The Big Picture - By Glynn Wilson - WASHINGTON, D.C. – We are not going to let a few inches of snow prevent the mission from going forward to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.†A…
By Editor Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – This time last year, we were experiencing the snow on the ground after the white Christmas in Knoxville, Tennessee, where I wrote: “As the sun comes up over the smokies, reflecting the first morning light off a thick layer of Christmas white snow covering the ground and…
By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON. D.C. — The National Park Service got its first Senate confirmed director in five years Thursday when Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland swore in Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III in front of the Lincoln Memorial. The National Park Service languished under the presidency of Donald Trump, according to Roll…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahh, did you have a nice break curled up on the couch watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on NBC? Or did you spend too much time arguing with relatives about politics while stuffing your face and drinking too much? For me, it was…
Nature Can Be a Fickle Beast – The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Autumn 2021 is slipping away from us as the Earth tilts toward its winter position in the Northern Hemisphere, and the southern breezes give way to the north wind and colder temperatures in the Mid-Atlantic region. Old…
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – HARPERS FERRY, WV — John Brown was hanged for his insurrection against slavery in 1859 and is blamed by some for helping to start the Civil War. Donald Trump still walks free to play golf and run for office again after his insurrection to overthrow the United States…
Editor’s Note: How can we open up the eyes and ears, hearts and minds of human beings to face facts and help deal with humanity’s most pressing problems, like wearing masks and getting vaccines to avoid infection from the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 and to prevent spreading the virus to others, or realizing that global…
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN, Md. — While tens of thousands of people flock to the iconic national parks of the American West in the summer travel season, exacerbating an already disastrous mega-drought and experiencing a record-breaking heat wave and an already out of control wildfire season, there are lesser known…
CAMPING EAST – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN, Md. — It’s only the first official week of summer and it’s already peaking out at 91 degrees, according to the official forecast in the nation’s capital today. But here, in the campground in the shade, it’s only 83 degrees, according to the New American Journal…
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, Va. — The American west is on fire again with wildfires burning in 11 states. Temperatures are setting records with highs in the 120 degree range. A heat dome hovers over the region, and the devastating drought continues unabated. New Orleans and the states along…
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, Va. — When Americans and people from all over the world think of visiting a national park, or camping in the great outdoors in the United States, they often think of the big, famous parks out West like Yosemite in California, the Grand Canyon in…
“I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…” – Henry David Thoreau Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN, Md. — Thousands of Americans are waking up to the advantages of traveling and immersing themselves in nature and even living full time in Recreational Vehicles, making the transition…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. – An amazing thing happened at the time of our return to the nation’s capitol region in May. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a surprising announcement on Thursday, catching many people by surprise, including those who work in the White House. “If…
By Glynn Wilson – SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, Va. — How do you tell the difference between a black bear and a grizzly? Don’t try this at home or in a national park. Sneak up on the bear and kick it in the rump, then run and climb a tree. If the bear climbs up the…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rain has stopped and the sun is coming out from behind the clouds as we set up in the nation’s capital for the first time since November, when it was a celebration by the campfire as Joe Biden was declared the winner in…
Water Pollution Remains the Top Environmental Concern in the U.S. – Public Opinion Analysis – By Glynn Wilson – The American public is not worried enough about the state of the natural environment to save themselves or the world. That’s not the headline on the latest Gallup poll reporting concern for environmental issues in the…
Staff Report – The U.S. Department of the Interior announced that National Park Week – an annual weeklong celebration of America’s national parks – will run from April 17 to April 25, a time when the federal government urges the public owners of the parks to explore the vast network of sacred sites, historical landmarks…
Staff Report – As the nation continues to commemorate Black History Month, the National Park Service has added 11 new places to its growing system of sites and programs that chronicle the African American Civil Rights Movement. In the continuing struggle for racial equality, as told through a collection of powerful historical resources that commemorate,…
The Big Picture -Â By Glynn Wilson -Â GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, Tenn. — Are you suffering from cabin fever from the COVID winter? Take a drive in nature in a park near you. When the forecast showed sunny weather and a high of 54 for Sunday, Feb. 21, I just had to get…
By Glynn Wilson – EDITOR’S NOTE – You may not see much of this in the mainstream media’s year in review stories, which quite frankly so far have made me gag, literally. And want to gouge out my own eyes like a scene from King Lear. Maybe jump out a third story window. Never fear.…
