National Park Service

Anything is fossible… Like bird and lizard tracks! A groundbreaking paleontological discovery at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument has uncovered fossilized footprints dating back millions of years, offering unprecedented insight into the behaviors of prehistoric animals in what is now central and eastern Oregon. Using advanced 3D imaging techniques, a team of scientists led by fossil track specialist Conner Bennett identified and analyzed four sets of vertebrate trace fossils—impressions left behind by prehistoric birds, mammals, lizards, and invertebrates. The research documents the first known fossil tracks of birds and lizards at the monument and adds important behavioral context to the region’s well-established body fossil record. To learn more, dig deeper at: https://lnkd.in/eg9c8xjt Image: Fossilized footprints and 3D scans/Bennett et al., 2025 (Palaeontologia Electronica)

Friends, family, lovers of nature and trip planning—gather ‘round! Imagine a world where the majesty of national parks is just a tap away. That’s right, we’re talking about the NPS App, the official app for the National Park Service! Picture it: you’ve got over 400 national parks at your fingertips—Yellowstone! Everglades! Saguaro! That historical site with the really cool cannon! The one with giant trees! You know the one. What? Well, umm, check the app! The app has alerts, tours of park places, and even on-the-ground accessibility information. But wait, there’s more! The NPS App now features Dark Mode, CarPlay integration, and a completely redesigned map system to help find your way around parks of all sizes and shapes. Will it keep you from getting completely lost in the inner machinations of your mind? Will it prevent you from driving into a lake because your car’s GPS said to? The machine knows! Stop yelling at me! Stop yelling! Umm… We can only do so much, but the free app is currently available for iOS and Android devices. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/dQGKq73 Image: A person holding a phone showing the National Park Service app featuring Everglades National Park.

Woke up early. There was no worm. Owl-right, owl-right, owl-right. Time to rise and shine! Unlike many other owl species that are strictly nocturnal, burrowing owls are often diurnal, meaning they can be active during the day, especially in the early morning and late afternoon. They may hunt or engage in other activities like preening, scrolling LinkedIn, or guarding their burrows. P.S. “Resting owl face” is real. And spectacular. The look comes from the shape of an owl’s facial discs, those flat, round areas around their eyes that help funnel sound to their ears for hunting. These discs often give off a stern or serious look, especially when paired with large, forward-facing eyes that don’t move much. Image: A young burrowing owl at Badlands National Park proving it’s a real “hoot” at dawn.

“In retrospect, a metal helmet was probably not great idea.” - Thorfinn (Ghosts) When thunder roars, go indooors! Lightning can strike any time of the year. The best way to protect yourself from a strike is to avoid the threat. You not hide from danger? You punch danger in face? Well, we’ll keep that in mind, but hear us out. If you hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Before heading out for the day, make sure and check the weather forecast. If the weather forecast predicts thunderstorms in the area, maybe have a Plan B ready. Sing battle song? There’s that. If you’re at a park and caught outside during a thunderstorm, keep moving towards safe shelter. Stay away from isolated trees or other tall objects. You do not want to be the tallest object, especially if wearing a metal helmet. If you are in a forest, stay within a lower group of trees. Avoid open fields, hills, boulder fields, rocky outcrops, and ridge tops. Do not lie flat on the ground. Learn more safety tips at: https://lnkd.in/eXPYfDFF Image: A Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Visitor Center security camera spotted this lightning strike in the park last week. No one was harmed.

Drum roll, please! Get ready to press play on an amazing visit to a national park. National Park Week kicks off April 19th through 27th. The week’s theme of “National Park Playlist” celebrates musical connections to national parks and the American story. The week includes an entrance fee-free day, National Junior Ranger Day, Earth Day, and the 250th anniversary of the revolutionary “shot heard around the world.” More than 430 national parks offer a wide variety of experiences that are sure to strike a chord with visitors. Each day of the week, we're riffing off a musical theme to create a tour de force of the spectacular places around the country that can resonate with visitors. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eZhtKcrR

“I’mma stab the bugs out of this tree with my face-knife!⁣” We all need a hobby. But does all that pecking lead to a nasty headache? A woodpecker’s anatomy is specifically designed to absorb the force of banging one’s head into the side of tree which prevents the woodpecker from getting injured. Its specialized beak and skull direct most of the energy associated with this force into the rest of its body. This protects the brain and prevents concussions or injury when pecking up to twenty times per second and 12,000 pecks per day! What the peck!!?! More fun facts, you say? Did you know Woodpeckers have zygodactyl feet? Zygo what? That means they have two toes in front and two in back, perfect for climbing and gripping onto a tree trunk. Woodpeckers also have advanced hearing that allows them to detect vibrations from bugs moving beneath the bark of trees, so they can strike with precision. Peck on. Image: A Pileated Woodpecker on the side of a tree with head in motion at Yosemite National Park. #birds #birding #woodpeckers #nature #nationalparks

Harry S Truman National Historic Site is hiring a seasonal maintenance worker. The successful candidate will help preserve eleven historical structures in the park. Their duties will include the repair and maintenance of structures and grounds, minor plumbing repairs, minor carpentry repairs, and routine maintenance. For a complete list of duties go to https://lnkd.in/eXdtxiWt. Initial cut off for applications is Friday, April 25, 2025. Harry S Truman National Historic Site includes the main Truman Home in Independence, Missouri, and the Truman Farm Home in Grandview, Missouri.

“Oh yeah. It’s all coming together.” - Barn owl when humans invented barns. What came first, the barn, or the barn owl? Called the barn owl for its tendency to choose a nest in a barn or shelter (Sounds better than “shed owl” or “outhouse owl?” Gazebowl? Okay, we’re done), this medium-sized owl, with its white belly and face, has a ghostly appearance when flying. Boo! Sorry. Hoooo!!!! Did you hear that? No, you didn’t, because Barn owls don’t hoot the way most owls do; instead, they make a long, harsh scream that lasts about two seconds. Relatable. Multiple times a day. Barn Owls are mainly nocturnal and give new meaning to the phrase “night owl”. When not hunting prey, they can be found endlessly scrolling Instagram, watching late night infomercials, and ordering outdoor party plates that say “owl up in your grill.” Unfortunately, they’re were all sold out of “Barn to be wild” aprons. What’s for dinner? Grab a party plate! Barn owls swallow their prey whole—skin, bones, and all. About twice a day, they cough up pellets instead of passing everything through their digestive tracts. The pellets make a great record of what the owls have eaten, allowing scientists (and countless school students) to study them. Really, right after lunch period? If you take a good look around Petroglyph Point at Lava Beds National Monument you may find evidence that a barn owl had been dining nearby. Or not. They may be actually sleeping. Image: A barn owl perched at Lava Beds National Monument. NPS/ Nathan Charlton

Join the team! The National Park Service hires seasonal employees each year to welcome and educate visitors, conduct research, protect resources, and so much more. There are many different ways you can become involved. All seasonal vacancies are posted on USAJOBS.gov. For more information about the seasonal hiring process, visit: https://lnkd.in/e6w5tkmT 👉 USAJOBS: https://lnkd.in/e5kkCraH Image: Two hats and a badge in the foreground and stone fort in the background.

A major rehabilitation project has been completed at the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California. The project, supported by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), the National Park Foundation, and the hands-on work of park staff, the Historic Preservation Training Center's Maintenance Action Teams, and FIELD’s César Chávez Environmental Corps, included repairing and painting historic stucco surfaces, cleaning and retiling the Paseo Fountain, painting and recarpeting the visitor center theater, rehabilitating park landscapes, and improving trail drainage and irrigation systems. The César E. Chávez National Monument commemorates the life and work of César E. Chávez, a civil rights activist who fought for the rights of farmworkers. The monument, established in 2012, is located within La Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (La Paz) National Historic Landmark, which served as the headquarters of the United Farm Workers starting in the early 1970s. Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/cech #CesarChavezDay