Most points along the Atlantic shorelines of the United States are polluted by the lights of crowded cities when the sun goes down. When sitting beneath the stars on the fine sands of Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland, you can become distracted by the gleam of lights from Ocean City to the North. But if you peak above, the sky is a pure midnight black with the constellations brightly shining.

A Maryland man has been handed $5,000 in fines and restitution costs, placed on 18 months probation, and banned from hunting on federal lands for shooting a mare on Assateague Island National Seashore.

This past year we started a bimonthly column on birding in the national parks, which is a great way to enjoy the parks while learning more about the hundreds of species that flit about the National Park System. Here's a look back at those columns.

Cape Lookout National Seashore, the spot where Hurricane Irene came ashore in the United States last Saturday, was heavily damaged by the storm, according to latest reports. Other National Park System units along the East Coast received varying amounts of damage, but most are open for visitors.