Gr 4-8 This entry in this popular series focuses on the study of selected plants, animals, and geologic formations in three of our most famous national parks, which are akin to "natural laboratories and living museums." It all begins in Yellowstone National Park, where hydrothermal activity and its effects are astutely explained. Next, the history, current status, and study of the famous park grizzly bears are carefully detailed. Exploration and examination of giant saguaro cacti and the elusive Gila monster are the focus in the section on Saguaro National Park, which includes a description of "BioBlitz" through which everyday citizens and students can assist in park research programs through 2016. The Great Smoky Mountains is home to more than 30 species of salamanders, and they, plus the equally fascinating fireflies of the region, are targeted in the final chapters. Pertinent, attention-grabbing, full-color photographs and captions, maps, infrared images, and diagrams accompany the fascinating, informative text in each section. Featured experts provide primary-source information for each topic covered. The introductory map of all national parks is missing two in Colorado, but that is a quibble. Overall, this is a well-written, unique, carefully organized treat for nature lovers and investigators.— Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, CO

The National Park System is often known as the nation's own backyard due to the possibilities it provides for leisure, recreation, and scientific study. This entry into the long-running Scientists in the Field series celebrates this by focusing on three specific parks: Yellowstone, Saguaro, and the Great Smoky Mountains. Drawing on real-world issues such as monitoring hydrothermal systems, determining the age of giant cacti, and predicting climate change, Carson chronicles exactly how scientists work in these locations. Citizen scientist volunteers, evolutionary ecologists, park rangers, and geologists are just a few of the types of scientists detailed in the book, representing a wide range of age, experience, and expertise. Much discussion centers on the gear the scientists use and the process of their studies. Photographs of stunning landscapes, natural wonders, and people at work adorn an appealing graphic layout. With a conservationist bent, Carson describes just how accessible these real-life "natural laboratories and living museums" are and how each individual can act with the same spirit of inquiry as the scientist-explorers detailed here.

Carson takes readers to three national parks--Yellowstone, Saguaro, and Great Smoky Mountains--to introduce a collection of scientists and researchers. The focus is on not just the science but also methods of investigation, from scientific tools to necessary hiking gear. Facts about the parks and supporting scientific information, along with instructive photographs, are interspersed throughout the book. Bib., glos., ind.

In Yellowstone, Saguaro and Great Smoky Mountains national parks, scientists help manage natural resources while they study them. The field scientists profiled in this latest title in the long-running Scientists in the Field series work in natural places that are protected, ideal for long-term studies. Many series titles focus on one scientist or scientific subject, but here, the author-photographer team introduces readers to a grand variety of career scientists: geologist, wildlife biologist, herpetologist, evolutionary ecologist, entomologist and a park biologist coordinating collaborative projects in many fields. Their research areas will appeal to a wide range of readers. Each section is introduced with a postcard image and fast facts about one of the parks. These include reasons to visit and further Web resources. The first section describes studies of two of Yellowstone's most famous attractions: geysers and grizzly bears. The next two projects involve volunteers (including high school students) as citizen scientists who track Gila monsters and measure Saguaro cacti in Arizona. The Sonoran desert there makes a striking contrast with the "[m]oist mature forest" in the Great Smoky Mountains, ideal habitat for salamanders and fireflies that synchronize their flashes. Uhlman's photographs are colorful, clearly explained and nicely reproduced. Maps and charts support the text. A welcome demonstration of the breadth of possibilities in scientific work. (Nonfiction. 10-15)