Joshua Tree National Park

Vandalism in its many forms, seems to be continuing unabated in the national parks. The Leave No Trace Seven Principals don’t appear to apply to those who wish to let others know they were there in the form of acrylic paint on 180-million year old sandstone and gouges into rock and living trees in places like Zion, Joshua Tree, Olympic, and Redwood national parks? Is modern graffiti on protected lands considered art and future history for archeologists, much like the ancient petroglyphs and pictographs now safeguarded within the boundaries of natural parks, national memorials, and other park units? Or is it a despoiling of protected National Park Service lands by a selfish few who apparently learned no respect for keeping the landscape unblemished for the enjoyment of present and future generations? Contributing editor and photographer Rebecca Latson offers her own thoughts on the subject.

There are places in the National Park System where carvings, etchings, and even 20th century “graffiti” are preserved. Unfortunately, there is a surprising number of 21st century individuals who think it’s perfectly appropriate for them to carve their names and other signs and symbols into national park landscapes.

It's time to test your national parks knowledge and learn a little bit of national parks trivia, too, with the latest National Parks Quiz and Trivia piece (#14). See how much you know about the nation's protected lands before checking the answers at the bottom of the piece.

More than 2 million pounds of microplastics, the equivalent of 123 million plastic bottles, settle on national parks and other public lands in the West each year, adding to the growing pollution loads these protected areas carry, according to a new study.