Beyond snorkeling and SCUBA diving, most of us have limited ability to explore underwater.  Even given these skills, we are still limited by depth and the amount of time that we can stay under water at one time.  A select few have access to submersible vehicles and can extend this a bit more, but serious […]

  The U.S. Postal Service has begun previewing a series of postage stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Parks.  The 16 new stamps will be officially released on June 2.   The first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place at New York City’s Javits Center at 11 a.m. as part of World Stamp Show-NY 2016. Dedication ceremonies also will take place […]

As you know, our mission to improve your health by encouraging you to explore the outdoors, but the benefits of getting outdoors don’t end there.  The way your community supplies local outdoor recreation opportunities can lead to a marked improvement in your community’s employment situation.  The key here is knowledge workers. What is a Knowledge Worker? Back in […]

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) takes care of what some consider to be the  land of the western U.S. that no one wanted.  The land isn’t usually of National Park caliber and typically doesn’t have enough forest to be managed as a National Forest.  Still, the BLM manages almost 250 million acres of pubic lands. The BLM […]

If you have the urge to explore, but are unable to get outside, there are a variety of ways to explore spectacular places through your computer.  We often use Google Earth to research places we want to explore.  It provides an aerial view of anywhere on the earth. Google Maps also offers a Street View […]

If you happen to be attending college. you are very likely in the best position you will ever be in to get outdoors and get active.  Many colleges and universities offer outdoor recreation centers, guided tours of all sorts, access to a wide range of outdoor equipment and much more, all created with the budget of […]

Many states have a Master Gardner program, typically managed through the local county extension agent’s office.  These programs teach people to become better gardeners and to pass on that training to others.  A similar program is often called Master Naturalist, but goes by different names in different places including: California Naturalist Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Iowa […]

Nature Kids Radio, an audio podcast, has a mission of getting kids outside, but it doesn’t stop there.   Host Kenny Ballentine, founder of Nature Kids Institute, says, the podcast is “completely dedicated to reconnecting children families and the entire human species with the wonders of nature.” That dovetails nicely with our mission of getting […]

The United States Mint began issuing a series of 56 quarters featuring the National Parks as part of their America the Beautiful Quarters Program. This year is the seventh year of the program and five new quarters will be issued. I mentioned in the Friday News last November that the U.S. mint had their designs for a series of […]

Games for Change has developed a game for your iPhone or iPad that is designed to get you and your friends to  volunteer in national parks. “Save the Park” is available for free via the app store.  It was created through a $250,000 grant from American Express.  If nothing else,  you should download the app and try it out […]