A stunning look at America's first national park

To mark the centennial of America's national park system this year, National Geographic devoted an entire issue to the country's first such park: Yellowstone. (For the record, National Geographic is actually older than the parks themselves, at 127 years.)

David Quamman, a longtime nature and travel writer, wrote about Yellowstone in that issue, and in the National Geographic book that followed: "Yellowstone — A Journey Through America's Wild Heart."

Quamman joined MPR News host Tom Weber to talk about the park, its role in American culture and the nature preserved in its boundaries. "Yellowstone" includes photography of the park and its animal life as well, several examples of which are featured below.

For the full interview with David Quamman on Yellowstone, use the audio player above.

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