Two of my friends from Tulane worked with me to submit an application for a research grant from the university this past Spring. Our plan was to estimate how much a popular national park was worth to its visitors. The question of funding for the National Park Service has been especially present in the national conversation this year in light of the federal funding sequester and more recent government shut down. We were happily surprised to have been awarded the grant, but because our study involved interacting with humans we had to overcome the indescribably arduous process of approval by the Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects Research. I don't think it was until we got into the backcountry in Yosemite National Park that we were positive it was worth it. This is my co-investigator Mark Myers walking with me down the north side of Cloud's Rest, one of a few peaks we summited on our five day hike.
Photo taken by Kyle Ryan
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