Chapter 1- Science: Northern Rocky Mountains: A Boreal Forest Biome
Yellowstone National Park was established in March of 1872 through an act of congress that was signed by president Ulysses S. Grant. The park spans the borders of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho and is composed of over 3,400 square miles of heavily forested land amid the northern Rocky Mountains.

Chapter 2- Science: The Northern Mtn. Prairie: A River Bottom Biome
Located in North Eastern Montana, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, is one of the largest in the U.S., covering more than 1,000,000 acres and includes a portion of the Missouri River and the Fort Peck Reservoir.

Chapter 3- Science: Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge
The Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1969 in an effort to restore wildlife habitat lost after the construction of the John Day Dam. The 76 mile long lake that was created by the dam did cause the loss of wildlife habitat, but in turn created new wetlands in place of arid up-land.

Chapter 4- Science: Glacier National Park: A Coniferous Mtn. Biome
George Bird Grennell, an early western explorer, pushed hard for the setting aside of a large wilderness area in Montana in order to preserve the pristine environment. After ten years of repeated requests by Grennell and others, President Taft signed a bill in 1910 that resulted in the formation of Glacier National Park, our nation’s tenth national park.

Chapter 5- Science: Colville Nat'l Forest: A Forested Foothill Biome
The Colville National Forest comprises a large track of land in northeastern Washington State. Three mountain ranges, the Okanogan, Kettle and Selkirk, run through the forest from north to south and are considered foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

Chapter 6- Science: John Day Fossil Beds: A Prehistoric Biome
Locked among the sedimentary rock of the Eastern Oregon badlands lies a 40 million year old record of plant and animal life that once inhabited this region. Thomas Condon, a pioneer geologist was the first to discover the John Day Fossil Beds and recognize the importance of what he found near Sheep Rock in 1865.

Chapter 7- Science: Cape Meares Nat'l Wildlife Refuge:Rock Shore Biome
Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 in order to help protect nearly 139 acres of old growth forest along the coastline. An ancient forest consisting of tall stands of Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock provide incredibly rich habitat for several species of endangered and threatened animals.

Chapter 8- Science: Curlew National Grassland: A Prairie Biome
Curlew National Grassland is located in southern Idaho. Homesteaders, many of which were forced out of the area by the Great Dust Bowl of the 1930s, once settled this prairie. The grassland is home to a number of important animal species and is used recreationally for hunting, backpacking, and wildlife observation.

Chapter 9- Science: Gray's Lake Nat'l Wildlife Refuge: Marshland Biome
Gray’s Lake National Wildlife Refuge lies near Soda Springs in southeastern Idaho and spans more than 19,000 acres of mountainous marshland at an elevation of 6,400 feet. The refuge is home to the largest population of sandhill cranes in the world.