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  • An abandoned log cabin sits in the woods near Pulltite Spring along the Current River, one of two rivers that make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri. The cabin (note the vertical log construction) was built as a “retreat” for early 20th century visitors who came to float the Current River. The Current River is the most spring-fed of all the rivers in the Missouri Ozarks. The river is a favorite with paddlers who enjoy the cold crystal clear water from springs that feed the Current River, including Cave Spring, Pulltite Spring, Round Spring, Blue Spring, and Big Spring. The scenic river is lined with rock ledges, caves, gravel bars and bluffs.<br />
<br />
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, which include the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, 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.
    Pulltite cabin-2.jpg
  • Black bear pawprint in the mud  along the Porcupine Road near Herman Creek.
    Black bear paw print.jpg
  • Trees along the Chilkoot Indian Association Trail in Haines, Alaska.
    trees still-life.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 fishing boat slowly makes its way through the fog in Auke Bay near Juneau, Alaska.
    Fishing boat in fog.jpg
  • The Saksaia Glacier sits at the top of the Glacier Creek valley near the location of the potential mine site being explored by Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan. The area of exploration, known as the Palmer Deposit is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway and the Porcupine placer gold mining area near Haines, Alaska.<br />
<br />
The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver. Exploratory drilling to refine the location and mineral amounts are the current focus of the company.<br />
<br />
If approved and developed, the mine would be an underground mine. Besides the actual ore deposits, having the nearby highway access for transporting ore to the deepwater port at Haines is also attractive to Constantine.<br />
<br />
Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini and Chilkat River. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration. At times more than 3,000 eagles have been recorded at the primary gathering area for the fall chum salmon run.
    Saksaia Glacier 3.jpg
  • Hungry Horse Dam is located on the South Fork Flathead River near Hungry Horse, Montana. The dam and power plant are operated by the U.S Bureau of Reclamation. Hydroelectric power and flood control are the main purposes of the dam. It’s reservoir is used for recreation. At the time of its completion in 1953, it was the third largest and second highest (564 feet tall) concrete dam in the world.
    Hungry Horse Dam.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
  • The centerpiece of the Lake McDonald Lodge lobby in Glacier National Park in Montana is its massive fireplace. Built to resemble a rustic hunting lodge with Swiss-influenced architecture, the lobby’s open space extends to the third floor. The lobby’s hanging lanterns are reproductions of original work made by Kanai craftsmen for the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada, which had been moved to Lake McDonald in the 1960s. <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. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road which allowed 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.
    Lake McDonald Lodge.jpg
  • Male lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) battle each other for the prime spot on a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chickens fighting.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Anchorage Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide-3.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
  • 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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 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
  • Scott Clem, a student from Auburn University, fishes for salmon at sunset on the Chilkoot River outlet from Chilkoot Lake near Haines, Alaska. The river offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska, with four salmon runs, starting in mid-June and ending in mid-October. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. It is 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 River fisherman at sunset 1.jpg
  • A kiteboarder uses his kite to surf the Chilkat Inlet near Haines, Alaska.
    Kiteboarder.jpg
  • Unnamed waterfall on Dunloup Creek near the abandoned mining town of Thurmond, in the New River Gorge National  Park and Reserve in West Virginia.
    Waterfall on Dunloup Creek.jpg
  • A humpback whales blows out air as it breathes in Favorite Channel near Juneau in southeast Alaska. The "blow" or spray is partially caused by water resting on top of the whale's blowholes (nostrils). A humpback whale has two blow holes, whereas some other species of whales only have one.
    Humpback whale blows.jpg
  • Humpback whales blow out air as they breathe in Favorite Channel near Juneau in southeast Alaska. The "blow" or spray is partially caused by water resting on top of the whale's blowholes (nostrils). A humpback whale has two blow holes, whereas some other species of whales only have one.
    Humpback whales blow.jpg
  • Sentinel Island Light is situated on the north end of Sentinel Island on the Favorite Channel near Juneau, Alaska. The original 1902-built light (not pictured) was replaced in 1935 with the current concrete, art deco-style building (pictured).<br />
<br />
In 2004, official ownership of the Sentinel Island Lighthouse was transferred to the Gastineau Channel Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
    Sentinel Island Light.jpg
  • The Alaska Arts Confluence in Haines invited local artists to create works of art in the crumbling open-air basement foundation of a Fort Seward barracks building destroyed by fire in 1981. The result is an open-air sculpture garden in which artists found ways to interpret either the materials or life at the fort.<br />
<br />
Pictured is a detail of “Tank with a Crank,” an interactive sculpture by David Pahl of a rusted boiler found in the barracks' ruins.
    Tank with a crank - detail.jpg
  • The Alaska Arts Confluence in Haines invited local artists to create works of art in the crumbling open-air basement foundation of a Fort Seward barracks building destroyed by fire in 1981. The result is an open-air sculpture garden in which artists found ways to interpret either the materials or life at the fort.<br />
<br />
Pictured is “Tank with a Crank,” an interactive sculpture by David Pahl of a rusted boiler found in the barracks' ruins.
    Tank with a crank_.jpg
  • The Haines Farmers Market is a community organization dedicated to providing a place for growers, chefs, and artisans to sell foods and goods from the Chilkat Valley. The well-attended market, located in the Paysons Pavilion next to Dalton City, has been operating since 2011. The market is a local favorite for shopping and listen to music.
    Haines Farmers Market.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 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
  • A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) flutter jumps in an attempt to attract the attention of a female on a lek located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chicken jumping.jpg
  • Wild strawberry growing in a yard in Haines, Alaska
    Wild strawberry.jpg
  • A female Columbian sharp-tailed grouse surveys a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 - fema...jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fight on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 fighti...jpg
  • A pair of bald eagles perched in a tree overlooking the Cattail Pool at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Pair of bald eagles with setting moo...jpg
  • A bald eagle awaits sunrise as the moon sets at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Bald eagle with setting moon.jpg
  • A mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, surveys the Byers Peak Wilderness in Colorado from the slopes of Byers Peak. Mountain goats are protected from harsh winter elements with their wooly double coats. Their undercoats of fine, dense wool is covered any an outer layer of longer, hollow hairs. In the spring, mountain goats molt rubbing their hair against bushes, trees and rocks to shed the thick wool during the warmer months. Mountain goats are herbivores spending most of their time grazing on grasses, plants and shrubs of their alpine habitat.
    Mountain goat.jpg
  • The sun sets on Logger's Lake near Bunker, Mo. Logger’s Lake and Logger’s Lake campground is located deep in the interior forests of Shannon County in the Mark Twain National Forest. The secluded campground, managed by the United States Forest Service consists of 14 campsites around a 22-acre lake known for fishing and non-motorized boating.<br />
<br />
Logger’s Lake was created in 1940 as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) project. The CCC provided jobs for people needing work during the Great Depression. The campground and dam were constructed by Local 1730 of the CCC which mostly consisted of residents from Dent and Reynolds counties.
    Sunset on Logger's Lake-2.jpg
  • Unknown trees near the end of the Glacier Highway north of Juneau.
    Trees near end of Lynn Canal highway...jpg
  • The Milky Way stretches across the sky above the peaks of Mt. Emmerich and the Takhinsha Mountains in this photo taken along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska .
    Milky Way over Mt. Emmerich.jpg
  • The Alaska Department of Transportation is proposing to widen and realign a 21.8-mile section of the two-lane Haines Highway (AK 7) near Haines, Alaska and bring the road up to federal highway standards. The department’s goal is to widen the highway, replace the Chilkat River Bridge, help control landslides and bring the speed limit up from 50 to 55 mph by straightening curves. Much of the rural highway travels through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve. <br />
<br />
In this photo bald eagles perch in trees next to the Haines Highway at 20.7 mile near the parking lot pullout for the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Proposed roadwork in the area shown in this photo is less extensive than in nearby areas not shown. <br />
<br />
Some Haines residents worry about the impact the straightening will have on a 15-mile section of the road through the preserve. Bald eagle perching and roosting trees, wetlands and salmon spawning habitat and cultural sites could potentially be affected. The straightening of the curve shown is one of the curves which would require significant work including wetland mitigation and stream relocation. The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is the location of one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world each fall. The 48,000 acre area was designated as a preserve in 1982. The Haines Highway is the only road access to Haines. The 152 mile highway travels from Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon in Canada where it connects with the Alaska Highway and continental highway system.
    Haines Highway realignment.jpg
  • The Alaska Department of Transportation is proposing to widen and realign a 21.8-mile section of the two-lane Haines Highway (AK 7) near Haines, Alaska and bring the road up to federal highway standards. The department’s goal is to widen the highway, replace the Chilkat River Bridge, help control landslides and bring the speed limit up from 50 to 55 mph by straightening curves, like this curve at mile 17 of the highway. Much of the rural highway travels through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve. <br />
<br />
Some Haines residents worry about the impact the straightening will have on a 15-mile section of the road through the preserve. Bald eagle perching and roosting trees, wetlands and salmon spawning habitat and cultural sites could potentially be affected. The straightening of the curve shown is one of the curves which would require significant work including wetland mitigation and stream relocation.<br />
<br />
The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is the location of one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world each fall. The 48,000 acre area was designated as a preserve in 1982. The Haines Highway is the only road access to Haines. The 152 mile highway travels from Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon in Canada where it connects with the Alaska Highway and continental highway system.
    Haines Highway realignment-2.jpg
  • A full moon sets above the partially frozen Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Chilkat River setting moon.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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 exterio...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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 exterio...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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 exterio...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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 exterio...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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 exterio...jpg
  • A small peak on the slopes of Mount Wrather looks down upon the Mendenhall Glacier. The Mendenhall Glacier runs roughly 12 miles, originating in the Juneau Icefield, near Juneau, Alaska. The glacier is located 12 miles from downtown Juneau. Each year, 465,000 curise ship passengers visit the Mendenhall Glacier.
    Mount Wrather 2.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
  • 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 10.jpg
  • A portion of the face of Margerie Glacier, one of the seven tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve in southeast Alaska collapses with a loud rifle sounding "crack" and booming roar. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's one mile wide face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall. The length of the glacier (2011) is approximately 21 miles.
    Margerie Glacier collapse.jpg
  • The face of Margerie Glacier, one of the seven tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve in southeast Alaska, is riddled with cracks and crevices. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall.. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's one mile wide glacial face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall. The length of the glacier (2011) is approximately 21 miles.
    Margerie Glacier 4.jpg
  • The face of Margerie Glacier, one of the seven tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve in southeast Alaska, is riddled with cracks and crevices. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall.. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's one mile wide glacial face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall. The length of the glacier (2011) is approximately 21 miles.
    Margerie Glacier 2.jpg
  • The face of Margerie Glacier, one of the seven tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve in southeast Alaska, is riddled with cracks and crevices. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall.. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's one mile wide glacial face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall. The length of the glacier (2011) is approximately 21 miles.
    Margerie Glacier 1.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
  • "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
  • A kayaker loads their sea kayak near Goose Cove in the Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska.
    Goose Cove kayaker.jpg
  • Aerial view of Knight Inlet seen from an Alaska Airlines flight to Juneau. Knight Inlet is one of the main inlets of British Columbia. At 79 miles, is one of the longest on the British Columbia coast. It is known for the severe turbulence at its mouth during tide changes for the outflow winds that flow from the interior mountains. Glacier Peak and Mount Kennedy can be seen in the center left of the photo.
    Knight Inlet,.jpg
  • The Alaska Arts Confluence in Haines invited local artists to create works of art in the crumbling open-air basement foundation of a Fort Seward barracks building destroyed by fire in 1981. The result is an open-air sculpture garden in which artists found ways to interpret either the materials or life at the fort.<br />
<br />
Pictured is “Take Time,” an interactive sculpture by Debra Schnabel.
    Take Time.jpg
  • Detail of grass in a wetland stream along the Chilkoot Indian Association Trail in Haines, Alaska.
    stream grass.jpg
  • The “Healing Pole” (Yaa Naa Néx Kootéeyaa) tells the history of the relationship of the Huna Tlingit and the National Park Service, which was fraught with hurt and misunderstanding. Glacier Bay is the traditional home of the Huna Tlingit until the 1700s when a rapidly advancing glacier tragically pushed them out of the bay.<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.
    Healing Pole.jpg
  • The skeleton of a sea otter (Enhydra lutris) lies in the moss of an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Sea otters, a keystone species of the North Pacific, were almost entirely eliminated by commercial fur hunters in the early 1900s. While they received wildlife protection in 1911, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that sea otters were observed to inhabit Glacier Bay for the first time. As the most abundant marine mammal in Glacier Bay, current estimates put the number of sea otters at 8,000. While orcas are the primary predator of adult sea otters, newborns are preyed upon by bald eagles. Sea otters are positively impacting the kelp forests as the otters protect the kelp forests from excessive grazing by the sea otters’ prey.<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'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.
    Sea otter skeleton.jpg
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<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'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.
    Fox farm cabin-5.jpg
  • Nothing says the Ozarks like a rope swing over a creek water hole. This one iwas spotted on Lee Creek in Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas.<br />
<br />
Devil's Den State Park is an Arkansas state park located in the Lee Creek Valley of the Boston Mountains in the Ozarks. Devil’s Den State Park contains one of the largest sandstone crevice areas in the U.S. The park contains many geologic features such as crevices, caves, rock shelters, and bluffs. The park is also known for its well-preserved Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) structures built in the 1930s. These structures, still in use today include cabins, trails, a dam, and a shelter.<br />
<br />
Devil’s Den State Park has approximately 64 miles of trails that are popular with hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders. One popular trail is the Devil’s Den Self-Guided Trail (1.5 miles long) which passes by Devil’s Den Cave (550 feet), Devil’s Den Ice Box, numerous rock crevices, and Twin Falls. Another popular trail is the Yellow Rock Trail (3.1 miles) which leads to expansive views of the Lee Creek Valley.
    Lee Creek rope swing.jpg
  • A giant western red cedar tree (Thuja plicata) stands 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-2.jpg
  • This view of the gorge of Avalanche Creek is from the Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible loop trail, that begins and ends along the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana. The 4.5 mile roundtrip hike to Avalanche Lake begins near here.<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.
    Avalanche Creek.jpg
  • A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) surveys his spot on a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chicken.jpg
  • A pair of bald eagles perched in a tree near an eagle nest overlooking the Cattail Pool at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Pair of bald eagles with setting moo...jpg
  • Stawamus Chief, a huge granite dome, is located near Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. Towering over 2,297 feet above nearby Howe Sound and the Sea-to-Sky Highway, it is a popular, world-class climbing destination along with other climbing spots in the Squamish area.
    Stawamus Chief.jpg
  • The Tsirku River is a braided river near Haines, Alaska that eventually flows into the Chilkat River. At that intersection of the two rivers, the Tsirku River spreads out into a huge alluvial fan river delta. That area, is the primary area where bald eagles gather on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. This downriver view of the Tsirku River is several miles before the river leaves the steep walls of the river valley and forms the alluvial fan river delta.<br />
<br />
Bald eagles come to the alluvial delta area at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers because of the availability of spawned-out salmon and open waters in late fall and early winter. The open water is due to a deep accumulation of gravel and sand that acts as a large water reservoir whose water temperature remains 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the surrounding water temperature. This warmer water seeps into the Chilkat River, keeping a five mile stretch of the river from freezing.
    Tsirku River.jpg
  • A 4,000-foot-high mountainside released approximately 120 million metric tons of rock in 60 seconds during a landslide onto the Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In an interview with the Alaska Dispatch News, geophysicist Colin Stark of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, described the slide as “exceptionally large.” He compared the massive landslide to roughly 60 million medium SUVs tumbling down a mountainside.<br />
<br />
Mountainsides that were held strong by the heavy ice of glaciers become weak when the glaciers retreat. Erosion along with earthquakes are triggers that can cause the weakened slopes to collapse.<br />
<br />
The slide occurred on the morning of June 28  in a remote area of Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska. It was first observed by Paul Swanstrom, pilot and owner of Haines-based Mountain Flying Service. Swanstrom noticed a huge cloud of dust over the Lamplugh Glacier during a flightseeing tour of Glacier Bay National Park several hours after the slide occurred. Swanstrom estimates the debris field to be 6.5 miles long, and one to two miles in width.<br />
<br />
Even two days later, as this aerial photo of the Lamplugh Glacier landslide shows, a dust cloud remained over the unstable mountainside due to still tumbling rock.
    Lamplugh Glacier landslide-6.jpg
  • Hikers walk along a snow covered trail below the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in the Tongass National Forest, located 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Alaska was the first such visitor center built by the U.S. National Forest Service. The visitor center was later expanded and now sees over 500,000 visitors a year. From the visitor center visitors can view the icebergs that calve into Mendenhall Lake.
    Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in...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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 />
<br />
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 exterio...jpg
  • An unamed mountain peak in the Takhinsha Range towers over the Takhin River in southeast Alaska near Haines. The Takhinsha Mountains are a popular heli-skiiing destination.
    Takhinsha mountains detail 2.jpg
  • The Chilkoot River outlet of Chilkoot Lake offers some of the best salmon fishing in Southeast Alaska, with four salmon runs, starting in mid-June and ending in mid-October. The area is part of the Chilkoot Lake State Recreational Site located near Haines, Alaska at the head of the Lutak Inlet in the Lynn Canal. It is 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. 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. 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. AP&T wants to build the project to replace the undersea cable that supplies Haines with electricity from Skagway.
    Chilkoot River fishermen 2.jpg
  • Rocks are exposed at low tide on a beach at Tlingit Point in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska. In the background is Drake Island. Beyond Drake Island is Marble Mountain.
    Tlingit Pt. beach.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 sun rises on the ice-laden Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. In the distance are the mountains of the Kakuhan Range along the Lynn Canal, including Sinclair Mountain.
    Sunrise on the Chilkat River.jpg
  • The “Healing Pole” (Yaa Naa Néx Kootéeyaa) tells the history of the relationship of the Huna Tlingit and the National Park Service, which was fraught with hurt and misunderstanding. Glacier Bay is the traditional home of the Huna Tlingit until the 1700s when a rapidly advancing glacier tragically pushed them out of the bay.<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.
    Healing Pole-2.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
  • This abandoned cabin sits in the rainforest at the site of a historic fox farm on an unnamed island in the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Several significantly damaged small cabin-like buildings are all that remain of the operation. Fox farming in Southeast Alaska began in the early 1900s with the introduction of Russian arctic foxes, which were prized for their snow-white fur. The Great Depression caused most of the fox farms to cease operations. The National Park Service reminds visitors not to take or move historical objects, and that weather-damaged structures like those found at this site should not be entered due to the likelihood of imminent collapse.<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'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.
    Fox farm cabin-2.jpg
  • Above the Chilkoot River, a geologic rock formation resembles an eye. Some Haines, Alaska residents refer to it as the "Chilkoot River Eye."
    Chilkoot River Eye.jpg
  • 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 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.
    Lower Fox Creek School with New Jers...jpg
  • The face of Margerie Glacier, one of the seven tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve in southeast Alaska, is riddled with cracks and crevices. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall.. The Margerie Glacier is located on the Tarr Inlet next to another tidewater glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier. Margerie Glacier's one mile wide glacial face has a total height of 350 feet, out of which 250 feet is above the water level and 100 feet is beneath the water surface. For comparison purposes the Statue of Liberty is 307 feet tall. The length of the glacier (2011) is approximately 21 miles.
    Margerie Glacier 3.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
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, records information about a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that was captured for a study being conducted by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 33.jpg
  • Greer Spring is the second largest spring in Missouri with an average daily flow of 222 million gallons. The spring water gushes from the ground as a boil and then cascades 60 feet over the course of a mile-and-a-quarter deep ravine before entering the Eleven Point River. <br />
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Anheuser-Busch Cos. tried to acquire the spring to bottle the springs water. In 1987, Conservationist Leo Drey purchased the property to prevent the sale to Anheuser-Busch and then later sold it to the U.S. Forest Service. Interestingly, Anheuser-Busch contributed to the money needed for Drey’s purchase of the spring and surrounding area. <br />
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A 44-mile section of the Eleven Point River is among the original eight rivers included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
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  • People enjoy lunch at Sarita’s Pupuseria located in the Grand Central Market located in downtown Los Angeles. The market, which opened in 1917, is home to food and drink vendors.
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  • Shadow of a woman carrying coffee cups in one of the courtyards 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.
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  • 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
  • Wildlife photojournalist Noppadol Paothong poses for a photo in his blind in southwest Wyoming. ©John L. Dengler / DenglerImages.com
    Noppadol Paothong-34.jpg
  • Wildlife photojournalist Noppadol Paothong poses for a photo in his blind in southwest Wyoming. ©John L. Dengler / DenglerImages.com
    Noppadol Paothong-33.jpg
  • Wildlife photojournalist Noppadol Paothong poses for a photo in his blind in southwest Wyoming. ©John L. Dengler / DenglerImages.com
    Noppadol Paothong-32.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 at sunset.jpg
  • Cathedral Mountain, a butte in Gloss Mountain State Park, rises above an unnamed dry creek bed. The park near Fairview, in northwest Oklahoma, is located in the Gloss Mountains (sometimes referred to as the Glass Mountains) which sparkle in sunlight because the are rich in selenite crystals, a form of the mineral, gypsum. Gypsum leaching out of the ground can be seen in the white ring around the top of Cathedral Mountain. This ring is most visible when the ground is damp. The state park, open from sunrise to sunset offers hiking trails and picnic areas. There is no camping.
    Cathedral Mountain -3.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (left) and Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (right), take blood samples from a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz. Blood samples are taken of the eagles to study for various things including chemical contaminants such as mercury. Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz (not pictured) is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 24.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (left) and Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (right) take blood samples from a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz. Watching the procedure is Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Blood samples are taken of the eagles to study for various things including chemical contaminants such as mercury. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 25.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 9.jpg
  • The sun sets on fishermen fishing at Richey Cove on Council Grove Lake. Constructed between 1960 and 1964, Council Grove Lake is located one mile north of the town of Council Grove in the Kansas Flint Hills. The 3,310 acre lake, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offers swimming, fishing, water skiing, and other boating activities. Shore activities include camping, hiking, biking, and picnicking. The town of Council Grove is the starting point for the Flint HIlls National Scenic Byway (Kansas State Highway 177) which takes visitors through the rolling hills of the scenic tallgrass prairie of the region. 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.
    Council Grove Lake sunset-1.jpg
  • Purple coneflowers, also known as Black-sampson echinacea prefer the rocky dry soil of prairies as these flowers do in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the the Kansas Flint Hills. Purple coneflowers were used by American Indians as a pain-reducer in treating toothaches, burns, sore throats, mumps and wounds. 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.
    Purple coneflower.jpg
  • A late evening rainbow appears before a completely cloud shrouded Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The view is from the Wonder Lake campground. The visible mountains are the foothills of the Alaska Range.
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