University Calendar
From Controversy to Conservation: How the Environmental Movement Shaped the Creation of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Rainey McKenna Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, presents this week's seminar.
About Rainey McKenna
Rainey McKenna earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California and an M.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin. Her work in the environmental management field has taken her from Ghana to Guatemala and the Rocky Mountains to river valleys. Since 2004 she has worked for the National Park Service in a variety of positions, including as a park ranger, public affairs specialist, and compliance specialist. Presently she manages the interpretation, education, and outreach operations at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
About the Seminar
Over the last 145 years, presidents and congress have established over 400 National Park Service sites to preserve and tell the story of our country. Collectively, these places preserve our ecological and cultural heritage and reflect our national values. Writer and historian Wallace Stegner called our national parks "the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." Yet many of our national parks are forged in controversy. In this presentation, Rainey McKenna will examine how public protest and the emerging environmental movement shaped the creation of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the resulting management challenges and successes over the last 50 years, and what this case study can teach us about our future.