00:00back to truth and trends today Charles and I are talking about one of America's greatest
00:12treasures our national parks but we're not talking about hiking trails and camping we're
00:16going to share some of the most bizarre and little-known facts about them that's right
00:19Sophia everyone thinks of the National Park Service when they think of rangers but the
00:24very first park rangers were actually the US Army it's a great little-known fact and the
00:28soldiers who patrolled the parks particularly Yellowstone in the late 19th century were the
00:33Buffalo Soldiers an all-black regiment they were some of our first conservationists and they played
00:38a huge role in protecting these lands before the National Park Service was even created and they
00:42had to enforce some pretty strange rules I'm sure I found one that I think you'll like in Yellowstone
00:47National Park it's strictly prohibited to howl at the animals that's absolutely amazing I'm imagining
00:53a park ranger having to enforce that sir I'm going to have to ask you to stop imitating the elk I'd
00:58love to know what the story is behind that it's got to be a good one it makes you wonder how many
01:02people had to be told not to howl before they made it an official rule and did you know that
01:07some of our national parks have a booze and crime history I have limited knowledge on this but my
01:12colleague Dr. Anya Sharma our legal consultant told me a fascinating story during prohibition some of
01:17the parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone became a haven for speakeasies and illegal alcohol sales the
01:23vastness of the parks made them difficult to police that's a great fact Sophia it shows that these
01:28places aren't just pristine wilderness they're also a part of our messy complicated human history it's a
01:34part of our history that we don't always think about when we're admiring a geyser or a big tree
01:38and then there are the weird rules that are still on the books like in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National
01:43Parks it's illegal to pick up a bird feather you're right it's a law that's designed to protect the birds
01:48in their nests but it's one of those rules that makes you go huh it's a good reminder that these
01:51places are not just for our enjoyment they're delicate ecosystems that need our protection
01:55and it's a reminder of how much history is packed into these places it's a lot more than just a place
02:00to take a picture it is it's a history of conservation of law enforcement and of people
02:05trying to find their place in the wild a truly fascinating look at the quirks of American culture
02:10in history we've had a fun time with this we sure have thanks for watching and we'll see you next time
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