National Parks Traveler Podcast | Big Bend's Big Wall

National Parks Traveler Podcast | Big Bend's Big Wall

Author: Kurt Repanshek March 1, 2026 Duration: 50:29

Big Bend National Park lately has drawn a lot of national attention, and not in a good way. Recently the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced that it wanted to build some sort of border wall along all or part of the 118 miles of border the national park shares with Mexico. Is that a good idea? Will it adversely impact the park? Can it even be done?

To discuss those and other questions, our guest today is Bob Krumenaker, whose long Park Service career included a stint as Big Bend's superintendent. Bob also is chair of the Keep Big Bend Wild organization that is pushing to see a large portion of the park designated as official wilderness. 


There's a world of stories waiting beyond the park entrance sign, and the National Parks Traveler Podcast is your audio guide to them. Led by Kurt Repanshek, this series goes deeper than trail maps and visitor statistics. It connects the natural wonder you experience firsthand with the crucial, often unseen work happening behind the scenes-the science informing conservation, the cultural histories embedded in the landscape, and the policy decisions that will shape these places for future generations. As the audio companion to the editorially independent nonprofit media organization, this podcast delivers a thoughtful blend of on-the-ground reports, interviews with researchers and park staff, and nuanced discussions about the challenges and triumphs in managing protected areas. You'll hear the sounds of the parks and the voices of the people dedicated to them. Each episode is an invitation to better understand the complex tapestry of ecology, history, and society that makes every national park far more than a scenic destination. Tune in for a regular dose of insight that will deepen your appreciation and perhaps even shape your next journey into America's most treasured public lands.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 383

National Parks Traveler Podcast
Podcast Episodes
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National Parks Traveler Podcast | Managing Capitol Reef's Visitors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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National Parks Traveler Podcast | 1,000 Western Wonders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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National Parks Traveler Podcast | Congaree's Big Trees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:03
Congaree National Park is an often-overlooked unit of the National Park System. Indeed, only about 250,000 visitors set foot in Congaree each year. Those who do are awestruck by the size of the trees there, as the park c…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Bats in the Parks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:09
A growing majority of bat species are in serious trouble, largely because of white nose syndrome, a deadly fungal disease that resembles a white fuzz on infected bats. As the disease has spread across the country, it's d…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Revisiting the ESA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:54
To put some perspective on the National Parks Travelers' monthslong coverage of threatened and endangered species, we're going to go back in time a bit today to replay a podcast in which we discussed the ESA — and possib…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Florida Coral Reef Rescue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:20
The Florida Reef stretches from Biscayne National Park south past Everglades National Park and down to Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida. It's roughly 350 miles long, and is the only coral reef in the continental Uni…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Saving Whitebark Pines [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:21
Whitebark pines are a Western icon that the National Park Service has designated as a "vital sign" species because they are critical to ecosystem functions. But they are at risk of extinction due to climate change, beetl…
National Parks Traveler Podcast | Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:09
What is the fate of the critically endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle? This smallest of the sea turtle species glides among the sea grasses and coral reefs of the Gulf of Mexico, and nests predominantly along the shores…