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1 month ago | 
nationalparkstraveler.org | Lori Sonken
The Alaskan Huskies howled around 8 p.m. after eating dinner. Then there was silence under the stars on a winter night in Denali National Park and Preserve’s backcountry in Alaska. Moments later a pack of wolves bayed. The quiet returned momentarily. Again, the dogs responded with howls. Back and forth, the animals continued their conversation for several minutes. “It was kind of a surreal experience,” said Mitch Flanigan, assistant manager of the park’s kennels until he was fired on February 14.
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2 months ago | 
nationalparkstraveler.org | Lori Sonken
Visitors to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, located 110 miles east of El Paso, Texas, can see a 1,000-foot-high limestone cliff, salt basin dunes and fossilized mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert. There are hikes for the intrepid — such as an 8.5-mile-long trudge with a 3,000 feet elevation gain to Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in the state. Easy hikes include a half-mile-long, out and back, stroll to Manzanita Spring.
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
insideclimatenews.org | Lori Sonken
Anita Beasley saw a moose, her calf and waterfalls during a boat tour on St. Mary Lake inside Glacier National Park in Montana last September. A teacher and reading specialist for 35 years, Beasley, now retired, lives in South Carolina and has mobility issues. The boat trips enabled her to enjoy parts of the park she could not hike to. Beasley, her husband and three sons have been visiting national parks for more than 20 years.
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
ecotopical.com | Lori Sonken
Welcome to EcoTopical Your daily eco-friendly green news aggregator. Leaf through planet Earths environmental headlines in one convenient place. Read, share and discover the latest on ecology, science and green living from the web's most popular sites.
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Aug 27, 2024 | 
nationalparkstraveler.org | Lori Sonken
Elizabeth Valencia remembers swimming through a steel bulk freighter, the Chester A. Congdon, submerged at Isle Royale National Park, a remote island archipelago on Lake Superior in Michigan. Transporting wheat from Ontario, Canada, the ship smashed into Canoe Rocks in November 1918, several days before World War I ended. “The bow is still in pretty good condition.
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Jul 30, 2024 | 
loveblackgirls.org | Lori Sonken
School does what it can to prepare students for college and career, but it was never designed to meet everyone’s emotional needs. One researcher discovered how easily afterschool programs tailor-made for Black girls can fill some of the gap.
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Jun 17, 2024 | 
nationalparkstraveler.org | Lori Sonken
By Lori SonkenClara Wooden joined the National Park Service in Anchorage in 1990 when no one looked like her. She was the only Black woman holding a ranger position in the Alaska Regional Park Office that now supports 15 national parks, preserves, monuments, and national historical parks. She had no problems with her colleagues. They were like family. They lunched together and occasionally visited one another’s homes. Still, Wooden set a personal goal to diversify the workforce.
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Apr 27, 2024 | 
nationalparkstraveler.org | Lori Sonken
Struggling To Maintain Cultural Resources Against Climate Change ImpactsIntense Storms, Wildfires, And Drought Affecting National Park ResourcesBy Lori SonkenJacob Overson loved growing up on cattle ranches on public land in California’s east Mojave Desert. Without power (except by generator), only two television stations, and no telephone, he enjoyed the radio and exploring mountains. He did homework during the hour-long bus ride to high school.
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Feb 13, 2024 | 
nationalparkstraveler.org | Lori Sonken
By Lori SonkenFrom 1,000 feet aboveground, Mark A. Schlaefli pointed out, there is no way for his passengers to “try to pet a bison” while gazing across the rumpled and colorful landscape of Badlands National Park below. “We do produce a little bit of noise. However, we are the single lowest impact form of visitation that anybody can take over any land in any park,” added Schlaefli, who is fighting for his livelihood in pushing back against efforts to reduce scenic air tours over national parks.
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Jan 9, 2024 | 
nationalparkstraveler.org | Lori Sonken
By Lori SonkenThe Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail traverses about 150 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bicyclists, hikers, cross-country skiers, and people in wheelchairs can catch views of the Youghiogheny and Monongahela rivers, stop to read historical markers at the Mason-Dixon Line and the Eastern Continental Divide, and visit restaurants, inns, and campgrounds without worrying too much about cars.
