2020 National Parks Fee Free Days (USA)

Acadia National Park | credit: NPS

A number of national parks across the USA will waive entrance fees on five days in 2020.

National Parks Fee Free days encourage people to get outdoors and spend time with  friends and family in U.S. national parks.

The National Park Service (NPS) will offer the following fee-free days in 2020:

• Monday, January 20 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 18 – Start of National Park Week / National Junior Ranger Day
• Tuesday, August 25 – National Park Service Birthday
• Saturday, September 26 – National Public Lands Day
• Wednesday, November 11 – Veterans Day

This fee-free opportunity applies to entrance fees only and does not affect fees for camping, backcountry reservations, tours, or other special uses.

Normally, 110 of the 419 national parks in the country charge an entrance fee, while the other 309 national parks do not.

The National Park System includes more than 84 million acres and is comprised of 419 sites, including national parks, national historical parks, national monuments, national recreation areas, national battlefields, and national seashores. There is at least one national park in every state.

source: National Park Service

2017 Atlantic Hurricanes - Tropical Storms

Hurricane Harvey landfall    photo credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

North America's 2017 Atlantic hurricane season has included a number of record setting storms.

NOAA's 2017 hurricane season outlook August update called for a 60-percent chance of an above-normal season, with 14-19 named storms, 5-9 hurricanes, and 2-5 major hurricanes.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the night of Friday, August 25th near Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Rainfall from Hurricane Harvey exceeded 51 inches in some areas, setting a preliminary record for the greatest amount of measured single-storm rainfall for the continental US.

In early September, Hurricane Irma, a powerful category 5 storm churned across the Atlantic and Caribbean, and continental U.S.

The storm made landfall on September 10th in the Florida Keys as a category four storm.

Hurricane Irma caused severe damage in Barbuda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Anguilla, the Virgin Islands (British and U.S.), and Florida (USA).

Hurricane Jose (Category 4) affected the Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, The Bahamas, Bermuda, and the East Coast of the United States.

On September 8, Hurricane Katia (Category 1) made landfall near Tecolutla, Mexico.

Another storm, Maria, reached Hurricane status On September 17, 2017. Over the next 24 hours, Maria intensified explosively into a Category 5 hurricane.

On September 20th, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a strong category 4 hurricane, with winds of 155 mph that knocked out power for the entire island.

Jaguars in North America

Jaguar (photo credit: USFWS)

An iconic species, the jaguar is North America's largest cat.

Although jaguars have been exterminated in much of their historical range, a recovery is possible, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) - binational Jaguar Recovery Team draft jaguar recovery plan.

The draft plan sets goals for improving the species’ status through its entire 19-country range and provides a framework for achieving recovery.

The draft plan focuses on the cat’s northwestern population in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

The jaguar recovery plan will allow agencies and organizations, particularly in the U.S. and Mexico, to align their efforts to make meaningful advances in sustaining and improving the status of this iconic species.

USA Jaguars

Since 1996, as many as seven individual jaguars have been documented in the U.S.

Jaguar sightings in the USA have consisted of male jaguars in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

These jaguars are believed to be coming from the nearest core area and breeding population, which is approximately 130 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border in Sonora.

Jaguar re-introductions in the USA are not planned for the short term. Instead, the plan focuses on efforts to sustain habitat, eliminate poaching, and improve social acceptance of the jaguar to accommodate jaguars that disperse into the U.S.

Long Term Jaguar Recovery

The plan cites habitat loss, direct killing of jaguars, and depletion of prey as primary factors contributing to the jaguar’s current status and decreasing population trend.

The plan calls for a minimum timespan of 50 years to achieve a jaguar recovery in North America.

Signs of Autumn in North America

Autumn, also known as fall, is a favorite time of year for many people. In North America, there are dozens of signs that the Autumn season is approaching.

Many of the signs of Autumn are first seen by farmers, fishermen, hunters, hikers, and others that spend much of their time outdoors.

Plants provide some of the first signs that Autumn will soon be here. In August, a few scattered trees begin dropping leaves. Others may show touches of red, gold, or other hues. These early displays of color will soon by followed by an abundance of fall foliage.

Wildflowers usually provide clues about seasons. As Autumn approaches, some of North America's most familiar wildflowers begin blooming.

Agricultural crops also indicate North America's seasons. As the days grow shorter, crops such as corn and beans start to change color.

Birds often provide clues about the change of season. In many parts of North America, flocks of blackbirds appear in the sky overhead.

At first, the lines of birds are scattered and last only a few moments. Before long, the migration becomes an incredible sight, with noisy flocks occupying the sky from horizon to horizon.

Geese also announce the coming of Autumn. Resident geese become restless and begin taking short flights around sunset, honking loudly as they circle their summer territory.

Signs of Autumn can also be seen in the skies. As the air becomes drier, bluebird skies become common. At dawn, they may contain unique cloud formations known as mare's tails.

Periods of fair weather are sometimes broken by storms. Along the Atlantic Coast, the approach of Autumn is usually accompanied by powerful storms known as noreasters. Even more powerful are late-summer hurricanes, which lash coastal communities.

In much of North America, the summer season may end abruptly, not by a date marked on a calendar, but by the passing of a noreaster, hurricane, or other storm.

Fall Foliage in North America (Atlantic Coast)

Colorado USA Fall Foliage | credit: NPS

North America is famous for its beautiful fall foliage. Fall foliage colors can vary considerably from year to year, depending on Autumn temperatures, rainfall, storms, and a host of other factors.

During the Autumn season, trees release a chemical called phytochrome, which slows down chlorophyll production and allows the tree to go dormant. As green chlorophyll recedes from the leaves, other colors begin to show.

Leaf pigment is also influenced by the amount and acidity of tree sap. Strongly acidic sap tends to result in reds and other bright colors, while less acidic sap produces more yellows or softer tones.

Depending on locations, travelers can expect to see a variety of foliage colors during Autumn.

Along the Atlantic Coast of North America, brightly colored fall foliage can usually be found in places such as the Canadian Maritimes, the New England states, Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland.

Fall Foliage Colors

Yellows

Ash, White
Basswood
Beech
Birch, Rive
Birch, Sweet
Buckeye, Ohio
Coffeetree, Kentucky
Cottonwood, Eastern
Elder, Box
Elm, American
Hazel Nut
Hickory, Mockernut
Hickory, Pignut
Hickory, Shagbark
Hickory, Shellbark
Hophornbeam, Eastern
Locust, Black
Locust, Honey
Maple, Silver
Oak, Chestnut
Pecan
Redbud, Eastern
Shad Bush
Tuliptree
Walnut, Black
Walnut, White
Willow, Black

Reds - Pinks - Oranges

Dogwood
Gum, Black
Oak, Northern Red
Oak, Pin
Oak, Scarlet
Oak, Southern Red
Oak, Swamp Chestnut
Sourwood
Sumac

Browns

Oak, Bur
Oak, Post
Oak, Shingle
Oak, Swamp White