Wow! What a stunning shot by Donna Scheider. I have visited White Sands, New Mexico, and it is every bit as incredible as this photo. It is a formation of pure white, glistening gypsum sand dunes that cover about 275 square miles of the New Mexico desert. What a trip, and well worth a visit.
Tag Archives: national parks
When the Levee Breaks (on Purpose)
Thanks to many years of hard work by the Sonoma Land Trust, 1000 acres of farmland are being restored to tidal marshes. This land, bordering the San Francisco Bay, was historically marshy but was drained and converted to farmland over 100 years ago. Now, in an effort to create habitat and further buffer the landscape from sea level rise, more and more former marshes are being returned to their natural state.
The video shows the first step: breaching the levee so the ocean can rush in to fill the tidal basin. Next step: revegetation and restoration. Future plans include adding a new segment of the Bay Trail along the old levee top and incorporating the property into the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
This is great news for birds, marine life, and nature lovers!
Just a Beautiful Photo: Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Wow … that’s what I call a starry night.
Joshua Tree National Park to Be Expanded
The Mojave Desert Land Trust recently acquired a 690-acre parcel west of Joshua Tree National Park. Known as Quail Wash, the property is slated for restoration work, followed by donation to the Park.
Joshua tree ecosystems are threatened by development, particularly for energy projects. This parcel protects a critical wildlife passage corridor, as well as important habitat for the threatened desert tortoise, whose habitat is rapidly being lost to development.
A great win for conservation! Thanks to the Land Trust Alliance for the story.
Take Action: Obama Calls for Congress to Reauthorize Land & Water Conservation Fund
” ‘For 50 years, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped millions of Americans in every corner of the nation get outdoors and enjoy open spaces in their local communities and in our national parks,’ said Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society. ‘We are grateful to the many Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill who are fighting to save this program, and we applaud President Obama for reiterating his support.
A clean, healthy environment is an issue that we should be able to agree on. LWCF keeps our outdoors accessible and magical—counting midnight stars, hearing a coyote howl or paddling a quiet river—these are experiences Americans yearn for that we owe our current and future generations.
Americans deserve real conservation leadership which means doing the right thing today so our grandchildren don’t have to suffer from smoggy air, polluted waterways and landscapes devoid of wildlife.’ ”
the happy environmentalist 