Behind every scientific finding, data point, or graph, there’s a human story. The story might be about a scientist who has a "Eureka!" moment in the laboratory or field. It could be about a team of archeologists who build camaraderie as they struggle with bad weather, mosquitoes, and equipment failure on the way to a successful field season. Perhaps it's about a teenaged citizen science volunteer who falls in love with ponds and aquatic insects and decides to attend college and major in biology. Regardless of the particulars, science is always a human adventure.
To be sure, science is a way of knowing about our world. It's motivated by curiosity and wonder and steered by skepticism and critical thinking. Because of that, science is also a way of being human, and even a way of caring about our world. Here we highlight some of the human stories behind the research taking place in national parks.
![A woman is on her hands and knees with a helmet on in a cave.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/science/crop16_9/63B0ECA6-C756-A2BF-45BAE6198361961C.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
From moose and microbes to stars and streams, discover what it means to study nature in our national parks.
![Three people on an archaeology dig.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/science/crop16_9/55AFD3F4-AC67-387D-60EB7C9B0170C612.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Learn how scientists discover our past to better understand and preserve our future.
![Person in a yellow vest surveys two visitors on a sidewalk](/common/uploads/grid_builder/science/crop16_9/7E59524D-9E8E-6D2F-BD16C950BD89CFFA.jpeg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Find stories about social science research on how people behave, think, feel, and interact with parks.
![Historic image of people in the field.](/common/uploads/grid_builder/science/crop16_9/20C0EC22-BA3C-97AA-05461E409944BC05.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Science history in the National Park Service and the role of parks in science breakthroughs.
![A black and white portrait of a woman](/common/uploads/grid_builder/science/crop16_9/5BF1F734-B501-EAEA-1D0BAFC3821E6B26.jpg?width=640&quality=90&mode=crop)
Dr. Virginia Alexander was a Black doctor & public health expert. Her work showed how segregation and racism harmed Black Americans' health.
Last updated: December 6, 2023