“The blinding whiteness in the great outdoors”—diversity and national parks
"I see lots of other people who remind me of myself: aging and white." The US national park system, often called America’s best idea,...
America’s best idea comes to China—plans for a new national park system
In 2016, more than 330 million people visited national parks across the United States, setting a record. In fact, the number of visitors...
Thoreau’s Walden Pond—“The opening salvo of the modern conservation movement”
“In wildness is the preservation of the world”—so concluded Henry David Thoreau in his 1851 talk at the Concord Lyceum in Concord,...
The tourism tipping point—Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Croatia, and US National Parks
When the economic upside of tourism is threatened by the downside of large numbers of tourists. The UN World Tourism Organization has...
“Saving the spirit of these places is also essential”—overcrowding at America’s national parks
In 2016, more than 330 million people visited national parks across the United States, setting a record. In fact, the number of visitors...
Authority to revoke National Monument designations? Not according to this Constitutional scholar.
Passed in 1906 by the US Congress, the US Antiquities Act has allowed presidents of both the Republican and Democratic parties to protect...
How to hide melting glaciers? US Interior Department gives it a try.
Glacier National Park, located in Montana on the United States’ border with Canada, is a fitting focal point for public campaigns...
Recycling ships funds maritime heritage grants
In 1946, after the conclusion of World War II, the United States government established the National Defense Reserve Fleet to ensure a...
Biofilm—Jefferson Memorial to get a high-tech cleaning
The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC stands elegantly on the edge of the Tidal Basin framed by the capital’s famous cherry trees. The...
Promotional posters and photographs—views of US public lands
In the 1930s, the US National Park Service commissioned a series of promotional posters as part of the federal Works Progress...