Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior held a press conference on Thursday afternoon to inform the press and the people about what they can expect to happen if and when Congress fails to compromise to keep the United States government open and running and forces a massive federal government shutdown…
Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. — While the American public appears to be divided on political issues these days and sometimes disagree on the role of government, there is one federal program most people love no matter what political party they vote for at election time: National Parks. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns called this “America’s…
Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. — A major fall bird migration will begin on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 12, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology bird cast. “Bird migration forecasts show predicted nocturnal migration 3 hours after local sunset,” they say in an email blast. Their forecasts come from models trained on the…
“This is an amazing book by an amazing author. Heinrich is a naturalist of the first rank, champion ultramarathoner, woodsman of skills seldom seen in modern times, and not least, as Mind of the Raven illustrates, a nature writer of uncommon talent. By living with the ravens for many years, literally at home and in…
By Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski ProPublica In 2008, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas decided to send his teenage grandnephew to Hidden Lake Academy, a private boarding school in the foothills of northern Georgia. The boy, Mark Martin, was far from home. For the previous decade, he had lived with the justice and…
The Big Picture - By Glynn Wilson - WASHINGTON, D.C. — No one is above the law. That includes the President of the United States. Whether you can convict one is another question. But at least America is not a Catholic monarchy, although the Supreme Court looks like one with six out of nine justices…
Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Anyone who works in national parks, volunteers with the National Park Service or visits the parks can attest to the fact that staff shortages and maintenance backlogs have plagued the parks for years, through the administrations of Republicans and Democrats. If there is any truth to documentary filmmaker Ken…
Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAINS, Md. — It’s about time to hit the MoJo Road one more time in this amazing life journey chasing bliss and enlightenment in nature near the heart of political power in America. MoJo in this case refers to Mobile Journalism, as well as the Luck and…
When the Brook Trout Leaps – By Anonymous – The slender dew-tipped grasses are trembling in the breeze, The east is blushing rosy red beneath the Sun’s caress, The wild rose bends to kiss the stream—but only Nature sees, And the reed-harps play weird music just above the water cress. The quail is calling loudly…
Editor’s Note: It is a fact of life that many true stories have passed down through the ages parading as fiction. It is also true that many tall tales have been passed off as fact. Take the story of Rip Van Winkle, for example, by early American author Washington Irving. If you read the after…
Editor’s Note: This article is published here for educational purposes only from information published in the public domain on the web – Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAINS, Md. — The birds arise first. They will sing you awake if you let them. The star singer here is the wood thrush, although…
Escape Global Warming and Climate Change in Summer – Secret Vistas – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — The New York Times magazine recently assigned a woman who had never been camping in her life to travel around in a camper van and write about the experience. The trip was a disaster, and the…
Endeaver to Persevere – The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — From humble beginnings in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, where I was not even expected to live after my premature birth in a Southside hospital, I’ve climbed and clawed my way out of what seemed destined to be a mundane…
“Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike.” – John Muir, 1869 The Yosemite (1912), page 256. Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. – In reporting annual visitation numbers to America’s national parks for 2021, the…
Full text of “John Brown. An address by Frederick Douglass, at the fourteenth anniversary of Storer College, Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, May 30, 1881”: source text edited from print style to web press style JOHN BROWN: AN ADDRESS FREDERICK DOUGLASS, FOURTEENTH ANNIVERSARY, STORER COLLEGE, Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, May 30, 1881. DOVER, N. H.: MORNING…
Staff Report – WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Park Service will offer five entrance fee-free days in 2022, free admission days designed to encourage discovery and visitation of the country’s variety of national parks. With at least one in every state, national parks are accessible places to visit to refresh the body, mind and spirit, according to…
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…
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…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN, Md. — The rain has stopped for now as the days grow shorter and cooler. The Autumnal equinox will be upon us next Wednesday, September 23, when the day and night will be of equal length, marking the start of Autumn. I would love nothing…
Escaping the Tiger Mosquitoes Blown in With Hurricane Ida – The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – WASHINGTON, D.C. — When Hurricane Ida blew up from New Orleans, through Nashville and up U.S. Interstate 81 through Virginia and Maryland this week, ultimately plowing through Pennsylvania and drowning people in their basements in New York,…
