Great Smoky Mountains National Park

For much of his life, John D. Rockefeller Jr. was known primarily as the heir to one of America’s greatest fortunes. But as author Steve Kemp explains in his new book, An Exaltation of Parks: John D. Rockefeller Jr.’s Crusade to Save America’s Wonderlands, Rockefeller became something else: a determined champion of America’s national parks. His money helped preserve landscapes from Acadia to Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Yosemite — and, perhaps most significantly for this region, the Great Smoky Mountains.But Kemp’s story isn’t simply about a wealthy man writing checks. Rockefeller built alliances, assembled talented teams and worked behind the scenes to turn conservation ideas into reality. At times, that meant pushing against the interests — and even the wishes — of people in his own social circle. In this conversation with Todd Steed, Steve Kemp talks about how Rockefeller found his calling as a conservationist, the strategies that made him effective, and how a partnership between philanthropy, government and dedicated park advocates helped create some of the landscapes we now consider national treasures.

Melony Dodson talks with singer songwriter, Trisha Gene Brady, who will perform new songs inspired by the Fifty Years in Cades Cove Collection, located in the UT Libraries' digital archives. The debut performance is Wednesday, March 25th at 7pm at the Knoxville Museum of Art. This event is free and open to the public and is in partnership with the Big Ears Festival, as well as the UT Libraries series: Boundless: Artists in the Archives

Melony Dodson talks with Executive and Artistic Director of the Big Ears Organization, Ashley Capps, about Our Common Nature

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in the country, but how safe is it? What precautions should you take if you go hiking or…

America’s National Park Service turns 100 years old this year and on this segment of Dialogue, we take an historical trip in time to celebrate our…

When Dale Ditmanson moved from Philadelphia in 2004 to take over the Superintendent duties at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, he received a…

A report prepared by a group representing retired Park Service employees claims the federal shutdown is costing East Tennessee and Western North Carolina…