Do you know how New York’s Adirondack Park—an area larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks combined—and the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) got their start? Learn about the park’s early origins and the founding of the APA over 50 years ago, and discover how the debate over conservation and preservation in the Adirondacks has evolved today.
Ignite your students’ curiosity with these fantastic classroom resources on PBS LearningMedia! And view the entire film at mountainlake.org.
A Wild Idea: The Birth of the Adirondack Park Agency collection
Grades 6-12
A Wild Idea: The Birth of the Adirondack Park Agency examines the early origins of New York’s Adirondack Park and the creation of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA). The Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks combined. Using archival footage, the film examines the challenges to the creation of the APA and its role in the preservation and management of the Adirondack Park, one of the most ambitious land-use planning conservation efforts ever undertaken.
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