It sure doesn’t seem like a whole year has passed, but it’s time again for the annual Christmas Bird Count. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, this is the 115th consecutive year the count has been held, making it one of the world’s longest running and largest citizen science projects. The 2014-15 count dates fall between December 14th and January 5th. Participation is free.

Maps. They're the stuff of explanation, and dreams. Explanation of what lies out yonder on the landscape, and dreams of what yet's to come. If you're thinking of visiting Glacier National Park, either just to drive through on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, or to spend some time exploring the backcountry on hiking trails, there are two new maps to help bring your vision to fruition.

A carefree New Yorker who left acrylic calling cards on the landscape of at least 10 national parks is just the latest vandal to "show-off" her work via Social Media channels. Another scofflaw recently entered a guilty plea to illegal behavior in Yosemite National Park that he, too, showcased via Instragram, a form of self-promotion that provided investigators with the clues they needed to land a conviction.

A 47-year-old man became the eighth climber since 1983 to die in a climbing accident in Zion National Park when he apparently lost his balance and toppled backwards about 80 feet down a steep slope.