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Traveler's View: The Coronavirus Fallout

During the past few months of watching the coronavirus pandemic roil the National Park System and those who love to visit it, a couple things have bubbled to the surface that the National Park Service should act on: Extend annual passes that are to run out in 2020 for two or three months, and make park reservations a norm where obviously necessary.

Everglades National Park Lodging At Flamingo Without The Mosquitoes

Smudge pots weren't in sight when I visited Flamingo on the southern tip of Everglades National Park, but it was early spring and the mosquitoes hadn't quite worked themselves up to scourge strength. They are legendary when in full biting force, with rumors of cows and mules being killed by vicious, insatiable swarms of the bloodsuckers. And yet, the appeal of Flamingo to anglers and those fleeing winter's snows for a few days make it a popular destination.

Mangrove Trees -- Nature's Hurricane Barriers -- Could Be Gone By 2050 Due To Sea Level Rise

Mangrove trees serve as nature's hurricane barriers for places such as Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, Virgin Islands National Park, and Big Cypress National Preserve. Plus, they provide valuable habitat for fish and other marine life, and are pretty cool for humans who are fortunate enough to paddle through them. But they could be gone by 2050, victims of sea level rise driven by climate change.

UPDATE | Yellowstone Forever Shutters Institute, Financial Position Described As Unsustainable

Yellowstone Forever, which has struggled financially since 2016 when it was formed through the merger of the Yellowstone Foundation and the Yellowstone Association, has been further impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and might not survive without significant reductions in its financial burden, Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly said Saturday.

Conserving Nature In A Time Of Crisis: Protected Areas And COVID-19

Many of the threats facing biodiversity and protected areas will be exacerbated during, and following, the Covid-19 outbreak. The health of humans, animals and ecosystems are interconnected. An expanding agricultural frontier and human incursions into natural areas for logging, mining and other purposes has led to habitat loss and fragmentation, increased contact between human and wildlife and greater exploitation and trade of wild animal products. This enables the spread of diseases from animal populations to humans who have little or no resistance to them; Covid-19 is just the latest and most widespread of these zoonotic pandemics, following SARS, MERS and Ebola.

UPDATE | Trump's Move On Northeast Canyons And Seamounts National Monument Draws Criticism

President Trump went to Bangor, Maine, on Friday to remove a "no fishing sign" from the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument, a move hailed by the fishing industry but which drew criticisms from environmental organizations and political opponents concerned about his attacks on public lands and the environment.

Though It Has An Explosive History, The Yellowstone Hotspot Might Be Waning

Recent earthquakes swarms in Yellowstone National Park and continued eruptions of Steamboat Geyser are proof that the park still is seismically active, though a new study suggests that the "hot spot" that fuels Yellowstone's geothermal fury has been in a "significant decline" for quite some time.