Sally Jewell, a businesswoman with a diverse background ranging from the energy and banking sectors to running Recreational Equipment, Inc., was confirmed Wednesday by the U.S. Senate as the 51st secretary of the Interior.

How did civilians react when the Civil War brought battles and soldiers into their backyards? That will be the topic of discussion this weekend at Stones River National Battlefield in Tennessee.

"Cascade corner," which draws its name from the many waterfalls in Yellowstone National Park's southwest corner, long has been a rather overlooked area of the park. But with more and more visitors taking notice and heading there, park officials are looking into ways to improve their visits.

A few months back we talked about the hawk watch at Acadia National Park. I mentioned a few books that are useful for the enterprising raptor enthusiast. At the time I was also aware that a new raptor identification aid was on the way, but I kept that little secret to myself. The proverbial cat is out of the bag now, and I’ve spent the last couple weeks devouring The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors.