As a boy, Charles Robert Darwin(达尔文) collected anything that caught his interest: insects, coins and interesting stones. He was not very clever, but Darwin was good at doing the things that interested him.

    His father was a doctor, so Darwin was sent to Edinburgh to study medicine, and was planned to follow a medical career. But Charles found the lectures boring. Then his father sent him to Cambridge University to study to be a priest. While at Cambridge, Darwin's interest in zoology and geography grew. Later he got a letter from Robert FitzRoy who was planning to make a voyage around the world on a ship, the Beagle. He wanted a naturalist to join the ship, and Darwin was recommended(推荐). That voyage was the start of Darwin's great life.

    As the Beagle sailed around the world, Darwin began to wonder how life had developed on earth. He began to observe everything. After he was home, he set to work, getting his collection in order. His first great work The Zoology of the Beagle was well received, but he was slow to make public his ideas on the origin of life.

    Later Darwin and Wallace, another naturalist who had the same opinions as Darwin, produced a paper together. Darwin's great book “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”(《物种起源》) appeared. It attracted a storm. People thought that Darwin was saying they were descended from monkeys. What a shameful idea! Although most scientists agreed that Darwin was right, the Church was still so strong that Darwin never received any honors for his work.

    Afterwards, he published another great work, The Descent of Man. His health grew worse, but he still worked. “When I have to give up observation, I shall die,” he said. He was still working on 17, April, 1882. He was dead two days later.

    San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.

    The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.

    The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.

    One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day's coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政会).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”

    After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水带). It cost 1,000.

    It didn't take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.

    In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.

    Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.

    Yellowstone Vacations Calendar & Events

    Plan Your Day at Yellowstone

    When you visit Yellowstone National Park, just stepping outside presents an entire world of things to do. But if you're looking for something more structured, we offer our own brand of fun and adventure. Check below for upcoming events and start planning your day-to-day stay here at Yellowstone.

    Super Party at Holiday Inn West Yellowstone February 4

    Will you be in West Yellowstone on Sunday, February 4? Well, great news! We have no intention of missing the biggest game of the year, and we will be celebrating in true “big game” fashion at the Holiday Inn West Yellowstone. Join us as we broadcast the big game on our BIG screen in the conference space, and come and cheer for the team of your choice! A range of food and beverage specials will be available, including buckets of beer, Buffalo chicken clip, and of course wings. We hope to see you here on February 4, 2018!

     Kids'N'Snow Weekend March 3-4

    Don't miss a special weekend in West Yellowstone filled with fun activities for kids (and families) both outdoors and inside. Join the fun at the West Yellowstone Ice Rink,(溜冰场). Warm up with hot beverages, toast, some marshmallows, sled on the sledding hill. Bring your own sled for the Kid's Sledding Hill. Or, try out West Yellowstone's ice skating rink. A limited number of ice skates will be available at no charge (come early for the best selection). Relax with music and conversation. It's old-fashioned family fun for everyone of every age. All Yellowstone visitors are welcome!

    For full details and schedule information, please visit the official Kids'N'Snow website.

    Yellowstone Snowmobile Tours

    Call 800-426-7669 today to make a reservation.

    Looking for something a little more hands on? Take one of our Yellowstone Snowmobile Tours and let our local guides take you through the impressive winter wonderland!

    Custom and daily tours available.

    Snowmobile and Tour： $219 which does not include tax of 3%, lunch, clothing, park entrance fees.

    Yellowstone National Park and Rendezvous Snowmobile Rentals, require a valid drivers license to drive a snowmobile.

    For more information on rentals, please see our Snowmobile Rentals page and Frequently Asked Questions page.

    83-year-old Antonio Vicente has spent the last four decades of his life fighting against the current. As Brazilian landowners cut down rainforests to make room for profitable (盈利的) plantations and cattle grazing grounds, he struggled to bring the thick jungles of his childhood back to life.

    In 1973 Antonio took up the challenge of restoring the forest on a 31-hectare piece of land that had been destroyed for cattle grazing. Ironically enough, he bought the land in Brazil's Sao Paulo region, using credits（贷款）that the military government was giving out to promote deforestation(砍伐森林) and agricultural technology. But Antonio didn't use the money to promote the national agriculture but wanted to revive the forest.

    "You are stupid. Planting trees is a waste of land. You won't have income. If it's full of trees, you won't have room for cows or crops," Antonio's neighbors told him. But he knew the damage caused by deforestation was far greater than financial profit. Antonio had grown up on a rural farm, and watched his father and the other villagers cut down forests at the owners' orders, either for charcoal production or to clear land for grazing cattle. He had watched the ancient water sources dry up and people struggling to survive.

    With only some donkeys and a few hired workers Antonio brought back the forest to his land. What started out as a weekend hobby soon became a permanent way of life. Antonio often recalls spending days and nights in his young jungle, surrounded by rats and foxes, and eating banana for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    As the forest grew, the water returned, and Antonio says that there are now over 20 water sources on his land that were no longer there when he bought it. Then the animals started making a home there. Today, the forest is alive with sounds of birds and insects living there, and more species are settling in every year.

    When we want to tell other people what we think, we can do it with the help of words. We can also do it in many other ways, too. Sometimes we move our heads up and down when we want to say "yes", and we shake our heads when we want to say "no". Some people can't hear or speak. They talk with the help of gestures（手势）. People from other countries often have to do it if they don't know your language.

    Here is a story. An American was once having his holiday in Italy, but he could not speak Italian. One day he went to a restaurant and sat down at a table. When the waiter came, the American opened his mouth, put his fingers in it and took them out again. In this way he wanted to say "Bring me something to eat". The waiter soon brought him a cup of tea. The American shook his head and the waiter understood that he didn't want tea. So he took it away and brought him a glass of milk. The American shook his head again. He was very hungry now and looked sad. He was just going to leave the restaurant when another man came in. When this man saw the waiter, he put his hands on his stomach(胃). In a few minutes there was a large plate of bread and meat on the table in front of him.

Here are the Disney movies recommended by Brandon Dammit for this weekend. 

Fantasia 2000

Budget: $80 million

Score: 75%

I remember disliking Fantasia 2000 in theaters as a young child, but I have developed a much deeper appreciation for the fantastic music as an adult. Disney has employed advanced sound tools to produce a movie that was under-appreciated at its first appearance.

Pete's Dragon

Budget: $65 million

Score: 60%

I love Disney as much as the younger generation. But it's disappointing to see flavorless remakes like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast harvest billions at the box office while more soulful remakes like Pete's Dragon is largely ignored. 

The Rescuers Down Under

Budget: $38 million

Score: 70%

I won't lie to you, kind reader. The Rescuers Down Under is the only movie that I've never seen here and my honor won't allow me to pretend otherwise. According to Disney, it's about the world's bravest mice, Bernard and Bianca, who race to Australia to save a boy and a rare golden eagle from a cruel hunter. So, you know, normal Disney stuff. 

The Great Mouse Detective

Budget: $14 million

Score: 72%

Picture this: a young mouse named Olivia is committed to discovering the truth of her father's disappearance in 1897 London, and she got the help from his friends, Dr. Dawson and Toby. It's basically Disney's Sherlock Holmes.