A breathtaking aerial view of the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska. This photo was taken by Student Conservation Association intern Devdharm Khalsa, who got to see the park in most spectacular fashion while documenting the work of a National Park archaeology crew this summer. “The sight I saw as we helicoptered into the park was awe-inspiring. Pristine rivers — the surface glittering like thousands of diamonds — flowing hundreds of feet below us, vast mountain valleys, towering peaks and patches of boreal forest dotted the tundra landscape. It was a dream come true for me.”

All this week, we’re featuring photos taken by studentconservationassociation (SCA) members. A non-profit that connects young people with conservation service opportunities on public lands across the country, SCA has interns and conservation corps members in all 50 states — providing students with the opportunity to work with rangers and biologists to protect, restore and promote public lands.

Now that is a mouthful! What a great photo of a American white pelican taken at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Photo: John Savage/National Wildlife Refuge Association

National Park Service rangers do amazing things every day, so we wanted to bring you all this heartwarming story as a great example of the work they do on a daily basis. Earlier this week, Kenai Fjords National Park staff received a report of a dog stranded on a cliff ledge near the edge of Exit Glacier. After gaining the dog’s trust, the dog was pulled to safety and carried out to the trailhead. Reports are that the dog is recovering well.

Blue sky day on the east side of Glacier yesterday.

Photo: National Park Service

This is what the morning carpool looks like for a mama opossum in Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge.

Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge located 20 miles northwest of Memphis, Tennessee, in Crittenden County, Arkansas was established in 1961 to provided habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Today the refuge literally stands as a wildlife oasis in an agricultural sea. An excellent diversity of habitat exists comprised on mainly agricultural land, bottomland hardwood forest, early stage reforested hardwoods, open water and flooded cypress/willow swamp. Thirty small field impoundments totaling 190 acres have been developed for waterfowl in the agricultural area. Because of its strategic location in the heart of the Mississippi Flyway and the diverse habitat, the refuge is a prime wintering area for migratory waterfowl and a major stopping place for migrating warblers. Bald eagles, great blue herons, great egrets and anhingas nest on the refuge.

Photo: Bill Peterson - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Caribou react to the approach of a grizzly bear near Highway Pass in Denali National Park.

NPS Photo/Daniel A. Leifheit

My Public Lands photographer Bob Wick, just spent time on Bureau of Land Management Lands (BLM) in Alaska. Here’s what he had to say about this photo:

“Attached is my first photo of the midnight sun from Taylor Peak above the 40 Mile Wild and Scenic River near Chicken AK. The 40 Mile is actually 390 miles long and is the longest federally managed wild and scenic river. I’m still south of the Arctic Circle so the sun sets from about 12:30 AM till about 3 AM, but it stays like dusk outside. Colin, the BLM employee I am with (& who is in the pic) is from Fairbanks & said they don’t even try July 4th fireworks there as its too bright to see them.”

Padre Island National Seashore separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world.  The park protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life.  It is a safe nesting ground for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and a haven for 380 bird species.  It also has a rich history, including the Spanish shipwrecks of 1554.

Photo: National Park Service

Happy Pollinators Week! These hard-working animals help pollinate over 75% of our flowering plants, and nearly 75% of our crops. Often we may not notice the hummingbirds, bats, bees, beetles, butterflies, and flies that carry pollen from one plant to another as they collect nectar. Yet without them, wildlife would have fewer nutritious berries and seeds, and we would miss many fruits, vegetables, and nuts, like blueberries, squash, and almonds … not to mention chocolate and coffee…all of which depend on pollinators. To learn more, click here.

Here’s a cool photo of two hummingbirds doing battle over territory at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge.

Photo: Sarah Chah

Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa was established for the protection of migratory birds. It is located along the Mississippi River Flyway, one of the major routes for migrating waterfowl. Key goals of the refuge are to conserve and enhance the quality and diversity of fish and wildlife and their habitats; and to restore floodplain functions in the river corridor. 

Photo: Jessica Bolser, USFWS