Nature might be able to provide a partial solution, at least, to emerald ash borer problems in national parks such as Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains as well as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It turns out that woodpeckers and nuthatches, which are present in those parks, are developing an appetite for the non-native insects.

The list of national parks on my "bucket list" is somewhat long, and not restricted to those in the United States. I've long been intrigued by Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta, and a recent PBS documentary on the wolves and bison there only heightened my desire to check that one off my list.

Love at first sight: A photographer's connection with Lowepro's Flipside 500 AW backpack.

As broad and diverse as the National Park System is, it should come as no surprise that there are, well, some surprising or simply interesting stories from time to time. Here's a look at some unusual stories from the past year.