With concerns that the Southwest's iconic Joshua trees will be pushed out of 90 percent of their current habitat by the century's end due to climate change, a group has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to have the tree listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

Perhaps few people today remember Nancy Ayers, but I will never forget her. Certainly, on being informed of her death last winter, a flood of memories came rushing back. In her honor, I decided to reread Polly Welts Kaufman's National Parks and the Woman’s Voice. Although I recalled no woman in the book quite like Nancy, I owed it to her to reflect on our friendship. A book reminiscent of her qualities seemed the perfect touch.

What a revelation it was, when I learned a few years ago that an overcast day is better than a bright clear sunny one for shooting wildflower images. So if you are in a national park during wildflower season, rejoice if you get overcast weather and go looking for wildflowers!

While most national parks are readying their campgrounds for summer crowds, at Joshua Tree National Park in California some campgrounds are closing for the high heat of summer.