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  • The forest edges of the Beardslee Islands appear to be impenetrable with bushes and shrubs, but once you get past them, the island's forests open up to a moss-carpeted and lichen-rich landscape. This image is from an island once the site of a fox farm.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Interior forest of a Beardslee Islan...jpg
  • Trees along the Chilkoot Indian Association Trail in Haines, Alaska.
    trees still-life.jpg
  • These interstadial tree stumps in the Muir Inlet of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve may look unimpressive, but they are important witnesses to the park's glacial history. Glacier Bay National Park in Southeast Alaska is the largest known repository in North America of interstadial wood from the Holocene period, which began about 11,700 years ago and continues today. Interstadial wood is not fossilized; rather, it was frozen and unfrozen when glaciers advanced and receded in the bay. The forest was sheared off when the glacier advanced but left the stumps behind. Scientists can study the rings of these trees for clues to the glacial timeline of the park. Some stumps in the park date to over 9,000 years ago, and twigs date to 13,700 years ago.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Interstadial tree stumps.jpg
  • The sun tries to shine through low lying clouds over the Chilkat River following a snowstorm in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. One of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world occurs in November along the Chilkat River. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    Chilkat River snow scene 1.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view on the Painter Ridge Trail. In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Fall colors on Painter Ridge Trail.jpg
  • A moss-covered boulder is lit by a sliver of sunlight along the 4.5-mile roundtrip Avalanche Lake Trail.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Moss on boulder.jpg
  • A fly agaric or fly amanita toadstool (Amanita mascara) is considered poisonous and is known for its hallucinogenic properties. This specimen was spotted near Mine Creek in the Arapaho National Forest in Colorado.
    Fly agaric toadstool.jpg
  • Devil's club.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star at sunset.jpg
  • A kayaker examines an iceberg from the McBride Glacier on a Muir Inlet beach near Van Horn Ridge in Glacier National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska.
    Kayaker with McBride Glacier iceberg...jpg
  • Unidentified fern and moss growing on the floor of the temperate rainforest along Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Fern and moss.jpg
  • Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus) is the bane of hikers due to its needle-like prickly stems. Known to Tlingit as S’áxt’, the plant can be seen along the Forest Trail in the Bartlett Cove area of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The plant, a member of the ginseng family, has many medical and herbal uses by the Tlingit. In the autumn, devil’s club berries are a favorite of bears and thrushes.<br />
<br />
The Forest Loop Trail passes through the lush spruce and hemlock rainforest in Bartlett Cove. The easy 1.1-mile loop trail through the forest that sits on a glacial moraine is popular for birding, wildflowers, and other wildlife.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Devil's Club.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view on the Painter Ridge Trail. In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Fall colors on Painter Ridge Trail-2.jpg
  • The Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park affords visitors entry to the magical world of a western red cedar / black cottonwood forest. In this photo, a black cottonwood tree (Populus balsamifera), foreground, is bathed in the dappled light of the forest. The fuzzy fruit of the tree float in the air during the spring and early summer creating the look of warm-season snow. They inhabit riparian areas including streams. <br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Black cottonwood.jpg
  • Twigs and small branches litter the forest floor under a giant western red cedar tree (Thuja plicata) along the Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park. The humidity of the Lake McDonald Valley enables the cedars to grow in size of 100 feet tall, and diameters of four to seven feet with many of the trees being more than 500 years old. The western red cedar is one of the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from southern Alaska to northern California. This grove in Glacier National Park is near the eastern terminus of the western red cedar range.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Western Red Cedar.jpg
  • A meadow of tall fireweed booms in Brotherhood Bridge Park in Juneau, Alaska. In the background is the Mendenhall Glacier, one of the most accessible glaciers in southeast Alaska. Each year, 465,000 curise ship passengers visit the Mendenhall Glacier.
    Tall fireweed and Mendenhall Glacier.jpg
  • Death Valley National Park Visitors come not only to experience the record heat but also the beauty. Despite the desert conditions, the park is known for its spring wildflowers. Under perfect conditions, the park experiences a rare event known as a wildflower "super bloom" which produces a sea wildflowers. Most of the desert wildflowers are annuals. This ensures their survival as this allows them to lie dormant as seeds during times of drought. Here, a field of Desert Gold, also known as Hairy Desert Sunflower, explodes into a sea of yellow during the super bloom of 2016 in Death Valley National Park. In the background is Corkscrew Peak.<br />
<br />
Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California near the border with Nevada is one of the hottest spots on earth, holding the hottest recorded air temperature of 134 °F. The Park also is location of the lowest spot in North America, 282 feet below sea level at the vast salt flats at Badwater Basin. At 3.4 million acres, the park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. Death Valley National Park sits between the Panamint Range on the west  and Amargosa Range on the east.
    Desert gold super bloom.jpg
  • Unknown trees near the end of the Glacier Highway north of Juneau.
    Trees near end of Lynn Canal highway...jpg
  • Fall colors and a scenic view of Mt. Emmerich greet visitors to Haines, Alaska. Haines is a cruise ship destination on the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. The Haines Highway provides road access to the continental highway system. The photograph was taken at Picture Point on AK-7 (Lutak Road).<br />
<br />
Haines, Alaska, a picturesque town in southeast Alaska, is located on the Lynn Canal between the towns of Skagway and Juneau. Haines is one of the few towns in southeast Alaska that is connected with the North American highway system. The Haines Highway (Alaska Route 7 or AK-7) travels through British Columbia and the Yukon (Yukon Highway 3) to connect with the Alaska Highway in Haines Junction, Yukon.<br />
<br />
Haines is also a stop on the Alaska Marine Highway System with ferries arriving from Skagway and Juneau.<br />
<br />
Wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant. The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on the Chilkat River, near the confluence with the Tsirku River near Klukwan, is famous for its large concentration of bald eagles in the fall. At its peak in November, the American Bald Eagle Foundation sponsors the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival.
    Haines and Mt. Emmerich in fall.jpg
  • Moss covers the forest floor along the Trail of Time Trail near the Mendenhall Lake and Mendhenall Visitor Center just outside Juneau, Alaska.
    Moss along Trail of Time Trail.jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers light up during a fall sunset at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie ast...jpg
  • A small hill at Wolf Point is reflected in a low tide tidal pool in Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska. In the foreground is rockweed.
    Wolf Pt. reflection.jpg
  • A rock on the beach in the Muir Inlet near Van Horn Ridge is layered with (top to bottom) rockweed, acorn barnacles, and blue mussels. Muir Inlet is located in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska.
    Rockweed, acorn barnacles and blue m...jpg
  • Morning fog lifts from the Takhin Ridge mountains near the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska.
    mountains in fog.jpg
  • Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) survey the Chilkat River from a tree as another  bald eagle flies by above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.
    bald eagles in trees.jpg
  • Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense) along the Chilkoot Indian Association Trail in Haines, Alaska. Common horsetail is a fern. Moose, caribou, sheep and bears eat this plant.
    Common horsetail.jpg
  • Christmas ferns poke through the forest leaf litter in Echo Bluff State Park on the Painter Ridge Trail. Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is one of the most common ferns in Missouri forests. Its leaves are evergreen, and pioneers used it for making Christmas wreaths.<br />
<br />
In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Christmas fern.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view from the Painter Ridge Trail near the Bluff Top Pavilion. In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Fall leaves.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view from the Painter Ridge Trail near the Bluff Top Pavilion. The park’s namesake, Echo Bluff (upper right) overlooks Sinking Creek. Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Echo Bluff and Sinking Creek-2.jpg
  • The Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park affords visitors entry to the magical world of a 500-year-old western red cedar / black cottonwood forest.<br />
<br />
The humidity of the Lake McDonald Valley enables the cedars to grow in size of 100 feet tall, and diameters of four to seven feet with many of the trees being more than 500 years old. The western red cedar is one of the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from southern Alaska to northern California. This grove in Glacier National Park is near the eastern terminus of the western red cedar range.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Trail of the Cedars.jpg
  • Wild strawberry growing in a yard in Haines, Alaska
    Wild strawberry.jpg
  • An assortment of ferns including Hapu'u tree ferns in the wet forest in a small crater near the Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.
    Hapu'u tree ferns.jpg
  • A patch of evening primrose (family Onagraceae) blooms on the prairie near Buffalo Creek on the Selman Ranch near Buffalo, and north of Woodward in northwestern Oklahoma. Also pictured is sagebrush (background).
    Evening primrose.jpg
  • Tree branches covered with hoar frost are silhouetted against morning sunrise sunlight along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska.
    Hoar frost.jpg
  • The dry remains of the flower heads of aster wildflowers and other prairie grasses and plants light up during a fall sunset at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Fall sunset on tallgrass prairie wil...jpg
  • A visitor to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve passes by a patch of goldenrod during a fall morning hike in the West Traps Pasture of the preserve. Goldenrod is incorrectly associated with hay fever; wind doesn't spread its pollen, insects are responsible. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Goldenrod.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison on tallgrass prairie.jpg
  • Kayakers on Chilkoot Lake at the base of Mount Kashagnak are framed by tall fireweed. Chilkoot Lake is a popular fishing, camping and recreation destination near Haines, Alaska and the Lynn Canal. The lake is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site and managed by Alaska State Parks. In the upper reaches of the Chilkoot River Valley (not pictured) Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T) proposes to dam the outlet of Connelly Lake, a high alpine lake above the Chilkoot River, for a hydroelectric project. Water from Connelly Lake would be delivered down the mountain to a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. The Connelly Lake Hydro Aquatic Studies Report for 2012 prepared by the Shipley Group for AP&T states that according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 41 percent of the sockeye salmon in the upper Lynn Canal come from the Chilkoot River with 25 percent of those salmon spawning in the Chilkoot River drainage above Chilkoot Lake. The value of the fishery is estimated at more than $1,000,000 annually. AP&T wants to build the project to replace the undersea cable that supplies Haines with electricity from Skagway.
    Chilkoot Lake kayakers.jpg
  • Daisies envelope a meadow next to the Glacier Bay Country Inn located in Gustavus, Alaska. The southeast Alaska town of Gustavus is located next to Glacier Bay National Park.
    Daisies.jpg
  • An iceberg from the McBride Glacier is stranded on a Muir Inlet beach during low tide near Van Horn Ridge. In the background is "The Nunatak." Muir Inlet is located in Glacier National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska.
    McBride Glacier and The Nunatak.jpg
  • "The Nunatak" reaches up to clouds bathed in sunset light in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska. The Nunatak is a 1,205 foot glaciated knob located on the east side of the Muir Inlet. The rocks in the foreground are encrusted with blue mussels and rockweed.
    The Nunatak and rockweed.jpg
  • Icebergs from McBride Glacier rest in the intertidal area of a beach at the base of McConnell Ridge on Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska. The McBride Glacier, the most active glacier and only tidewater glacier in the Muir Inlet, is retreating. In the background is White Thunder Ridge.
    McConnell Ridge icebergs.jpg
  • Evening sunset light bathes evening primrose and the rolling hills of the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Evening primrose.jpg
  • An assortment of ferns including Hapu'u tree ferns in the wet forest in a small crater near the Thurston Lava Tube (Nahuku) in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.
    Hapu'u tree ferns.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) surveys the Chilkat River at sunrise from a tree above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.
    Sunrise with bald eagle.jpg
  • Snow covered mountain slope near the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska.
    Snow covered trees.jpg
  • Detail of grass in a wetland stream along the Chilkoot Indian Association Trail in Haines, Alaska.
    stream grass.jpg
  • Light filters through the lush spruce and hemlock rainforest on the Forest Loop Trail in Bartlett Cove of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The easy 1.1-mile loop trail through the forest that sits on a glacial moraine is popular for birding, wildflowers, and other wildlife.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Forest Loop Trail,.jpg
  • A pink bonnet (Mycena rosella) rises out of the moss-covered rainforest along Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Its growing season is autumn and is found exclusively on coniferous needles. Mycena are important decomposers of a wide variety of plant materials.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Mycena rosella.jpg
  • A fallen moss-covered tree is slowly absorbed into the floor of a temperate rainforest along Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Glacier Bay’s forests consist of evergreen trees like western hemlock and Sitka spruce dripping with lichens and mosses. A thick layer of vegetation such as fungi, liverworts, and wildflowers covers the forest floor. According to the National Park Service, "the sheer quantity of things living or that once lived but are now decaying means that this type of forest produces some of the largest accumulations of organic material on earth."<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Moss-covered fallen tree.jpg
  • A acorn barnacle and rockweed-covered boulder on the shore of the Muir Inlet of the East Arm of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Red Mountain is the mountain in the left-center of the photo.<br />
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Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
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Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Muri Inlet.jpg
  • The forest edges of the Beardslee Islands appear to be impenetrable with bushes and shrubs, but once you get past them, the island's forests open up to a moss-carpeted and lichen-rich landscape. This image is from an island once the site of a fox farm.<br />
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Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park a popular destination for cruise ships is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Interior forest of a Beardslee Islan...jpg
  • Rockweed (Fucus distichus) is a seaweed found in the middle intertidal zone of Glacier Bay National Park. According to the park’s website, "Gas-filled bladders at the tip of each branch help keep the plant floating near the surface when the tide is in, and thus increases the amount of light available for its energy needs. Light is filtered out rapidly as it passes through water. Rockweed also secretes a mucus-like substance which helps keep it moist during low tide."<br />
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Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park a popular destination for cruise ships is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Rockweed.jpg
  • A meadow of tall fireweed booms in Brotherhood Bridge Park in Juneau, Alaska. In the background is the Mendenhall Glacier, one of the most accessible glaciers in southeast Alaska. Each year, 465,000 curise ship passengers visit the Mendenhall Glacier.
    Tall fireweed and Mendenhall Glacier.jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse surveys a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
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The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
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Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse restin...jpg
  • Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) blooms across from islands in the Lynn Canal. In the background are the mountains of the Chilkat Range. This view is from a pullout on the Glacier Highway, north of Juneau.
    Fireweed,.jpg
  • Aspen trees show off their fall colors along Herman Creek near Haines, Alaska.
    Aspen trees along Herman Creek.jpg
  • Low tide exposes rockweed at Hunter Cove at sunset on Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska. Pictured in the near background are the Klotz Hills. Behind the Klotz Hills are mountain peaks of Adams Inlet. Peaks with names are Mount Wright (far right), Mount Case (second from right), and Tree Mountain (far left).
    Hunter Cove rockweed sunset.jpg
  • Nootka lupine blooms on Kidney Island near a kayaker's wilderness campsite in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska. EDITORS NOTE: This image is a focus blend image comprised of several images having different planes of focus.
    Nootka lupine campsite.jpg
  • A barbed wire fence surrounds the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Barbed wire fence.jpg
  • Smooth brome grass grows in the lowland prairie area along Fox Creek in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. This view, seen from the Fox Creek Trail, is indicative of the type of cool-season agricultural hay grass that the National Park Service hopes to replace with true warm-season prairie grasses in an effort to restore the lowland prairies to their natural state. Bottomland (floodplain) prairies are rare because most have been plowed for farming. Bottomland prairies provide deep soil, allowing prairie grasses and other plants to grow much taller than on the upland prairie. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lowland prairie-2.jpg
  • The `ama`uma`u  or `ama`u for short, is a common fern found in the wet forests of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The fern typically has red fronds when young for protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The fronds gradually turn green with age and gray when they die. The fern is a member of the Blechnum fern family and is endemic to Hawai`i. Halema`uma`u, the fire pit within Kilauea caldera, means “the house of  `ama`uma`u fern.”  This fern was photographed on a connector trail between the Byron Ledge and Devastation trails near the Kilauea caldera.
    Amau fern.jpg
  • View of forest canopy from sandstone bluff at a box canyon near Hillsboro, Missouri. EDITORS NOTE: Image is a composite panorama.
    Box canyon forest view.jpg
  • Detail of the 134,000 square-foot Central Garden by artist Robert Irwin at the J. Paul Getty Center, located in Los Angeles. A walkway traverses a stream ending in a pool of a maze of azaleas. The collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum on display at the Getty Center includes "pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs”. The museum is one of the most visited museums in the United States with an estimated 1.8 million visitors annually.
    Central Garden azaleas detail-2.jpg
  • Tree limbs in the Museum Courtyard are contrasted against the North Pavilion of the J. Paul Getty Museum, located in Los Angeles. The collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum on display at the Getty Center includes "pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs”. The museum is one of the most visited museums in the United States with an estimated 1.8 million visitors annually.
    Tree limbs.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
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Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
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The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star-4.jpg
  • One of the exhibits at the recently opened $24.4 million Flint Hills Discovery Center, located in Manhattan, Kansas, is an ‘underground forest’ depicting plant and insect life under the tallgrass prairie. About two-thirds of the mass of prairie grass is below the surface, protected from fire and grazing animals. This photo shows the long life-size roots of prairie grasses. Through interactive exhibits, Flint Hills Discovery Center visitors can explore the science and cultural history of the last stand of tallgrass prairie in North America – one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. Other attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: a 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen; explanations of importance of fire to the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie; and exhibits about the people and cultural history of the Flint Hills. The Flint Hills Discovery Center was designed by the museum architectural firm Vern Johnson Inc. with interpretive design and planning by Hilferty and Associates. The 34,900 square foot science and history learning center features permanent interactive exhibits, temporary exhibits, and areas for community programs and outreach activities. The Flint Hills Discovery Center received a LEED green building certification for their environmental design and energy efficiency, including their lighting and geothermal heating/cooling system.
    Flint Hills Discovery Center undergr...jpg
  • One of the exhibits at the recently opened $24.4 million Flint Hills Discovery Center, located in Manhattan, Kansas, is about dung beetles. In this interactive exhibit visitors lift a cow chip to expose a photo of dung beetles at work. Through interactive exhibits, Flint Hills Discovery Center visitors can explore the science and cultural history of the last stand of tallgrass prairie in North America – one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. Other attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: a 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen; an ‘underground forest’ depicting the long roots of prairie plants including the 7-foot roots of bluestem prairie grass; explanations of importance of fire to the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie; and exhibits about the people and cultural history of the Flint Hills. The Flint Hills Discovery Center was designed by the museum architectural firm Vern Johnson Inc. with interpretive design and planning by Hilferty and Associates. The 34,900 square foot science and history learning center features permanent interactive exhibits, temporary exhibits, and areas for community programs and outreach activities. The Flint Hills Discovery Center received a LEED green building certification for their environmental design and energy efficiency, including their lighting and geothermal heating/cooling system.
    Flint Hills Discovery Center exhibit...jpg
  • The $24.4 million Flint Hills Discovery Center, located in Manhattan, Kansas celebrates the history, culture, and heritage of the Flint Hills and tallgrass prairie. Through interactive exhibits Flint Hills Discovery Center visitors can explore the science and cultural history of the last stand of tallgrass prairie in North America – one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems.<br />
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The Flint Hills Discovery Center was designed by the museum architectural firm Vern Johnson Inc. with interpretive design and planning by Hilferty and Associates. The 34,900 square foot science and history learning center features permanent interactive exhibits, temporary exhibits, and areas for community programs and outreach activities.<br />
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Attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: a 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen; an ‘underground forest’ depicting the long roots of prairie plants including the 7-foot roots of bluestem prairie grass; explanations of importance of fire to the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie; and exhibits about the people and cultural history of the Flint Hills.<br />
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The Flint Hills Discovery Center received a LEED green building certification for their environmental design and energy efficiency, including their lighting and geothermal heating/cooling system.
    Flint Hills Discovery Center evening...jpg
  • The evening sky reveals stars over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The glowing light on the right is from the city of Emporia some 20 miles away to the east. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Stars and Lower Fox Creek School-1.jpg
  • Prairie grass is silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie sunrise 1.jpg
  • Prairie grass is silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy. silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie sunrise 2.jpg
  • Bison graze in the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. In October 2009, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve brought 13 genetically pure bison from Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. The preserve plans to add more bison from Wind Cave with a final herd size between 75 and 100 bison. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Bison herd.jpg
  • The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a clear sky during a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Lower Fox Creek School sunrise 3.jpg
  • Prairie grasses, wildflowers and a cottonwood tree are bathed in the dawn light moments before a fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Prairie sunrise 4.jpg
  • A planter of herbs hangs outside the kitchen window on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry, m/v LeConte. The LeConte, like many of the ships in the Alaska Marine Highway fleet, offers hot and cold food and beverage service including Alaska seafood, salads, and sandwiches. Food service on the LeConte is served cafeteria style.
    Herbs.jpg
  • An unidentified participant at the "Flames in the Flint Hills" photographs the burning prairie at the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas. This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Prescribed prairie burn agritourism.jpg
  • Josh Hoy, owner of the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas answers unidentified visitors' questions about recently burned prairie at the "Flames in the Flint Hills" held at  the ranch. This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Prescribed prairie burn agritourism-...jpg
  • Participants in "Flames in the Flint Hills" drag fire across the prairie grass of the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas. This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Prescribed prairie burn agritourism-...jpg
  • Gwen Hoy, owner of the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas controls the burning of ranch prairie during the "Flames in the Flint Hills." This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Prescribed prairie burn fire control...jpg
  • The morning sun dramatically rises on the prairie along the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway (Kansas State Highway 177) in the Kansas Flint Hills in Chase County, near the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Flint Hills prairie sunrise.jpg
  • Alaska cotton grass grows along the banks of a kettle pond near Wonder Lake in Denali National Park and Preserve.
    Alaska cotton grass.jpg
  • Dung beetles roll a ball of bison dung along a road in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve located in the Flint Hills of Kansas near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Dung beetles feed on manure, using it provide housing and food for their offspring and for prairie and pasture nutrient recycling. A male and a female beetle will work in a pair to roll a ball of dung away from a manure pile. They then will bury the ball as a home for their young. Drawn to manure by odor, a beetle will fly up to 10 miles in search of the right manure. Studies have also shown that dung beetles use the Milky Way as a directional bearing to navigate. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    Dung beetle.jpg
  • The setting sun sets behind a palm tree at sunset as seen from the Keauhou Beach Resort next to Kahaluu Beach Park in Keauhou on the Big Island of Hawaii. In the background are the remains of an ancient breakwater known as Paokamenehune or menehune breakwater that was built by ancient Hawaiians.
    Palm tree sunset-2.jpg
  • Honu or Hawaiian green sea turtles are native to Hawaii. They often come into shallow waters to feed on algae or to bask in the sun on beaches. The turtles are known to travel 700 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to lay their eggs and nest. The turtles are protected under Hawaii state and federal law as a threatened species. This turtle was photographed near the Hapaialii heiau in Keauhou on the Big Island of Hawaii.
    Hawaiian green sea turtle.jpg
  • In a dense grove of bamboo in the  Hanakapiai Valley lies the remains of a stone chimney of a coffee mill from the late 19th century. The remnants can be seen on the trail to Hanakapiai Falls in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. The 120 foot falls are reached by way of a two mile primitive side trail off the Kalalau Trail which runs along the Na Pali coast on the northern shore of the island of Kauai in Hawaii. From the Kalalau trailhead at Kee Beach in Haena State Park, the strenuous hike is eight miles roundtrip.
    Coffee mill.jpg
  • A kayaker passes by a fern-lined bluff on the North Fork of the White River.<br />
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The North Fork of the White River, known locally as the North Fork River is a popular floating and fishing stream, known for its spring-fed water. The 109-mile-long river is a tributary of the White River.
    Ferns on North Fork River bluff.jpg
  • Death Valley National Park Visitors come not only to experience the record heat but also the beauty. Despite the desert conditions, the park is known for its spring wildflowers. Under perfect conditions, the park experiences a rare event known as a wildflower "super bloom" which produces a sea wildflowers. Most of the desert wildflowers are annuals. This ensures their survival as this allows them to lie dormant as seeds during times of drought. Pictured here is Desert Gold, also known as Hairy Desert Sunflower, in Death Valley National Park.<br />
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Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California near the border with Nevada is one of the hottest spots on earth, holding the hottest recorded air temperature of 134 °F. The Park also is location of the lowest spot in North America, 282 feet below sea level at the vast salt flats at Badwater Basin. At 3.4 million acres, the park is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. Death Valley National Park sits between the Panamint Range on the west  and Amargosa Range on the east.
    Desert Gold.jpg
  • A fall frost delicately adheres to the leaves of a butterfly bush in a backyard in Springfield, Mo. Editor's note -- Image is a focus blend/focus stacked image.
    Frost on butterfly bush.jpg
  • Hundreds of unidentified flies hover above a bison (Bison bison) during sunset in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. <br />
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Among the flies that are a pest to bison are horn flies (Haematobia irritans). As many as 500 to 1,500 horn flies will feed on the blood of a bison 20 to 40 times a day.<br />
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Prairie State Park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Flies hover above bison.jpg
  • Ashy sunflower (Helianthus mollis) grows along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Ashy sunflower-2.jpg
  • Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) also known as gayfeather is a common sight along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
<br />
Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
<br />
The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
    Prairie blazing star at sunset.jpg
  • Ashy sunflower (Helianthus mollis) grows along the 1.5-mile Gayfeather Trail in the Regal Prairie Natural Area located in Prairie State Park. The park, located near Liberal, Mo. is Missouri’s largest remaining tallgrass prairie. The park’s nearly 4,000 acres is home to bison and elk. Panoramic hillsides of wildflowers such as prairie blazing star, sunflowers, and Indian paintbrush provide a canvas of color. In the fall, prairie grass such as big bluestem and Indian grass may tower as high as 8 feet tall. <br />
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Tallgrass prairie once covered more than 13 million acres of Missouri’s landscape. Today, less than one percent remains. The prairie at Prairie State Park remains because the rocky land was too difficult to plow, which protected it from being farmed. Hiking, animal viewing, camping, birdwatching, and photography are some of the activities that the park affords. <br />
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The Regal Prairie Natural Area is a 240-acre state natural area within the park that is especially noted for its wildflower display. The Nature Conservancy and the Missouri Prairie Foundation provided funding for the purchase of much of the park’s acreage. The area was dedicated as a state park in 1982.
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  • Oyster mushrooms growing on a log near Klepzig Mill in the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways near Eminence, Mo. Always confirm with a mushroom expert before eating wild mushrooms.<br />
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The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming and fishing. Additionally there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
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  • Maple trees display their fall colors along Devil's Well Rd. in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, near Devil's Well.<br />
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The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming and fishing. Additionally there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
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  • Trees in a recently logged area appear ghost-like in early morning fog along Mo. Highway 106 between Alley Spring and Eminence, Mo.
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  • An American black bear (Ursus americanus), eats dandelions just outside the boundary of Kluane National Park and Preserve along Yukon Highway 3, near Gribbles Gulch in the Yukon Territory, Canada. While most of a black bear’s diet is vegetation, black bears are omnivores meaning that they eat both plants and animals (grasses, berries, roots, insects, fish and mammals). Black bears typically weight 200 to 600 pounds. Not all black bears are black in color -- some are brown or even blond. They are most easily distinguished apart from grizzly bears by the lack of the pronounced shoulder hump found in a grizzly bear. The black bear is not considered to be a threatened species, though care to keep them from getting human food and garbage is needed to protect them from conflicts with humans. Kluane National Park and Reserve is known for it's  massive mountains, spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes including Canada's tallest peak, Mount Logan (19,545 ft.). The 5.4 million acre park is also known for it's wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, caribou and Dall sheep. The park is one of a collection of U.S. and Canadian national and provincial parks that form the largest international protected area in the world. Kluane National Park and Reserve was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being an outstanding wilderness of global significance. EDITORS NOTE: Image is a slightly cropped version of Image ID: I0000xjOvlNPfAYk
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  • An American black bear (Ursus americanus), eats dandelions just outside the boundary of Kluane National Park and Preserve along Yukon Highway 3, near Gribbles Gulch in the Yukon Territory, Canada. While most of a black bear’s diet is vegetation, black bears are omnivores meaning that they eat both plants and animals (grasses, berries, roots, insects, fish and mammals). Black bears typically weight 200 to 600 pounds. Not all black bears are black in color -- some are brown or even blond. They are most easily distinguished apart from grizzly bears by the lack of the pronounced shoulder hump found in a grizzly bear. The black bear is not considered to be a threatened species, though care to keep them from getting human food and garbage is needed to protect them from conflicts with humans. Kluane National Park and Reserve is known for it's  massive mountains, spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes including Canada's tallest peak, Mount Logan (19,545 ft.). The 5.4 million acre park is also known for it's wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, caribou and Dall sheep. The park is one of a collection of U.S. and Canadian national and provincial parks that form the largest international protected area in the world. Kluane National Park and Reserve was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being an outstanding wilderness of global significance. EDITORS NOTE: Image is a slightly cropped version of Image ID: I0000hi_N20NHKOQ.
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  • New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus, blooms near the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. New Jersey Tea was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes, tea, and for tanning hides. The pictured tree is a cottonwood, the state tree of Kansas. The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
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  • The $24.4 million Flint Hills Discovery Center, located in Manhattan, Kansas celebrates the history, culture, and heritage of the Flint Hills and tallgrass prairie. Through interactive exhibits Flint Hills Discovery Center visitors can explore the science and cultural history of the last stand of tallgrass prairie in North America – one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems.<br />
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The Flint Hills Discovery Center was designed by the museum architectural firm Vern Johnson Inc. with interpretive design and planning by Hilferty and Associates. The 34,900 square foot science and history learning center features permanent interactive exhibits, temporary exhibits, and areas for community programs and outreach activities.<br />
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Attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: a 15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects such as fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen; an ‘underground forest’ depicting the long roots of prairie plants including the 7-foot roots of bluestem prairie grass; explanations of importance of fire to the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie; and exhibits about the people and cultural history of the Flint Hills.<br />
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The Flint Hills Discovery Center received a LEED green building certification for their environmental design and energy efficiency, including their lighting and geothermal heating/cooling system.
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