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Parks damaged by Sandy work to recover
More than $71 billion of damage, 87 fatalities and nine months later, the United States is still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. America’s national parks are not immune from the destruction associated with these high-powered storms. A total of 70 national park sites, including all 15 located in New Jersey andRead More…
Visitors have impact on ecosystems
Something as innocent as keeping tree leaves, flowers or even small rocks as natural souvenirs can bring harm and significant consequences to a park’s environment, even to the extent of upending nature’s balance. It might seem like visitors help parks progress and persist and thus removing a flower or feedingRead More…
Eradication of Brazilian pepper not simple
The Brazilian pepper tree is one of the most widespread and powerful invasive species in the Florida Everglades, and is spreading to other parts of the country, mainly the Southwest United States. It has yet to be eradicated by human methods. When the Everglades were visited by early settlers inRead More…
Red tide takes toll on Florida’s manatees
A bloom of red tide in the Gulf of Mexico is responsible for the deadliest spring in history for the Southwest Florida manatees, killing nearly 10 percent of the population. The bloom has killed 256 manatees since April 8 and continues to kill 10 or more manatees per day, expertsRead More…
Park running events contribute to wellness
Yosemite Falls, the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful— icons of America the Beautiful. Since the establishment of National Parks, these sacred and protected lands stand as monuments and tributes to the great nation of the United States. Our national parks are a reminder of the natural wonder and the unfettered wildernessRead More…
Park battles litter in trying to protect bay
Encompassing an area of 95 percent water, Biscayne National Park is the “biggest marine national park in the country,” says park ranger Gary Bremen. The National Park Service defines it as a park that “protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs.” Established in 1980,Read More…
Remoteness creates smuggling opportunity
America’s national parks offer vast wildernesses intended to be enjoyed for their scenery and wildlife. Unfortunately, many criminals see the remote areas of national parks as perfect venues for smuggling. Everglades City, a tiny town on the Southwest coast of Florida and near Everglades National Park, has gained notoriety forRead More…
Safety at Columbus Day Regatta improving
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — In 1954, a group of sailors began a friendly race in Biscayne National Park to mark Columbus Day weekend, making their way down Biscayne Bay and then camping out for the night. It was an event free of spectators, free of outside attention, comprised mainly of localsRead More…
NPS moves toward sustainable healthy food
SAN FRANCISCO — About 20 miles north of the heart of San Francisco, including a final mile of winding curves through the mountains that takes visitors a couple hundred feet above sea level, is Muir Woods National Monument, a park densely packed with redwood trees reaching heights of more thanRead More…
Geocaching gains popularity in Everglades
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – It’s the dream of countless children to stumble across a cryptic map and embark on a treasure hunt. Digging through the underbrush in an attempt to find that elusive X marks the spot, heart pounding in anticipation as the mysterious chest is unearthed – what could beRead More…
Rising sea levels pose threat to Everglades
When people think of the Everglades, they often picture vast wetlands, nesting birds and alligators lurking in the sawgrass. But, rising sea levels are starting to change how that picture looks. For the Everglades, being at risk from encroaching factors is not a new experience. From early development of Florida,Read More…
White nose syndrome threatens ecosystems
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a relatively new disease found to wreak havoc on the bat population in North America. Many national parks, including Mammoth Cave National Park, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Acadia National Park, have been affected by this devastating disease. White-nose syndrome threatensRead More…