah National Park and shutting down tons of trails

Hydrothermal Features- Due to the old, and when I say old I mean one of the oldest in the world, mountain ranges, there is no Hydrothermal Activity in Shenandoah National Park

Conservation and Preservation- The YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) is currently at large working inside Shenandoah helping to preserve the Natural Resources. Shenandoah has been offering YCC employment opportunities for the last 20 years. From 1933 to 1942 an estimated 10,000 boys and young men from the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) planted hundreds of thousands of trees, shrubs, and native plants in Shenandoah National Park, many of which were grown from seeds obtained within the park media type="custom" key="12533886" WATERFALLS IN SHENANDOAH: [|, and Larry Brown. //OVER RUN FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 17 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //WHITE OAK CANYON//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 17 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //SOUTH RIVER FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. LEWIS SPRING FALL. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //DARK HOLLOW FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //ROSE RIVER FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //DOYLES RIVER FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //JONES RUN FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //NAKED CREEK FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]

[|, and Larry Brown. //CEDAR RUN FALLS//. N.d. Video. Shenandoah ViewsWeb. 20 Feb 2012. .]