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

Earth Day 2016

Over one billion people in 192 countries are expected to participate in Earth Day 2016.

Participants are organizing, demanding climate action, performing community services, meeting with elected officials, planting trees, and teaching children to protect the planet.

This year, in a rare and special event, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has invited every world leader to the United Nations to officially sign the Paris Climate Agreement on April 22nd, Earth Day 2016.

“Earth Day is the largest, most recognizable face of the environmental movement,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network.

This year, Earth Day Network is emphasizing the need to plant new trees and forests worldwide. Throughout the year, EDN sponsors and takes part in tree plantings across the US and worldwide. Earth Day Network is pledging to plant 7.8 billion trees worldwide in 2016.

Across the world, schoolchildren and teachers will take part in education, civic, and outdoor programs that will teach them about the importance of clean air and water, how to begin a lifelong practice of civic participation, and experience the wonders of nature.

For more information, visit: www.earthday.org.

Gulf of Alaska Online Coastal Guide

Terry Johnson, an Alaska Sea Grant marine recreation and tourism specialist, has completed an online guide for recreational boaters interested in the central and western Gulf of Alaska coast.

Johnson compiled information for navigating, anchoring, handling typical weather conditions and other challenges over several years, while operating a variety of recreational boats from a 40-foot tri-cabin trawler to a 15-foot Runabout.

The guide is appropriate for adventurers, fishermen, sailors, and recreational boaters. Although vessel traffic is sparse, communities are few and exposure to the North Pacific is challenging,

“it is a spectacular trip in good weather, with opportunities to experience the scenery, the solitude, geology, human history, wildlife and excellent angling,” said Johnson.

The guide begins at Cape Spencer near Glacier Bay and runs west along the coast all the way to Homer, Alaska.

The Gulf of Alaska Coastal Travel Routes website includes maps, photos, location information, and basic safety tips.


For more information, visit https://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/2016/03-09-16-coastal-guide-online.php

Ontario Maple Syrup Season

As winter gives way to spring, Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is encouraging consumers to take a trip to a local maple syrup producer to try sweet, local, and delicious maple syrup.

With the variety of maple products available, there's a maple syrup colour and flavour intensity to please everyone's taste.

During Ontario's maple harvest season, mid-February to early April, more than two million litres of syrup is produced.

Maple Syrup Facts

Maple syrup is made from the sap of primarily sugar, black, soft and red maple trees

Maple syrup is a natural product with no additives, and is a source of several vitamins and minerals.

Each spring Ontario Maple syrup festivals offer fun, family activities.

Ontario Maple Weekend will be held April 2 - 3, 2016 (www.mapleweekend.ca).

On January 1, 2016, amended maple regulations came into effect on how maple syrup is graded, classified and labelled.

source: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Great Lakes - St. Lawrence River Water Quality

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River beach water quality met government standards 76.5% of the time in 2015, according to a recent report from Swim Guide (www.theswimguide.org). By comparison, water quality standards were met 72.5% of the 2014 season.

Swim Guide compared monitoring results for 1,496 beaches around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River and calculated the number of days beaches in each watershed passed water quality tests, failed water quality tests, or had no data. The findings published in the second annual Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Beach Report.

Swim Guide is a beach information service created by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper in Toronto. The resource offers water quality alerts, beach descriptions, photos, and directions for over 7,000 beaches in Canada, the U.S.A., as well as Baja Mexico, and New Zealand.

For more information, visit www.theswimguide.org.

Maine Coastal Cleanup 2015

Hundreds of volunteers along the Maine coastline will join people around world for the 30th annual International Coastal Cleanup, September 19th to 26th.

Volunteers will be participating in Coastweek, which is part of the 30th annual International Coastal Cleanup, the world's largest single day volunteer effort to clean up beaches, lakes and rivers.

Last year, more than 500,000 people globally picked up 16 million pounds of trash along 13,000 miles of coastline. In Maine, volunteers found 10,484 pounds of trash in 2014.

For more information, visit mainecoastalprogram.org.

Farmers Markets

North America is home to an incredible range of farmers markets. Vendors offer fresh fruits, vegetables, produce, herbs, flowers, garden plants, breads, jellies, jams, fresh eggs, dairy products, honey, poultry, rabbits, goats, sheep, lamb, seafood, and more. In addition to traditional produce, farmers markets may also offer arts and crafts, clothing, and other items.

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