York College of PA’s spring sustainability series to focus on history of U.S. National Park System

York College of Pennsylvania’s spring sustainability series will highlight the history of the U.S. National Park System and its connection to the work of Frederick Law Olmstead, best known for designing New York’s Central Park. The series will feature two events throughout the spring semester, which are open to the public free of charge.

Dennis Drabelle will present “Where Did the Idea for National Parks Come From?” at 7 p.m., Feb. 15, in Weinstock Lecture Hall, Willman Business Center. Drabelle is a writer and former attorney. During the 1970s, he was an attorney-adviser at the U.S. Department of the Interior and counsel to the assistant secretary of the interior for fish and wildlife and parks. Drabelle was a contributing editor of the Washington Post Book World for more than 30 years. His books include “Mile High Fever: Silver Mines, Boom Towns,” and “High Living on the Comstock Lode” and “The Great American Railroad War: How Ambrose Bierce and Frank Norris Took on the Notorious Central Pacific Railroad.” His articles on the environment and national parks have appeared in Outside, Smithsonian, Sierra, Wilderness, Backpacker, and many other magazines. His most recent book, “The Power of Scenery,” examines the roots of the U.S. National Park System in the earlier work of Frederick Law Olmstead.

Dagomar Degroot will present “What Can History Tell Us About Climate Change” at 7 p.m., April 13, Weinstock Lecture, Willman Business Center. Degroot is an associate professor of environmental history at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He is the founder and co-director of HistoricalClimatology.com and the Tipping Points Project, the co-director and co-founder of the Climate History Network, and the co-host of the podcast Climate History.