A North Carolina man who has been convicted four times for digging ginseng plants in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will spend 22 weeks in jail for his latest conviction.

Much has been written in recent years about the disconnect between the current generation of young people and the natural world, along with concerns that national parks are not seen as relevant by Americans from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Both issues aren't helped when field trips to parks and other off-site areas are often among the first casualties of tight school budgets. One solution is being provided by the National Park Foundation's "Ticket to Ride" grant program.

When we think about the safest places for wild animals, areas such as national parks and wildlife refuges tend to come to mind. Efforts to bring the rhino population back from the brink of extinction have succeeded in South Africa, notably in Kruger National Park, but now officials are moving some rhino out of the park to other locations where they would be safer from poachers.

It's about time for Alaska's caribou herds to start heading south before winter hits. The folks at Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve captured some shots of caribou in the park and put together a short slideshow for your enjoyment.