public parks | Public Parks

Annual global surface air temperature anomalies (°C) relative to 1850–1900 from 1940 to 2024. The estimate for 2024 is provisional and based on data from January to October. Data source: ERA5.

Hottest year on record but little hope of breakthrough at climate talks following Trump win

November 8, 2024

After losing soundly and decisively to Joe Biden in 2020, Donald Trump will return to the White House in 2025 as American voters have soured on the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, yet another round of international […]

Conservationists say governments in Australia aren't doing nearly enough to protect endangered koalas.

Koalas are being decimated by highway traffic

November 5, 2024

An endangered population of koalas is being decimated by speeding cars bisecting critical habitat in central Queensland, Australia, scientists are warning. Should the roadkill incidents continue unabated there is very little chance that the population […]

California weeds weed out of its state park system

November 5, 2024

California State Parks authorities ripped out thousands of marijuana plants from numerous parks under its care as officials continue to struggle against illegal cannabis operations. State authorities said the effort was undertaken to both enforce […]

Zebra mussels discovered in three Minnesota lakes

November 5, 2024

A zebra mussel infestation is continuing to spread in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that zebra mussels have been detected in three more lakes in the […]

Microplastics are contaminating national parks’ alpine lakes

November 5, 2024

Microplastics can be found literally everywhere, including in the highest lakes far removed from major urban centers and industrial zones. That’s the conclusion to draw from new research out of a nati...

Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary includes sensitive habitats such as kelp forests, which store blue carbon and provide habitat for many endangered and threatened species.

New marine protected area formed off the coast of California

October 31, 2024

The United States has designated a new marine protected area found off its Pacific coastline in a bid to preserve ocean biodiversity. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) anno...

Heritage Farm at General Coffee State Park, Georgia. Hurricane damage will see the park closed until January 1.

State parks still recovering from Hurricane Helene

October 28, 2024

Dozens of American state parks remain shuttered weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated vast swaths of the United States Southeast. The closures are in force in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, t...

An injured Sumatran tiger photographed by a camera trap.

Sumatra’s tigers are disappearing due to lack of protected habitat

October 25, 2024

Tigers on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia are disappearing due to an absence of conservation measures, ecologists are now warning. Ecologists surveying the population of tigers calling western Suma...

Most of Yellowstone closed to traffic at the end of the month

October 25, 2024

October 31 is the last day for visitors traveling by vehicle to enter and drive through all of Yellowstone National Park. The United States National Park Service said it is closing the majority of Yel...

Arches National Park to make permanent its seasonal “timed entry” reservation system

October 25, 2024

The United States National Park Service is planning to make permanent a seasonal reservation system at one of America’s most popular national parks. NPS announced yesterday that it’s invit...

New York celebrates expansion of state park

October 25, 2024

A popular recreation spot just north of New York City is now larger than ever. The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation announced yesterday that it has completed its e...

US state parks systems still reeling from inflation years, cost spikes

October 18, 2024

Inflation pressure in the United States has eased, but its impact on outdoor recreation lingers. A number of state park authorities across the US have confirmed to Public Parks that cost overruns are ...