If you're planning on doing any hunting or fishing this year, here you'll find information about regulations, opportunities, and events held throughout the country. Each of the 50 states has its own requirements in terms of purchasing licenses, including different residency and age requirements, as well as application periods. Some states allow licenses to be purchased online, while others only accept phone and/or mail-in applications.
If it’s the cha-ching of change or shiny, new things that capture you, check out the first coin in the America the Beautiful Quarters series, released in Arkansas. Hot Springs National Park graces this stunning quarter and blazes a beautiful trail for a Yellowstone National Park quarter in June, Yosemite National Park in July, and Grand Canyon National Park in September. You can purchase the coins from the United States Mint.
Nevada's 23,000-acre Ash Meadow National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for wildlife, especially rare fish, plants, snails, and insects, many of which are found nowhere else on earth. It also provides habitat for more than 239 species of birds and 27 mammals.
A great way to get your kids involved in nature, conservation and the outdoors is to take part in the National Park Service's Junior Ranger Program. When you arrive at a park, go to the visitor center and ask about the program. Your child will receive a booklet of activities geared for their age group and for multiple learning styles. As they explore the park, the booklet directs them to the areas of most interest to kids. In the book are usually several puzzles, some opportunities to draw or write - all the activities are related to that particular place. When the child has completed the booklet, they present it to a Ranger, who checks it over and presents them with a patch or badge and a certificate. Often the child is “sworn in” and their name announced over the loudspeakers in the visitor center. It can be quite an enjoyable experience. These are not the kind of activity books you can complete by sitting in one place. The goal is to encourage and reward exploration.
Scenic coastal ferry route in southern Alaska that includes Alaska's Inside Passage, Prince William Sound, Kodiak, and the Aleutian Islands. Scenery includes pristine islands, spectacular fjords, the Gulf of Alaska and Lower Cook Inlet, snow-capped mountains, historical towns and villages, and abundant wildlife.
On this day in 1955, the Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park was first authorized as the City of Refuge National Historical Park (1955). Located on the island of Hawaii, about 22 miles south of Kailua-Kona, the park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a "kapu" or one of the ancient laws against the gods could avoid an otherwise certain death by fleeing to this place of refuge or pu’uhonua.
