With year-end right around the corner, I’ve been spending time looking back across the National Parks Traveler’s stories from 2023 to compile our top stories of the year — those that demonstrate the Traveler’s reach, impact, and close coverage of breaking news.
Culling the lists really underscored to me what a unique media operation the Traveler has evolved into the past 18 years, and what a loss it would be if the Traveler was forced to proceed with its of-necessity plans to go dark. And, why we need your financial support.
Through the past eleven-and-a-half months we’ve brought you stories of success in how the National Park Service has leveraged Great America Outdoors Act funds to improve parks. We’ve looked at how sea-level rise will inundate parks, and how cultural sites are threatened by changes in precipitation patterns.
There was the interesting story about a stunning event — Chinook salmon showing up in Redwood Creek at Muir Woods National Monument. Another revealed the mysteries hidden in the mounds of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. And we wrote about complicated and conflicting management approaches to wolves at Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.
Those are just a few of the highlights. Traveler’s writers brought you stories from the Arctic to the Arizona-Mexico border, from coastal California to the Virgin Islands.
Where else can readers find such unique coverage on a daily basis?
If the Traveler cannot raise $200,000 in the coming months, the operation will go dark, unable to financially stay afloat. Lost will be unique coverage of the National Park System, weekly podcasts, Rebecca Latson’s immensely helpful photography columns, and a watchdog keeping an eye on the National Park Service administration.
Some readers and supporters have told me that even if the Traveler vanishes, I’ve created an incredible legacy. I’m not seeking a legacy. I’d much prefer an enduring news operation that keeps you informed on the national parks.
We're making good progress towards our goal. But we need your support to get there. Please, donate to help ensure the news flow continues.
