Why Use Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a Classroom?
• Diversity: over 4,000 species of plants grow there. A walk from mountain base to peak compares with traveling 1,250 miles north. Several resident plants and animals live only in the Smokies. • Rich cultural history. From the Cherokee Indians, to the Scotch-Irish settlers, this land was home to a variety of cultures and people. It has the largest collection of log buildings in the eastern US and richest collection of Southern Appalachian architecture in America. • Over 10,000,000 visitors per year. The National Park Service must balance the protection of the land with the use of the people for both today and for the future. Today’s students will become tomorrow’s land managers, decision-makers, and stewards of the Park. • An International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. These international recognitions represent the Smokies importance to the planet. The purpose of this United Nations program is to recognize and encourage preservation of the world’s great cultural and biol
