The first African Protected Areas Congress is scheduled to convene in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 18-23, 2019. The International Union for Conservation of Nature-World Commission on Protected Areas has partnered with Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife and a broad range of conservation groups to organize and facilitate this gathering.

Kenya is a land of great natural beauty, where exotic animals roam: fearsome predators like the big cats; massive and powerful rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and elephants; elegant and graceful giraffes, zebras, and antelope; unusual animals like wildebeest, topi, and cape buffalo; colorful and amazing birds; unique carnivores like the hyena. Kenya has more than 50 national parks and reserves and is the most popular safari destination in Africa. It is a great place to visit and one of the best places in the world to observe wildlife.

It looks like I have a new national park to add to my “must bird” list. Earlier this month the Bahamas unveiled Joulter Cays National Park, and it is truly a park for the birds. The christening of the national park is the result of several years of work by the National Audubon Society, the Bahamas National Trust, and the Bahamian government.

The nation of Greenland only has one national park...but when a park has this many superlatives, one is probably enough. The world's largest national park covers more territory than all but 30 entire countries, and features dramatic scenery and abundant wildlife. However, due to its relative inaccessibility, it is not a national park in the traditional sense, and a visit to Greenland National Park requires plenty of advance planning.