For those of you lucky enough to be in Denali National Park and Preserve in September, it's time to start thinking about entering the annual lottery for permits to drive the park road.

Some portions of Voyageurs National Park have been placed off-limits, temporarily, to give nesting bald eagles a little peace and quiet while they raise their broods.

In the National Park Service, the acronym "VIP" usually stands for "Volunteers in Parks," but recent awards confirm an alternative meaning could be "Very Impressive Performance." The recipients of the 2009 George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service were honored at a recent ceremony, and their work was impressive indeed.

Impacts from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico are starting to be seen at Gulf Islands National Seashore, where some birds have come in contact with the oil and tarballs are coming ashore in some areas.