A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a bald eagle in flight close-up can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of bald eagles see the Bald eagles - Chilkat River, Chilkoot River, Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Unidentified whitewater rafters collide in the rapids at Pillow Rock on the Gauley River during American Whitewater's Gauley Fest weekend. The upper Gauley, located in the Gauley River National Recreation Area is considered one of premier whitewater rivers in the country.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of whitewater rafters colliding at Pillow Rock can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of whitewater rafting and whitewater kayaking see the Gauley River, Gauley Fest - West Virginia photo gallery, the Missouri Whitewater Championships 2012 photo gallery and the Missouri Whitewater Championships 2009 photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive. 

A hiker makes her way through the forest of Hanakapiai Valley to Hanakapiai Falls in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. The 120 foot falls are reached by way of a two mile primitive side trail off the Kalalau Trail which runs along the Na Pali coast on the northern shore of the island of Kauai in Hawaii. From the trailhead at Kee Beach in Haena State Park, the strenuous hike to Hanakapiai falls is eight miles roundtrip.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a hiker on the Hanakapiai Falls Trail can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii see the Hawaii - Kauai photo gallery and the Hawaii - Big Island photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

A juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sits in a tree and calls in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a juvenile bald eagle can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of bald eagles see the Bald eagles - Chilkat River, Chilkoot River, Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

A white ibis (Eudocimus albus) lands in a tree  at sunset to roost overnight at the Gatorland alligator breeding marsh and bird sanctuary near Orlando, Florida. The bird sanctuary is the largest and most easily accessible wild wading bird rookery in east central Florida.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a white ibis can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of wading birds see the Wading bird rookery - central Florida photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

An American black bear (Ursus americanus), eats dandelions just outside the boundary of Kluane National Park and Preserve along Yukon Highway 3, near Gribbles Gulch in the Yukon Territory, Canada. While most of a black bear’s diet is vegetation, black bears are omnivores meaning that they eat both plants and animals (grasses, berries, roots, insects, fish and mammals). Black bears typically weight 200 to 600 pounds. Not all black bears are black in color -- some are brown or even blond. They are most easily distinguished apart from grizzly bears by the lack of the pronounced shoulder hump found in a grizzly bear. The black bear is not considered to be a threatened species, though care to keep them from getting human food and garbage is needed to protect them from conflicts with humans. Kluane National Park and Reserve is known for it's  massive mountains, spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes including Canada's tallest peak, Mount Logan (19,545 ft.). The 5.4 million acre park is also known for it's wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, caribou and Dall sheep. The park is one of a collection of U.S. and Canadian national and provincial parks that form the largest international protected area in the world. Kluane National Park and Reserve was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being an outstanding wilderness of global significance.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of of an American Black Bear near Kluane National Park and Preserve can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of black bears and Kluane National Park see the Kluane National Park and Preserve photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Two bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) fight over a salmon carcass along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of  bald eagles fighting in the air can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of bald eagles see the Bald eagles - Chilkat River, Chilkoot River, Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Evening sunset light bathes showy evening primrose and the rolling hills of the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of showy evening primrose on the tallgrass prairie at sunset can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of the tallgrass prairie see the Flint Hills prairie - Kansas photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

An unidentified whitewater kayaker jumps into the Gauley River rapids at Pillow Rock during American Whitewater's Gauley Fest weekend as unidentified rafters pass by. The upper Gauley, located in the Gauley River National Recreation Area is considered one of premier whitewater rivers in the country.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a kayaker jumping into the Gauley River at Pillow Rock can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of whitewater rafting and whitewater kayaking see the Gauley River, Gauley Fest - West Virginia photo gallery, the Missouri Whitewater Championships 2012 photo gallery and the Missouri Whitewater Championships 2009 photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive. 

The `ama`uma`u  or `ama`u for short, is a common fern found in the wet forests of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The fern typically has red fronds when young for protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The fronds gradually turn green with age. The fern is a member of the Blechnum fern family and is endemic to Hawai`i. Halema`uma`u, the fire pit within Kilauea caldera, means “the house of  `ama`uma`u fern.”  This fern was photographed on a connector trail between the Byron Ledge and Devastation trails near the Kilauea caldera.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of an amau fern photographed in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park see the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park - Big Island of Hawaii photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

A beaver eats aquatic vegetation near the beaver dams at Horseshoe Lake in Denali National Park in Alaska. The beaver was seen near the Horseshoe Lake Trail.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a beaver  eating aquatic vegetation can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images from Denali National Park see the Denali National Park and Preserve - Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

The evening sky reveals stars over the Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse located in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills. The school, on the National Historic Register of Historic Places, was built on land donated by cattleman Stephen F. Jones. Built in 1882, the one-room school had its first classes in 1884. Typical enrollment was between one to 19 students of all grades. The school was closed in 1930 and restored in 1968 by the Garden Clubs in the Mid-East District of Kansas. The glowing light on the right is from the city of Emporia some 20 miles away to the east. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of stars above Lower Fox Creek School can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of the tallgrass prairie see the Flint Hills prairie - Kansas photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Students Heidi Kattenhorn (left) and Maggie Martin count bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, near Haines, Alaska. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River near Haines to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of  citizen science students counting eagles on the Chilkat River can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of citizen science class students counting eagles see the Bald eagle research - Chilkat River eagle count, Haines School Citizen Science class photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz uses calipers to take length and depth measurements of the beak of a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. In this photo she is determining the culmen length. Beak measurements and toe claw (hallux) length are two measurements that help determine the gender of a bald eagle. Female bald eagles typically have larger beaks, feet and talons. This reversal of gender size is called reverse sexual size dimorphism. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of researchers conducting bald eagle research can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

 

For additional images of bald eagle researchers capturing bald eagles see the Bald eagle research - Chilkat River eagle migration study photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Paddlers enjoy a leisurely float down the Buffalo River in Arkansas. The view is from Big Bluff which is part of the Buffalo National River. Big Bluff is accessed from a side trail off the Center Point Trail.

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of people canoeing on the Buffalo River can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images of the Buffalo National River see the Buffalo National River - Arkansas photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Ice forms on the Chilkat River as the sun bathes the mountains of Takhin Ridge including Chunekukleik Mountain in early morning sunlight at sunrise. The fog-like layer is blowing dust from the river's silt. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of ice on the Chilkat River at sunrise can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images of Haines, Alaska see the Haines, Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Snow-covered Connelly Lake (far left) is a 90-acre alpine lake near Haines, Alaska that drains into the Chilkoot River (right). Connelly Lake is the focus of a proposed $32 million, 12-megawatt hydroelectric project by Alaska Power and Telephone Company (AP&T). AP&T proposes to build a dam at the outlet of Connelly Lake that would create a 160-acre reservoir and a 6,200-foot-long penstock down the side of the mountain where water would be delivered to turbine generators located in a powerhouse near the Chilkoot River into which the lake water would be discharged. Some of the main features of the proposed Connelly Lake project (for example portions of the penstock, the powerhouse, access roads, and the transmission line) would be located in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines State Forest. Environmental concerns include the impact construction and project operation would have on fish spawning and rearing habitat (water turbidity issues), and bald eagles. The eagles rely on the salmon that use the Chilkoot Valley in the fall and early winter when they are attracted to late spawning salmon runs. The Connelly Lake Hydro Aquatic Studies Report for 2012 prepared by the Shipley Group states that according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 41 percent of the sockeye salmon in the upper Lynn Canal come from the Chilkoot River with 25 percent of those salmon spawning in the Chilkoot River drainage above Chilkoot Lake. The value of the fishery is estimated at more than $1,000,000 annually. AP&T wants to build the project to replace the undersea cable that supplies Haines with electricity from Skagway. AP&T announced in June 2013 that it was putting the project on hold citing difficulty securing funding from the Alaska Energy Authority and the lack of community support. Despite these setbacks AP&T says that it not abandoning pursuing the project. The large lake in the background is Chilkoot Lake. Beyond Chilkoot Lake is Lutak Inlet of the Lynn Canal.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This aerial photo of Connelly Lake and the Chilkoot River can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images of Connelly Lake see the Connelly Lake - Chilkoot River, Haines, Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

A patch of evening primrose (family Onagraceae) blooms on the prairie near Buffalo Creek on the Selman Ranch near Buffalo, and north of Woodward in northwestern Oklahoma. Also pictured is sagebrush (background).

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of  evening primrose can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images from northwestern Oklahoma see the Woodard Oklahoma, and Cathedral Mountain photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

A Fraser magnolia (Magnolia fraseri) flower blooms near the Grandview Overlook in the New River Gorge National River in West Virginia. Fraser magnolia is native to the southern Appalachians. Large creamy-white flowers appear from late April to early May, depending on elevation.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a Fraser magnolia can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images from the New River Gorge National River see the New River Gorge National River - West Virginia photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

Kayakers are dwarfed by the massive Holgate Glacier at sunset on the Holgate Arm of Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. Photo was taken from the Holgate public use cabin. The park, located near Seward, Alaska, is known for its glaciers that flow out from the Harding Icefield, and the coastal fjords shaped by its receding glaciers. Approximately 51 percent of the park is covered by ice. The Harding Icefield, thousands of feet deep, is the largest icefield solely contained within the United States. Exit Glacier, is one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska with easy walking trails leading up to the face of the glacier and more difficult trails leading up to the Harding Icefield which feeds Exit Glacier. Abundant land and sea life can be found within the parks boundaries including black and grizzly bears, Steller sea lions, puffins, humpback and orca whales. The park is a popular destination with sea kayakers who frequent Aialik Bay, Holgate Arm, Pederson Lagoon and Northwestern Fjord for magnificent views of the Aialik, Holgate, and Pederson glaciers. Tour companies offer boat tours out of Seward.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of kayakers at Holgate Glacier can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images of Kenai Fjords National Park see the Kenai Fjords National Park photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

A full moon rises above Mount Ernest Gruering and the Herbert Glacier near Juneau, Alaska as the final rays of the sun at sunset baths mountain tops in alpenglow light. The view is from the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry FVF Fairweather as it traveled down the Lynn Canal from Haines.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of a full moon over the Herbert Glacier can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images of Juneau see the Juneau, Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

The last ray of sunlight from the setting sun basks on the Sitakaday Narrows in the main bay of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in this view seen from Young Island located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska. At left is Marble Mountain, and in the far background is Mount Abdallah.

 

© John L. Dengler - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Do not reproduce in whole or in part without prior written permission. This photo of the sunset in Glacier Bay National Park can be licensed at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.

For additional images from Glacier Bay National park see the Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska photo gallery at the Dengler Images Photo Archive.