What's Going on in America's National Parks?

It has been an odd summer in America's national parks. It seems like every few days lately there is another story of something odd or tragic happening inside one of the parks, including lots of encounters with wildlife and other strange going-ons. Here's a rundown of just some of the things that have been taking place within the past few weeks.

Of course, one of the biggest stories of the summer has been the bison attacks in Yellowstone. Just a few weeks back a woman was charged by a bison while she was using a selfie stick to take a photo. She had of course wandered a bit too close to the animal, which was then annoyed at her presence and expressed it the only way he knew how. I can't say as I blame him, as selfie sticks really annoy me too.

But this wasn't the only incident involving visitors to Yellowstone and the bison that live there. Far from it in fact. There have been at least five other bison attacks in the park this summer, as visitors seem to not be heeding the warnings about wandering too close to the large, and sometimes very aggressive, animals.

The bison aren't the only creatures to be wary of in Yellowstone either. Last week, a grizzly bear attacked and killed a hiker there too. 63-year old Lance Crosby was described as a very experienced hiker who had been working at medical clinics within the park for the past five years. It is unclear exactly what happened, but it seems likely that Crosby came upon the bear while hiking alone, and was attacked as a result. The bear was later captured and euthanized.


Over in Yosemite, a child has been diagnosed with the plague. It seems the child picked up the disease – which is the same as the "Black Death" that ravaged Europe in the 14th century – in a campground within the park. Apparently it can be transmitted from flea bites and takes about 3-7 days to incubate within the human body. Fortunately, it was diagnosed and treated quickly, so this young person is going to be fine. But the mere thought of being exposed to such a disease in this day and age is a bit startling.

The campground in question is Crane Flat by the way. It has been closed this week while health officials apply flea treatment to the burros of rodents that live in the area. It is hoped that that will kill the fleas carrying the plague and make it safe to return again soon.

Finally, there is the sad story of the French couple who died while hiking in the White Sands National  Monument earlier this week. Apparently they ran low on water while trekking in temperatures the exceeded 100ºF/37ºC and eventually succumbed to dehydration and heat exhaustion. The two gave extra water rations to their nine-year old son however, who was found alive and extremely dehydrated, near his fallen parents. It is an incredibly sad story that underscores the dangers of being out in extremely warm weather.

Each of these stories also remind us that even though the national parks see millions of visitors on an annual basis, they remain wild and untamed in many ways. Nature is still an incredibly strong force capable of bringing great harm to us humans. It has been a strange summer in the parks for sure, but lets hope the remaining weeks of the travel season are calmer and safer all around.

Adventurers to Spend a Year in the Wilderness to Stop Mining

Remember Dave and Amy Freeman? They're the couple that were named National Geographic Adventurers of the Year back in 2014 for their 11,000+ mile (17,700 km) journey across North America, during which they established the Wilderness Classroom as a way to use adventure to help educate kids. Last year they also took a paddling trip to Washington, D.C. as a way to raise awareness of the threat of sulfide mining to the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota. Those efforts did not go unnoticed, but the threat remains very real. So now the husband and wife adventure team are planning to take yet another step in their campaign to protect the area they love, but this time they'll be spending a whole year in the wilderness to draw attention to the cause.

Starting on September 23 of this year, and running until September 22 of 2016, Dave and Amy will embark on a 365-day adventure in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. During that time, they'll travel by canoe, snowshoe, and dogsled as they explore more than 500 lakes and streams that are threatened by sulfide-ore mining that is taking place on the edge of these protected lands, as well as Voyageurs National Park.

Dave and Amy hope to save the Boundary Waters by putting an end to mining operations there. Those mines sit on private lands just off the protected areas, but still threaten to have a harmful effect on the environment. This is an area that the couple knows well, and has fallen in love with, so they have made it their mission to protect it from this challenges.

The start of their year-long adventure is still two months away, but the duo is busy preparing for the challenges ahead. Once underway, you'll be able to read updates on their journey at SaveTheBoundaryWaters.org.

Video: Itatiaia National Park Timelapse

Brazil's first national park is a place called Itatiaia, which was established back in 1937. Known for its rocky, mountainous terrain, the park offers a remote sanctuary for wildlife and a wonderful retreat from the bustling cities of Rio and São Paulo. This video takes us into that amazing place and gives us a great tour of the landscapes that can be found there. The timelapse images on display begin with some general shots of the flora in the park, but later we see the mountains and clouds, and eventually the stunning starscapes that can be found overhead, all set to some peaceful music that fits the mood perfectly.

Itatiaia National Park Time Lapse from Marcius Clapp on Vimeo.