December 2009
The First State Seeks First National Park Delaware—the first state to ratify the Constitution—is trying to become the last to get a National Park. The tiny Mid-Atlantic state is currently the only in the country without a single unit of the National Park Service. But that may change soon. Last October, Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.)…
Read More >Crowds flocked to the National Mall in D.C. for two weeks in October to see how a few bright minds could build new homes completely powered by the sun. Solar Decathlon teams from 20 universities showcased their creative homes in a competition to build the most energy-efficient solar-powered house. Students built the houses over a…
Read More >What’s the Best Way to Drink Water? Water—it’s the most basic necessity for the human body and planet earth. We’re supposed to have at least 64 ounces a day—a half-gallon—for proper hydration, but finding the best and safest way to drink it has become an increasingly frustrating conundrum. Some tap water has trace amounts of…
Read More >48.6: Percent of Americans who participated in an outdoor activity in 2008. But 43 percent of those participants played outside less than twice a month. 4,857,000: Number of Americans who ran trails last year, up 15 percent from the previous year. Still, trail runners lack the numbers of road runners. 41,130,000 Americans ran on the…
Read More >According to the National Ski Area Association, the number of skiers and riders wearing protective headgear has jumped from 25 to 50 percent in the last five years. Snowshoe Resort is making helmets mandatory for all students participating in freestyle terrain park programs or ski schools.
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Lisa Stewart is curator at Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR) in Townsend, Tenn., near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. ABR admits injured and orphaned cubs captured by wildlife officers from all over the Eastern U.S., rehabilitates them, and releases them into their home sites. The rescue has helped 100 black bears since admitting their first cub…
Read More >The South is known for its cuisine that sticks to your ribs, which is probably why Southern states are near the top of the obesity lists. But we found three cardiac worthy dishes located near lung-busting trail systems, so you can hike, run, or bike before you indulge. EAT HARD: Motor Burger, White Spot Restaurant,…
Read More >Michael Mooney Rides High Asheville’s Michael Mooney rides really tall bikes—on really rugged trails. Mooney rides a six-foot tall, custom-made mountain bike throughout Western North Carolina, competing in races and hucking off 30-foot gap jumps. He also rode a 43-foot tall bike during last year’s Lexington Avenue Art Festival before falling in an unsuccessful attempt…
Read More >Guns are now legal in national parks. Are we any safer? In Georgia a serial killer stalked hikers in national forests. In a Tennessee campground, a mother and her two small children were mauled by a black bear. Two Virginia Tech students were found shot dead at their Jefferson National Forest campsite, their killers still…
Read More >47% No Commuting by bicycle is not dangerous and should be nurtured and supported to get our society away from automobile commuting. There are too many cars, too little space, and too many distracted drivers. Commuting by bicycle is safe as long as the cyclist sees themselves as a vehicle without a motor, rather than…
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