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Christmas Bird Count Comes To Great Sand Dunes National Park On December 23

Birders and nature enthusiasts in Colorado's San Luis Valley will join birders across the western hemisphere to participate in Audubon's longest-running wintertime tradition, the annual Christmas Bird Count, held at Great Sand Dunes National Park on December 23. Birders of all skill levels are invited and encouraged to participate.

Reader Participation Day: Which Is Your Favorite Hiking Stick National Park Medallion?

For some years now, I've been purchasing a hiking stick medallion whenever I visited a National Park System unit. I probably have 50 or more, and this summer during a stop at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve I finally bought a hiking stick to showcase the medallions. Now in the process of attaching the medallions to the stick, I got to wondering which was my favorite.

Whitebark Pine Listed As A Threatened Species Under ESA

Whitebark pines, majestic trees that grow across Western national parks and feed birds and bears and serve as living snow fences, are at risk of disappearing due to disease, beetle attacks, and climate change and deserve protection as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday.

On Patrol At The St. Martin Nature Reserve

Peeking through the viewing slots on the wooden observation platform at Étang de la Baie Lucas, we don’t need binoculars to see an embarrassment of wildlife. Large iguanas are nestled in the mangroves, including one bright green female and two males that have turned reddish-orange to display dominance and attract mates. There’s a Brown Pelican on the rocks. In the water, a Snowy Egret looks for food near a Great Egret and Spotted Sandpiper as four White-Cheeked Pintail ducks putter merrily about.