Our public lands have never been more crowded. As millions of us flock to the mountains and the deserts to revel in their wild beauty and restore our jaded spirits, perhaps it's time to ask: are we helping or hurting?
In the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, cargo ships sail inland, the soil burns, and rivers run backward. Surreal it may be, but the delta is a cornerstone of the California economy -- and now it's at the brink of collapse.
The chances of dying from a snakebite are seven times less than the risk of being killed by lightning. Yet snakes continue to arouse a primal dread in us. One small town in Texas turns our worst fears into a strange carnival.