Looking Past, Looking Forward: America\u27s National Parks, Archaeology and Climate Change

America’s National Parks are rich with cultural history, flora, fauna and some of nature’s most impressive landscapes. As climate change continues to accelerate, these parks and their cultural and natural resources are being threatened. In this project, I will present a colorful, informational powerpoint that concentrates on 4 specific parks: Yellowstone National Park, National Park of American Samoa, Glacier Bay National Park and Mesa Verde National Park. I will focus on the archaeology and cultural significance of these parks, while also examining the ways that climate change is putting these, and other associated assets of the parks, at risk. I will tie the past and present together, while also exploring the future, and discussing possible climate-induced implications and the risks they pose to the cultural heritage of these parks. The goal of this project is to be an educational resource for national park staff, and other concerned citizens. While there are currently resources on many of the aspects I will discuss in this booklet, they are not comprehensive and most do not connect the archaeologically and culturally significant features of the parks with the threats of climate change. This project draws upon information from various articles, books and personal experiences and seeks to connect these two interesting, relevant topics in a new, thought-provoking way