Part of the "commons" - spaces that bring communities together, as Brett Glymph describes. Here, people gather for the restoration of a historic Black American cemetery. (Photo: Enrichmond Foundation) Today we’re checking in with one of the outstanding leaders of the...

How many birds are killed by vehicles along a single stretch of rural highway?(Photos: above -- Janet Griffin/Shutterstock; below -- Jay Falstad) From time to time, these updates share information that may not be the best of news, but does shed light on the importance...

This writer has been away and is just catching up. So let’s use this update for a quick round up of a few worthwhile reads, gatherings, and listens directly related to our work. Act Today or Miss out -- Taking Nature Black Conference: Later this month is the annual...

A few of the 2.6 million visitors to Maryland's Patapsco Valley State Park in 2020. (Photo: Will Parsons/Chesapeake Bay Program)For months we’ve been hearing about increases in park visitation during the pandemic. Now some remarkable statistics are in. Today, we take...

Flags representing all states and territories during inaugural ceremonies on the National Mall. (Photo: Timothy Clary/AFP) Last week's Lightning Update on Public Access and Democracy started a conversation about the importance of public spaces in bringing people...

A note: Please take a moment at the end of this Lightning Update and share a quick story of your own! News and images of this week’s closures of the National Mall and its memorials, the U.S. Capitol, and public streets in Washington are arresting. And yet, there have...