Sidnie's+Speech

= = **Yellowstone National Park** 

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 * Yellowstone National Park. What do you think of when you hear that name? I think of wild animals, some who might be endangered, and others who might be on the verge of going extinct. I think of mountainous creatures, and animals you would only find in zoos. I think of a refuge for animals that have struggled for their survival in the wild, and could not make it on their own. I think of rare plants and tall trees, that animals have turned into their natural habitat. 

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 * You may wonder what caused people to take this wilderness area and turn it in to a national park…
 * In the Northwestern corner of Wyoming, sets a beautiful national park, a park that has been there for over 130 years. Its vast lands travel far and wide, but most of it sets remotely in the corner of Wyoming. Yellowstone receives around 3 million visitors a year. It was our first national park, an inspiration for the hundreds of similar preserves around the world.

 **Yellowstone contains the majority of the world’s geysers. Yellowstone’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful, erupts up to an average height of 130 feet every 75 to 80 minutes.**


 * Yellowstone has approximately 290 waterfalls, stretching over the landscape. Some of the wild animals you might see would be grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, and wolves. Some of the grazing animals the park features are elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mule deer, whitetail deer, and bison.  **

 **The scenic wonders of Yellowstone are breathtaking. The conservation of the wild animals is heart felt. I believe the restoration of the wolves, in 1995, was a great way to keep them from being hunted to extinction. This way they live in a natural habitat, and aren’t bothering or threatening anybody. A few of the other interesting features Yellowstone has to offer are the Fort Yellowstone Historic District and the Museum of the National Park Ranger. These historic places give you a glimpse into Yellowstone’s earlier years and how our ancestors enjoyed it.** **Some of the people you can learn about in these places, are the Native American people who most definitely roamed the Yellowstone lands before the Europeans arrived to explore.**


 * Yellowstone is not only “animal friendly,” it is also “Earth friendly.” Today, Yellowstone has fewer roads and recreation areas than they did 50 to 80 years ago. They’ve used the space for the animals and their habitats.

** <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">**The first whites to explore Yellowstone, were Lewis and Clark. With them came fur trapper, John Colter. He traveled the lands with Lewis and Clark, and brought back stories of his adventures. The stories traveled quickly and soon after, miners inhabited the area. But once there was no more gold to be found, the miners left; which started a new beginning for Yellowstone.

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Jim Bridger, an explorer of Yellowstone, surveyed the land until he knew it well. He became Yellowstone’s first geographer, which enlightened many people and interested them in learning more about Yellowstone. **


 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Congress sent scientists to survey the Missouri and Yellowstone territories. Along with new discoveries and place names, the party collected geological and zoological specimens as well as plant specimens, sketches, photographs, and countless volumes of exploration notes. This collection of data was brought before the public and Congress. The bill's chief supporters convinced their colleagues that the region's real value was as a park area, to be preserved in its natural state. In 1872, President Grant signed the bill into law, establishing the Yellowstone region as a public park and setting a major conservation guide. The Nation had its first national park; an area of exceptional beauty set aside for the enjoyment of generations to come, and a tradition of preserving similar areas was established.

Yellowstone National Park has been admired for 136 years, and hopefully for many years to come. Yellowstone is definitely a Great American Landmark.**