Geneva Library Foundation offers guided tour of national parks May 17

In 1872, Yellowstone became the nation's first National Park and, in 1916, the National Park Service was born.

One hundred years later, the United States has 59 National Parks, spanning an array of geological features, ecosystems and historic sites. The National Park system fills an important role in conservation and environmental protection. And the parks provide a boon to local economies. In 2016, more than 300 million visitors traveled to the National Parks.

Gib Egge has been visiting National Parks for years. His trips, however, often go beyond the scenic overlooks and paved trails frequented by the majority of visitors.

Egge will take the Geneva Library Foundation and its guests on "A Guided Tour of the National Parks" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Geneva Public Library, 127 James St. It is free but registration is requested at www.genevalibraryfoundation.org.

The night will start with a brief history of the parks, including the personalities integral in their formation and preservation, like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir. From there, attendees will take a virtual tour of many of the parks as they follow Gib on some of his adventures, which have included backpacking from rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, sea kayaking in the Everglades and Acadia, watching the aurora borealis in Denali, and living among 1,500-pound brown bears in Katmai.

Gib is the coordinator of experiential education and training and an adjunct faculty member in the physical education department at the College of DuPage. In his 22 years at COD, he has designed and implemented over 200 adventure-based field programs all over the world. He has taught programs in 50 of the 59 National Parks. In his free time, he enjoys photography and sharing his passion for wild places with his twin 5-year-old daughters.

The Geneva Library Foundation was established in 2005 as a charitable organization to provide support for current and future library materials, services and facilities. It is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization. The foundation is committed to providing a substantial, permanent, and stable source of funds to support the Geneva Public Library.

For information, contact Peter Evans at (630) 220-3689 or pevans@genevalibraryfoundation.org.