Tag: NPS

High School Students Solve Real-World Engineering Problems at Gateway Arch National Park

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The Gateway Arch tram system is a one-of-a-kind invention that incorporates components of both Ferris Wheels and elevators in its design. There is nothing else quite like it in the world – and it was invented in only two weeks by Richard Bowser.

It is in this engineering spirit that the Gateway Arch National Park Engineering Contest was created. The contest, held in association with Washington University McKelvey School of Engineering, challenges teams of high school students to create a solution for a real engineering problem that exists in the park. The winning team takes home the coveted Richard Bowser Trophy, which they keep until next year’s competition.

Nine teams from area high schools participated in the 7th Annual Gateway Arch National Park Engineering Contest, making this year’s competition the fiercest yet.  Each year students are presented with a different engineering challenge. This year’s challenge asked students to engineer a system for automatically adjusting the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch dock to the appropriate level as the river rises and falls.

Situated on the river beneath the shadow of the Gateway Arch, the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch have been cruising the Mississippi since 1910. The Riverboats offer daily sightseeing cruises, dinner cruises, private charters, and specialty cruises to tourists and locals.

The boats’ dock structure is 303 feet long and consists of 4 barges. Keeping the dock tethered to the levee are four electric winches, one hydroelectric winch, and five cables. There are also utility lines that must be moved as the dock position varies with the water levels.

With the river level fluctuating daily, the dock must be frequently adjusted, so the ramps are not in the water and the docks themselves do not become grounded. Currently, these adjustments are made by hand, a time-consuming process that requires the full crew. 

In September 2023, students participating in the contest toured the dock with a park ranger and members of the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch team, so they could see how the winches are used, measure the area, take photographs, receive blueprints, and have any initial questions answered. Using this information, the students produced an executive summary that included pictures, diagrams and other visual aids to communicate their design, as well as a budget for the project.

The competition final was held at Washington University’s McKelvey Engineering complex in Whitaker Hall on Saturday, November 11, 2023. Each of the nine teams presented an executive summary to a panel of six judges (all professional engineers). The teams were judged on both their executive summary content and presentation.  They were scored in categories ranging from innovative design, functionality, and ease of use to responsible budget and realistic possibility of the design.

According to Gateway Arch National Park, this year’s contest was fierce and the most competitive yet, with the first-place school winning the trophy by only half a point! Christian Brothers College High School placed first, with teams from St. Louis Centers for Advanced Professional Studies (STL CAPS) taking second and third place. Both STL CAPS teams received the award for Best Executive Summary, as they remarkably tied with a 45.83 score out of 50 points.

The Parkway Spark! program also had two teams enter the competition. The Sparkles took home the award for Best Presentation after receiving a near-perfect presentation score of 49.33 out of 50. Student Ryder Risko of the Parkway Spark! River Tech team received the Charles Janson MVP Award.

The Taylor Tuleja McKelvey Award for Creativity and Ingenuity went to Kate Hulsen of St. Joseph’s Academy.

Other participating teams included Gateway Science Academy of St. Louis – High School, St. Louis University High School, and Gibault Catholic High School, the 2022 contest winner. 

In addition to the competition component, the contest final included a presentation from a professional engineer, a luncheon, and a guided tour of McKelvey School of Engineering for all contest participants and their families and friends in attendance – an excellent opportunity for students considering the engineering field.

For more information on this year’s contest visit gatewayarchengineeringcontest.com. To inquire about participating in the 8th Annual Gateway Arch National Park Engineering Contest in 2024, contact Anthony Gilpin, at tony_gilpin@nps.gov.

Scary Stories from our National Parks

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October is such a beautiful time of year to visit a national park in the Midwest. The leaves are turning, there is a crisp chill in the air, and… wait. Was that a footstep you heard behind you? Did that shadow just move? Are you being watched? Aaaaghhhh!!

National Parks are full of history, and many of them are full of wild landscapes, so it is not surprising that many are home to legends involving cryptids – creatures whose existence have never been scientifically proved. So in honor of Halloween, let’s gather ‘round the campfire and explore a few stories of creepy creatures from our partner parks:

Gateway Arch National Park and Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

These two JNPA partner parks are both located in St. Louis, MO; and while you would think you would be safe from legendary monsters in an urban area, you would be mistaken. MoMo the Missouri Monster was first sighted in a small town just north of St. Louis in 1972. It was described as a 7-foot-tall ape-like creature with so much thick black fur that the only visible part of its face was its large orange eyes. Tracks were found and submitted to the Oklahoma City Zoo, where they were deemed to be that of an unknown primate species. Since then, MoMo has been spotted several times in various places in Missouri along the Mississippi River, though sightings have become rarer in recent years.

MoMo the Missouri Monster. Credit: Legends of America

Another cryptid that calls the banks of the Mississippi home is the legendary Piasa Bird. Known as “the bird that devours men” to the Illiniwek tribes, the Piasa Bird was thought to inhabit caves along the river. In 1673, explorer Father Jacques Marquette described the monster in his journal, saying it was “as large as a calf with antlers like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger’s, with the face of a man — its body covered with green, red, and black scales, and a tail so long it passed around the body, over the head, and between the legs.” In 1948, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published an article about an “immense bird” that was seen flying over St. Louis. Witnesses who saw the bird reported that they initially thought it was a small plane until they saw it flap its wings. Could it have been a Piasa Bird?

A giant image of the Piasa Bird has glared down from the bluffs of the Mississippi in nearby Alton, IL, for many decades – a reminder of the enduring legend of this bizarre cryptid.

The Piasa Bird

Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park

Ste. Genevieve is the oldest French Colonial settlement west of the Mississippi river with a rich history that was influenced by the Native American tribes that called the land home, as well as the French settlers who came later. As with many other places where people of different cultures meet, some traditions and stories have become intertwined, thus creating the town’s annual  “Night of the Werewolf.”

Many Native American tribes believe in shapeshifters or skin-walkers. These are believed to be people who have committed evil acts in order to gain the ability to possess or turn into an animal. Similarly, the French had a long history of legends involving the “loup-garou” or “garwulf,” which was either a witch who disguised herself as a wolf or a person who had been cursed with lycanthropy. The city of Ste. Genevieve keeps the tradition alive each fall  during the Night of the Werewolf festival. Werewolf stories are told around the campfire while families dine on s’mores, and then the evening culminates in a village-wide “werewolf hunt.”

An artistic depiction of the “loup-garou” or werewolf. Credit: BlueSkull001-Fandom Wiki

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

Just north of Little Rock, AR, is Greers Ferry Lake, a man-made lake that was created by the damming of the Little Red River in 1959. A local legend says that a water panther, a mythical creature described as a cross between an ape and a puma, had called the Little Red River home. When the lake was created, the creature was supposedly angered and began to terrorize the nearby community in Heber Springs. While multiple Native American tribes do have long-standing beliefs in water panthers, most of these pertain to the Great Lakes region. It actually appears that most of the “sightings” in Heber Springs can be traced back to a single book that was published in 2007.

An Ojibwe rock painting of a water panther. Credit: D. Gordon E. Robertson

President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site

The tiny rural town of Fouke, AR, just south of Hope, AR — the site of Clinton Birthplace Home NHS — is home to a much more “successful” cryptid. The Fouke Monster, also known as the Boggy Creek Monster, is described much like other bigfoot-like creatures: 7 feet tall, around 300 pounds, covered in long dark hair, and exuding a horrible smell. Alleged sightings in the area date back to the 1850’s, but the creature gained national attention in 1972 thanks to the film “The Legend of Boggy Creek.” The low-budget horror film was surprisingly successful and became the 11th highest-grossing film that year!

Hmmm, wonder if little Billy Clinton ever heard of the monster when he was a boy…

Voyageurs National Park

When you’re walking along a remote trail in Voyageurs National Park, and you feel like you are a million miles away from civilization, the forest can start to feel strangely magical and even scary. It is easy to see how Native tribes could start to believe in strange beings living in the forests along the Great Lakes. Memegwesi, Pukwudgie, dwarf, fairy. These are some of the many names that have been given to the “little people” of the forest.

While the specifics of the legends vary among different groups of people, they all believed that a race of tiny, human-like creatures lived in the North Woods and disliked adult humans. Some people believed them to be mischievous but harmless. Others believed they were evil and would steal children who wandered into the woods alone. The Ojibwe, the primary tribe to call the land around Voyageurs home, believed they were benevolent creatures who would protect lost or injured children.

No matter which National Park you may visit this fall, pay extra attention to your surroundings. You never know what creatures you may come across.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

New Leader at Clinton Birthplace Home

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We extend a hearty Midwest welcome to the new superintendent at President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site.  The National Park Service recently announced that Steve Akins will take the reins this fall at the Hope, Arkansas, park.

Akins has served at several NPS sites since joining the agency in 2016, including Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona and Utah, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau and Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Parks in Hawai’i, and Congaree National Park in South Carolina.  His expertise is in facility management, construction, and safety – skills that promise to serve him well when the park embarks on upcoming expansion plans.

NPS regional director Bert Frost says he is pleased to announce Akins’ appointment. “The next several years are an exciting, developmental time for the park and his background in facilities, in addition to his safety manager experience, make him ideal to lead this operation into the future,” Frost says.

“I am honored to be selected as the next superintendent of President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site,” said Akins. “President Clinton was instrumental in bringing diversity and inclusion policies to the White House and I am excited to join the team that helps celebrate those accomplishments and values.”

Akins plans to move into the new post later this fall.  And in his free time, he says he and his wife look forward to camping and hiking in the natural splendor of Arkansas.

A National Park named after a Saint?

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One of our partner park sites – Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park – understandably carries the name of the small Missouri town where it’s located.  But have you ever wondered who the “real” Sainte Genevieve was?

Now known as the Patron Saint of Paris, Geneviève lived in 5th century France, where she was widely admired for her piety, devotion, and charitable works.  She had frequent visions of angels and saints, and she was appointed by the bishop of Paris to look after other religious women of the city. Though she was reportedly born to a wealthy family in a Paris suburb, Geneviève followed an austere lifestyle.  Not only did she impose strict punishments on herself, she ate only twice a week, surviving on small portions of barley bread and beans.

In 451 when Attila the Hun threatened to attack Paris, Geneviève persuaded the panic-stricken residents of the city not to flee but to pray.  When Attila’s army diverted to Orléans instead, many credited her intervention with saving Paris.  Years later she prevented famine by penetrating a military blockade and delivering much-needed grain to the city.

After living a remarkable 90 years, Geneviève was laid to rest in a Paris abbey.  Her burial site became a place of pilgrimage, as worshippers reported many instances of miracles and cures attributed to her intercession.  Even today, her name is invoked during natural disasters such as drought, flooding, and widespread fever. 

When the town of Ste. Geneviève was founded along the Mississippi River in the 1750s, the French Catholic immigrants named their settlement after Geneviève in the hopes she would protect them from the trials and hardships they would encounter in their new home. 

The staff at Ste. Geneviève National Historical Park also honor her legacy with a statue of the beloved saint on an outside wall of the historic Jean-Baptiste Vallé House.  Be sure to look for it next time you visit the park. 

The Amazing Discoveries of Lewis and Clark

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If you fancy yourself an outdoor explorer, there are natural treasures waiting to be discovered amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown St. Louis.  Where, you ask?  Gateway Arch National Park, of course!

Although the 91-acre Arch grounds are dominated by manicured grassy areas, tree-lined paths, and sculptured ponds, there’s a small area at the north end of the park that looks a bit wilder.  This inviting little oasis – dubbed the Explorers’ Garden – is planted with some of the trees, bushes, and perennials that Lewis and Clark found on their famed expedition to the western U.S.  And it’s just waiting to be investigated!

Meriwether Lewis (left) and William Clark (right)

Between 1804 and 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and map the newly acquired western portion of the continent.  Their extensive journals recorded measurements and observations of the rivers and landscapes, as well as accounts of the indigenous inhabitants they encountered. They also described at least 178 species of plants that were new to science, recording their habitat, growth and use by Native Americans.  These included the cottonwood tree, slender willow, aromatic aster, prickly pear, and red columbine.

Aromatic Aster
Mountain Goat. Credit: NPS
Red Columbine
Wolf pups. Credit: NPS
Grizzly Bear. Credit: NPS/Mary Lewandowski

As for animals, the explorers described 122 new species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and insects – including the grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, black tailed deer, mountain beaver, long-tailed weasel, mountain goat, coyote and various species of rabbit, squirrel, fox and wolf.

William Clark’s journal entry about a sage grouse, courtesy Missouri History Museum

You probably won’t find any of these animals in the Explorers’ Garden, but some of the plants that Lewis and Clark discovered are included among the variety of native plants that National Park Service staff have introduced there.  Go here to find the list of plants (click on Explorers’ Garden).  

Map of Gateway Arch National Park highlighting the Explorers’ Garden

Many of these species were used by Native Americans and were described by Lewis and Clark in their expedition journals as they traveled west.  You’re invited to act as your own explorer and see what you can find – and be sure to bring the kids. The Explorers’ Garden provides a series of landscaped pathways scaled for children’s play as well as large stones they can climb. You’ll find the garden in the far northeast corner of the park grounds, in the shadow of historic Eads Bridge, the oldest bridge over the Mississippi River.

There’s no better time to visit the Explorers’ Garden than this Saturday Sept. 23, when the park will be celebrating National Public Lands Day.  History and gardening experts will be on hand to show you around, and there will be plenty of other family-friendly activities, so come on down!

If you want to help your kids learn about the famous explorers, they’ll enjoy this fun book Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities.  It’s chock full of cool stories about their three-year journey, including information about the plants and animals they discovered.  You can pick it up at The Arch Store or order it from our online store.

The Hermit of the North Woods

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There are many secrets and hidden stories within the forests and waters of Voyageurs National Park.  But perhaps one of the strangest is that of a mysterious recluse who made his home in the rugged back woods near Namakan Lake.

Credit: NPS

Sometime in the 1930s, locals spotted a small old man paddling a crude log raft on the park’s waters, earning him the nickname “Catamaran.”  No one knew where he came from or why he shunned civilization.  He seemed to be educated and reportedly spoke with a British accent.  He said his name was Bert Upton but refused to reveal more about himself.

Upton lived in a crude hut built over a dug-out hole in the ground, furnished with a homemade hammock but few other possessions.  He occasionally scavenged materials from logging camps but rejected offers of food and clothing from neighbors in the area.  He snared rabbits and other wildlife, and he also fished the local waters.  He seemed to enjoy his surroundings, forging paths in the woods and even planting attractive gardens around his hut.

Just five feet tall and wildly unkempt, Upton wore hacked-off pants and walked with a large walking stick. He was usually clothed in a cast-off wool jacket and a long cap made from the legs of long underwear.  He walked about in bare feet most of the year, but he was seen wearing shoes during the harsh Minnesota winters.   It’s hard to believe he could survive the severe cold, though he reportedly followed the old-world custom of conserving body heat by spending most of the winter in bed.

Some suspected Catamaran was fleeing the law; others just considered him a bizarre outcast.  Everyone agreed he was peculiar since he often suspected any donations of food were poisoned.

Credit: NPS

Whatever his past, the end of his life was no mystery.  He was found frozen to death in the snow by a local explorer, just a half-mile from his home.

If you’re lucky enough to camp out in the magnificent forests of Voyageurs National Park, perhaps you’ll begin to appreciate what brought this mysterious recluse to the North Woods and why he stayed.

Remembering the Journey to Freedom

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What was the Underground Railroad?  What was its significance?  Was it an actual subterranean rail route?

These and other questions will be explored at an event this Saturday at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.  St. Louis historian Julia Nicolai will discuss her new book Enslavement and the Underground Railroad in Missouri and Illinois.  In addition to describing the horrors and challenges experienced by enslaved people in the Midwest, she will also recount their tales of courage and perseverance.

Marker for a stop on the Underground Railroad, Godfrey, IL

Enslaved people have always sought freedom.  From the earliest days of slavery in the 17th century and continuing through the mid-19th century, enslaved African Americans in the U.S. resisted bondage to gain their independence.  Some fled their captors by themselves; others ran away in families or groups, intent on establishing new communities in remote areas.

Many freedom seekers were able to embark on their journey with no assistance.  But over time, there developed an informal network of secret safehouses, routes, and resources across the country that helped enslaved African Americans escape bondage. Those seeking freedom and those who assisted them along the way united together to become what was known as the Underground Railroad.

Twenty-five years ago, the National Park Service formed the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom  to honor, preserve, and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide.  The stories of escape recounted at these sites highlight the importance of the Underground Railroad in the eradication of slavery, and as a critical cornerstone of the national civil rights movement. 

The Network to Freedom program currently includes more than 740 locations nationwide with a verifiable connection to the Underground Railroad.  One such site in St. Louis is the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Site, which honors the efforts of the Rev. John Berry Meachum and his wife Mary for their work in helping enslaved people escape to Illinois, a free state where slavery was outlawed. 

This weekend’s Underground Railroad program at U.S. Grant National Historic Site will take place at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the park’s Visitor Center theater.  It is free and reservations are not required.  Also pick up an autographed copy of Enslavement and the Underground Railroad in Missouri and Illinois in our park bookstore.

Whetting Your Child’s Appetite for Learning

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Do you know a child who can spend hours looking at every plant, insect, and set of tracks they come across outside? What about a budding history buff who wants to know every detail of historical events? Are you a grown-up whose inner child never quite let go of your dream of being a paleontologist or train engineer or marine biologist? Whatever your child’s (or your inner child’s) interest, there is a National Park Service Junior Ranger program for you!

Credit: NPS

The NPS Junior Ranger program is an activity-based program aimed at 5- to 13-year olds that takes place in almost all national parks.  Children typically complete a series of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger, then receive an offical Junior Ranger patch and certificate. 

This very popular program got its start more than 90 years ago, beginning  as the “Yosemite Junior Nature School” in 1930. The school was held for six weeks every summer from 1930-1954 (with the exception of the years during WWII). Back then, earning an award (the equivalent of becoming a Junior Ranger today), was quite difficult! A child had to attend at least five meetings of the Junior Nature School as well as complete 25 out of the following 26 tests:

  1. Point out and give characteristics of ten trees.
  2. Point out and give characteristics of five shrubs.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to read tree history by means of tree rings.
  4. Tell the principal values of forests.
  5. Identify five birds by means of songs alone.
  6. Point out fifteen different kinds of birds.
  7. Name ten resident birds of Yosemite Valley, five predators, two waders, three wood borers, and fifteen perchers.
  8. Identify the nests of five birds.
  9. Point out the four principal minerals found in granite.
  10. Tell briefly the story of the origin of the Yosemite Valley.
  11. Illustrate the difference between stream-worn and glacial-worn boulders.
  12. Name and identify twenty-five different flowers.
  13. Know the principal parts of the flower.
  14. Explain the function of flowers in plant reproduction.
  15. Name and identify ten Yosemite mammals.
  16. Name and identify five Yosemite reptiles.
  17. Outline the life history of the bear.
  18. Tell four ways of identifying old Indian village sites.
  19. Tell how obsidian arrow points are made.
  20. Tell how the Yosemite [Native Americans] made acorn bread.
  21. Point out fifteen vegetable, ten animal, and three insect sources of food used by the Indians.
  22. Point out forty points of interest around Yosemite Valley.
  23. Identify four kinds of trout.
  24. Tell the methods of fish culture used in the hatchery.
  25. Demonstrate the ability to ‘read the trail-side like a book.’
  26. Identify the following: ant lion, termite, swallow-tail butterfly, grasshopper, wasp, dragon-fly, moth, and ladybird beetle.
Yosemite Junior Nature School, ca. 1935. Credit: NPS

In 1955, the Junior Nature School officially transitioned to the Junior Ranger program, which was much closer to how the program runs today. Now, children (and adults!) can earn a Junior Ranger badge and certificate at over 400 National Park sites across the country by completing activities from that park’s official Junior Ranger booklet. Additionally, there are many national themed booklets available which can be completed at home or at a nearby national park. Some of these themed Junior Ranger programs include Wildland Firefighter, Archeologist, and Underground Railroad Explorer.

An excerpt from the “Junior Ranger- Let’s Go Fishing!” booklet

Each of JNPA’s partner parks participate in the Junior Ranger program, including:

Also, for a limited time, visitors to Gateway Arch National Park will have the opportunity to earn the “Riverboat Explorer” Junior Ranger badge. This program will be offered daily on riverboat cruises at 1:30pm and 3:00pm now through Labor Day.

Credit: NPS

The next time you visit a national park, make sure to check out their Junior Ranger Program. It is completely free, and you never know what new things you may learn! If you want to add to the experience, you can also purchase this Junior Ranger Hat and Junior Ranger Vest to proudly display all of your badges!

💥O Say Can You See💥

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Looking for a memorable way to celebrate the Fourth of July this year?  Look no further than Gateway Arch National Park.   

Visitors who gather on the Arch grounds tomorrow evening will have a front row seat to one of the nation’s most spectacular fireworks displays.  The civic organization Fair Saint Louis will set off more than 1½ tons of fireworks from a barge in the Mississippi River, just beneath the Arch. It promises to be the largest fireworks show the organization has ever produced.

The show is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m., and last about 30 minutes.  Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs and to picnic on the grass. No glass or alcohol is allowed. The Arch itself will not be open, but the grounds and riverfront will be accessible. 

This is the 42nd year that Fair Saint Louis will present its Fireworks Spectacular.  It will also host its 140th America’s Birthday Parade the morning of the Fourth.

Mug Shot

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If you’ve visited one of JNPA’s stores at our national park partner sites, you may have noticed some unique ceramic mugs on our store shelves.  They usually bear the park’s name on a special medallion emblazoned on one side.  Chances are these beautiful mugs came from Deneen Pottery, a small production house in Minnesota that makes custom pottery for parks, museums, restaurants, and colleges.

JNPA has partnered with Deneen for many years.  We know our customers appreciate the beauty and craftmanship of the company’s mugs, each of which is handmade.  They also enjoy the feel of the glazed stoneware in their hands, as well as the sturdy handle. 

We recently took a tour of the Deneen factory in St. Paul, MN, and watched the mug production process – starting with lumps of clay…progressing to wheel-thrown shapes… to the application of handles and medallions…to final glazing.  All in all, more than 24 craftsmen have a role in creating each mug – a far cry from the machine-made mugs most factories turn out.

“We think our customers appreciate the fact that these mugs are made in America by skilled craftspeople who care about quality,” says Rick Trigg, JNPA’s Retail Operations Manager.

Among our park stores that feature Deneen mugs are those at Ste. Genevieve National Historic Site, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, and Gateway Arch National Park.