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Nature Watching/Exploration |
| The Water Cycle | The USGS site offers the most comprehensive discussion of the water cycle anywhere on the Web. It features a superb diagram by a USGS graphic artist; the diagram is available in 36 languages. There is an in-depth Web page for each of the 15 topics on the diagram, along with a single-page summary of the water cycle. |
| USGS New Hampshire and Vermont Recreation Project | The USGS has put together recreational information for the states of New Hampshire and Vermont (Beta Pilot Study) covering the themes in the USGS Recreation Web site. |
| Vulnerability of U.S. National Parks to Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Change | The National Park Service (NPS) manages nearly 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles) of shorelines along oceans and the Great Lakes. In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the NPS Geologic Resources Division, began conducting hazard assessments and creating map products to assist the NPS in managing vulnerable coastal resources. |
| Annual Winter Survey of Bald Eagles Set to Go | The bald eagle is a symbol in the United States of strength and freedom, but what is its strength in terms of population? The 2004 National Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey, sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provides important information in addressing this question. |
| Spotted Owl Groups Defined with Genetics | New U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science reaffirms, with strong genetic evidence, that the northern spotted owl is a separate subspecies from California and Mexican spotted owls. |
| Geology of National Parks: | The 3-D tours feature National Parks, Seashores, Preserves and National Monuments. |
| USGS Report Documents Alien Plants in Sequoia-Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks | A recent report published by the U.S. Geological Survey documents nonnative plants in Sequoia-Kings Canyon and Yosemite national parks, and provides a useful template for ranking alien species problems for management actions in these and other national parks and reserves. |
| U.S. Bald Eagle Counts Continue to Climb Slowly | Winter counts of bald eagles increased nearly 2 percent annually from 1986-2000 in the contiguous United States. |
| Chinese tallow: invading the southeastern Coastal Plain | Chinese tallow is an ornmental tree with colorful autumn foliage that can survive full sunlight and shade. |
| Malformed Frogs In Minnesota: An Update | Malformed frogs have been reported throughout Minnesota and elsewhere in the United States and Canada. |
| Northern Praire Wildlife Research Center | Research information on the quantitative ecological requirements for sustainable wildlife populations. |
| The National Map | The Nation's Topographic Map for the 21st Century. |
| Southwest Biological Science Center | Research and information on water use and the effects of livestock grazing, wildland fires, invasive species, environmental contaminants, declining populations of native species and urban development on the Southwest region of the U.S. |
| Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center | Panoramic photographs of Glacier National Park and the surrounding area. |
| Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center | Provides scientific understanding and technology to support management and conservation of our nation's natural resources, with emphasis on western ecosystems. |
| WaterWatch - Current water resource conditions. | See and track real-time streamflow and water conditions in your neighborhood. |
| Wildfire Science Applications and Support | Use different Wildfire map viewers, see related links, learn about the ecological effects of fire retardant chemicals, and examine post-wildfire runoff event data from the science center. |
| Urban Dynamics Research Program | Analysis of land use change in urban environments |
| U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program | Observations and the latest information on volcanoes. |
| Earth As Art | See and purchase images of our earth taken from more than 400 miles high by the Landsat 7 satellite. |
| From Microbes to Mammals - Invasive Species | A threat to America's Biological Heritage |
| Historic Maps from the Library of Congress Archives | In the Geography and Map Division Reading Room of the Library of Congress, researchers can find the largest and most comprehensive cartographic collection in the world. There are more than 4.5 million maps and 60,000 atlases, as well as a large number of cartographic materials in other formats. |
| Aerial Photographs and Satellite Images | Photographs and other images of the Earth taken from the air and from space show a great deal about the planet's landforms, vegetation, and resources. |
| Coastal and Marine Geology Program | Marine science and management for ocean and coastal environments. |
| Science In Your Watershed | Find scientific information organized on a watershed basis. This information, coupled with observations and measurements made by the watershed groups, provides a powerful foundation for characterizing, assessing, analyzing, and maintaining the status and health of a watershed. |
| National Wildlife Federation | Uniting individuals, organizations, businesses and government to protect wildlife, wild places, and the environment. |
| National Interagency Fire Center | A cooperative effort among several State and Federal partners including the USDA, Forest Service, Department of the Interior, and the National Association of State Foresters to manage the impacts of wildland fires in our Nation's communities. |
| American Trails | Interest in enhancing and protecting America's network of interconnected trails. Supports local, regional, and long-distance trails and greenways, whether in backcountry, rural or urban areas. Promoting cooperation among all trail interests. |
| Lewis and Clark and the U.S. Geological Survey in North Dakota | This web site gives a picture of the Missouri River and its tributaries during the early 1800's, via excerpts from the journals of Lewis and Clark, and a picture of the present-day river system, via aerial photographs along with U.S. Geological Survey data. |
| The Lewis and Clark Expedition and the USGS | The Lewis and Clark Expedition was the first of many government surveys of natural resources in the American West. In 1879, four such surveys were combined into a new agency called the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). |
| The Lewis and Clark 200 | Welcome to Lewis and Clark200.gov. This website is a partnership among 32 federal agencies and organizations aimed at providing a single, easy-to-use web portal with information about various Lewis and Clark historical places. |
| The Chesapeake Meteorite: Message from the Past | The meteorite, moving nearly 60 times faster than a fired bullet, caused an impact more powerful than the combined explosion of every nuclear bomb on earth and blasted a crater in the crust of the earth thousands of feet deep and over 53 miles in diameter. |
| An Online Guide for Amphibians in the United States and Canada | This guide provides a brief description of each species along with several photos of each to display the different color changes and patterns. |
| An Online Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Southern California | A well-illustrated field guide to help train students, researchers, reserve managers, regulators, and others to identify the local herpetofauna, with emphasis on sensitive species. |
| Bird Checklist of the United States | Offers bird checklists developed to indicate the seasonal occurrence of birds in state, federal, and private management areas, nature preserves, and other areas of special interest in the United States. |
| Bird Banding Laboratory | Wild birds are captured and marked with a uniquely numbered band or ring placed on the leg. The bander records where and when each bird is banded, how old it is, what sex it is, and any other information and sends those data to the Bird Banding Laboratory. Information from bands subsequently found and reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory provides data on the distribution and movements of species, their relative numbers, annual production, life-span and causes of death. |
| Migratory Bird Information | Photographs, songs, videos, identification tips, maps, research programs and life history information for North American birds. |
| The National Park Service - ParkNet | Experience your America - Visit Your Parks. View history, cultures and places - Links to the Past. Nature and science in the parks - NatureNet. For teachers and learners - Learn NPS. Servicewide information - Info Zone |
| The USDA Forest Service | Information on National Forests and Grasslands, a diversity of outdoor opportunities, historic trails, scenic rivers, land areas and other National favorites. It's an adventure in America's Great Outdoors. |
| The National Scenic Byways Program | National Scenic Byways Online provides travelers with current, detailed information about byways throughout the United States. Sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). |
| Butterflies of North America | Distribution maps showing the counties in which occurrence of a particular species has been verified. Photos of the adult and caterpillar (when available). Species accounts containing information on size, identifying characteristics, life history, flight, caterpillar hosts, adult food, habitat, species range, conservation status, and management needs. Species checklists for each county in the U. S. and northern Mexico. |
| Ducks at a Distance | This guide will help you recognize birds on the wing - it emphasizes their fall and winter plumage patterns as well as size, shape, and flight characteristics. It does not include local names. Recognizing the species of ducks and geese can be rewarding to bird watchers and hunters. |
| Duck Identification Guide for Hunters | This pictorial aid is designed to assist in recognizing ducks in the hand after they have been bagged. The shape of the bill, wing markings, color of feet or head crest are some of the typical characteristics used to identify ducks. |
| Dragonflies and Damselflies of the United States | Distribution maps and county checklists of Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) in the United States. |
| Wetlands of the United States | Undisturbed marshes, swamps, and overflow lands have many inherent values and a variety of uses. This report is confined to the use of these natural wetlands by wildlife. Millions of Americans rely on wild animals to furnish them with healthful outdoor recreation. |
| Calculate Magnetic Declination On-line | Use numerical models of the earth's magnetic field derived from measurements taken by the USGS, the British Geological Survey and other world and government organizations to calculate your magnetic declination. |
| USGS Geology in the Parks | Our National Parks are the showcases of our nation’s rich geological heritage. This presentation is structured to inform and entice virtual and future park visitors with a non-technical approach to geology. We present the first page of any topic, including field trip stops, at the most basic level. You will find more detail as you work your way through each site. We have organized our pages into two categories: general geology topics and individual parks, and have included a link to the National Park Service Park Geology Tour site. |
| National Geologic Map Database | Locate maps showing the types of rocks in an area, their ages and structure, and a description of the geologic history from USGS, State geological surveys, professional societies, universities and other sources. |
| Planetary Geology | Browse the solar system for facts about the planets and view a striking collection of spacecraft imagery of the planets and their moons on the NASA Photojournal. |
| Gemstones | A guidebook of general information on a variety of gemstones and the places they are found in the U.S. |
| Collecting Rocks | How to identify basic rock types, equipment and tips for rock collectors. |
| Fossils, Rocks & Time | Fossils help scientists put events in order when studying the Earth’s vast history. Fossils can tell the knowledgeable observer what happened long ago and when it happened. |
| Paleontology and the U.S. Geological Survey | Includes photographs of fossil groups, and describes the different types of fossils, how fossilized flora and fauna lived, and how they are used to answer important questions about the world we inhabit. |
| Prospecting for Gold | Anyone who pans for gold hopes to be rewarded by the glitter of colors in the fine material collected in the bottom of the pan. Although the exercise and outdoor activity experienced in prospecting are rewarding, there are few thrills comparable to finding gold. The would-be prospector hoping for financial gain, however, should carefully consider all the pertinent facts before deciding on a prospecting venture. |
| Alaska Biological Science Center | Is responsible for research trust lands and waters (including those of the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Minerals Management Service) and DOI trust species (including migratory birds, marine mammals, and anadromous fish) in Alaska. Provides scientific information essential for resource management decisions. |
| Coastal and Marine Geology | USGS research programs addressing a range of geologic issues from beaches, corals reefs, ecosystems, and submarine mapping to coastal hazards, disasters, and public safety. |
| The National Park Service - LearnNPS - School Zone - TeacherZone - GoZone - RangerZone |
Curriculum Based Educational Programs with listings and contacts of National Park sites. Obtain information about pre-visit, on-site, and post-visit curriculum-based education programs. Select a park from the alphabetical list below, use the drop-down menu to search by state, or select a state from the map. |
| National Register of Historic Places (NPS) | Teaching with Historic Places uses properties listed in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places to enliven history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. There are a variety of products and activities that help teachers bring historic places into the classroom. |
| National Wild Horse and Burro Program | Wild horses and burros on the public rangelands are managed in a manner consistent with BLM's multiple use mission which takes into consideration natural resources such as wildlife and vegetation and other users such as livestock & recreationists. |
| Audubon | Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. There is a national network of community-based Audubon nature centers and chapters, environmental education programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations in order to engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences. |
| America's National Wildlife Refuge System (USFWS) | The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans. |
| America's National Wildlife Refuge Education System (USFWS) | Education, Childrens Corner, Coloring Book, Q & A, Threatened and Endangered Species, Kids Portal, Distance Learning, Earth Stewards, Hawaiian Island Education Project, Hands on the land, Shorebird Sister Schools Project. |
| Birds, Birds, Birds (USFWS) | Find out about birds in your recreation area. |
| Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration | The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, Federal Aid -Restoring America's Wildlife, Programs, and Contact Consultants |
| The Endangered Species Program | Disseminates conservation information on our Nation’s threatened and endangered fish, wildlife, and plants. |
| Tread lightly - Leaving A Good Impression | Through education, restoration and research, Tread Lightly! empowers generations to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. If we increase public awareness and encourage responsible outdoor practices, the great outdoors will be accessible, open and well preserved for years to come. |
| State Parks, Wildlife Departments and Recreational Facilities in Your Area | Pick the State of your choice for ideal nature watching and recreation facilities |