Recent Stories
Marine parks endangered by human use
Off the coast of South Florida lay tropical tranquil waters that risk complete destruction. Across miles of Caribbean oceans is another similar environment being threatened by the same dangers. The National Park Service protects two tropical marine parks in Atlantic waters that may not be around for future generations toRead More…
Restoration aids, preserves Fort Jefferson
DRY TORTUGAS, Fla.— The Dry Tortugas National Park is one of America’s most remote locations, located 70 miles off the coast of Key West. It is a relatively small national park, covering about 100 square miles, only 40 of which are above water. Despite the Dry Tortugas’ isolation and smallRead More…
Climate change brings water concerns
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif.—The biggest attraction for individuals staying at the Yosemite Lodge of Yosemite National Park is that when you wake up in the morning and open the door, Yosemite Falls come into view pouring down the granite cliff behind the golden-colored leaves of this fall season. But when youRead More…
Lichen Blitz catalogs species found in park
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. — With nothing to save them from a damning several-thousand foot drop except a rope and an unshakable courage, mountain climbers scoured the cliffs of Yosemite, chiseling away at rocks and analyzing samples throughout the park. Climbers from the American Alpine Club (AAC), in conjunction with scientistsRead More…
Yosemite hiking popular, but strenuous
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. – With its sheer western face visible from almost anywhere on the Yosemite Valley floor, Half Dome rises to its 8,836-foot peak to the valley’s east. Hikers can reach the summit via either the John Muir Trail or the more direct Mist Trail, both easily accessible fromRead More…
Yosemite corral bosses love their animals
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. —Strolling in the warm sunshine, Ruth, who just finished her day’s work, is enjoying the sun bath and the cool, crisp mountain air. She begins her work at 8 o’clock every morning and has been working in the Yosemite Valley for a few years. She, like manyRead More…
Night Prowl provides different experience
YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. — Innumerable twinkling stars and the hazy sheen of the Milky Way illuminate the sky as I make my way from Yosemite Lodge to shuttle stop nine. I will be meeting up with my fellow night prowlers, a group of approximately 20 people who wish to seeRead More…
Snowbirds found in Tortugas are real thing
DRY TORTUGAS, Fla. — The term “snowbird” had to come from somewhere. While it has long been associated with humans who travel to Florida to escape frigid northern winters, it does, as one might expect, have an actual ornithological origin. For centuries, thousands of species of birds have migrated southRead More…
Artist’s work depicts different side of bay
It’s 9 a.m. and a little girl answers the telephone, “Dad, its an interview for you. Hold one second please.” She hums the “Jeopardy” theme song in its entirety, then Brian Trainor gets on the phone… Brian Trainor is a self-taught photographer who has been shooting for more than 30Read More…
Everglades are ideal to view night sky
FLORIDA CITY, Fla. — It’s hard to forget the first time I looked up at the Everglades night sky. Two years ago, my car had broken down around midnight on Alligator Alley, a highway that extends through the Florida Everglades. Stranded in darkness and waiting for a tow truck onRead More…
Biscayne Bay kayaking easy to learn
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Biscayne National Park is one of the few places that South Florida residents can visit to explore mangrove-fringed shorelines and shallow bay waters. With its expansive, sparkling blue waters, it is just the place to escape to for a day of kayaking and fun on the water.Read More…
Kayaks offer one of best ways to visit park
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — The cheerful panorama is unmistakable. The emerald islands and mangrove shoreline separate the shades of blue above and below, the seemingly unperturbed water disguises the bubbly undersea kingdom and the sound of birds marking their territory remind you where you are. “I wouldn’t call myself daring, butRead More…