The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, a non-profit organization that oversees the trail, says they’re looking for volunteers at three different offices. Volunteers help educate visitors about the AT and the work the Conservancy does. Positions are now available in these offices:

• Damascus, VA
• Harpers Ferry, WV
• Monson, ME (seasonally)

Besides greeting visitors, volunteers take phone calls and answer emails and are the go-to people for all things Appalachian Trail. The role is pivotal for the millions of people who hike parts of the trail annually and thousands of thru-hikers.

Learn more about the roles in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maine.

Ready to hike the trail instead? Here’s what you need to know to get started.

The post Be Part of an Appalachian Trail Adventure By Volunteering to Help Thru-Hikers and Other Visitors appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

While the dates vary, and you’ll want to check with your local offices, most permits go on sale at the start of November and range from about $5 to $15. Both National Forests and BLM lands require permits beforehand. 

Obviously, Christmas tree permits aren’t available on every public land as not every landscape is covered in pine trees. The rules for each public land’s tree availability can change yearly as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management prioritize protecting natural resources.

Rules for Cutting Down Your Own Christmas Tree

Here are some general guidelines for cutting down your own Christmas tree:

• Most holiday tree permits are issued in November. Know your location, the weather, and your ability to traverse through snow.
• Dress for the season. Always be prepared for the cold and snow, and start tree hunting early in the day to have plenty of daylight hours.
• Bring emergency supplies, including water and food and a first-aid kit.
• Remember to tell someone where you are going. Your cell phone may not work on many forests.
• The tree you choose must be at least 200 feet from main roads, recreation sites and campgrounds, and stay away from areas along the sides of streams, rivers, lakes, and wet areas. Check with the ranger district for the proper distance.
• Select a tree with a trunk six inches or less in diameter, and prepare to cut the tree no more than six inches above ground level.
• Never cut a tall tree just for the top.
• Select a tree from overstocked areas and thickets. Watch restricted areas. Cut only one tree per tag.
• Attach your tree tag to harvested tree before placing in vehicle.
• Bring a rope and tarp to move your tree from the harvest area to your vehicle.

Most National Forest permits are available on Recreation.gov. Most BLM permits can be purchased here.

Have you cut down your own Christmas tree before?

The post Want to Chop Down Your Christmas Tree From a National Forest This Year? Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

A new article from Travel Awaits highlights the best cities for dogs. West Coast destinations dominate the results, with Sacramento, California topping the list. Portland, Oregon came in second. Rounding out the top five are three cities in the Golden State: San Francisco, Bakersfield, and Long Beach.

The rankings were formulated by looking at dog services, dog-friendly restaurants, places to hike with your pet, and more.

See more about the study and find out which city ranks near the bottom on Travel Awaits.

The post Is Your Dog Your Adventure Buddy? These Are the Best Cities to Visit appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Throughout the season, Gebrewold’s game plan has been to emit “golden retriever energy” to disarm other players and make them easier to attack. And in the first five episodes, he’s done exactly that. However, with Survivor being a game show and all, the other players singled him out as the biggest threat because of his schmoozing, alliance-building, and vocal strategizing. 

So who actually went home if not Gebrewold and why? The answer is one of the more innocuous players of the season, and the reason was she was an easy target. 

Survivor 45 Episode 6 Recap

By the end of episode 6, the teams began merging but before they could complete the merger, they were separated into two random teams for a competition. The winners of the said competition received a meal and immunity while the losers went hungry and had their names added to the ballot for that night’s vote. 

The names that came up throughout most of the conversations were Gebrewold and Janani “Jay” Krishnan-Jha, a 24-year-old singer from Los Angeles. Although she did struggle through the physical part of the competition, the reasons Jay came were mostly petty. 

Former teammate Sifu Alsup wanted revenge because he believed Jay voted for him in a past episode. Another former teammate, Julie Alley, who revealed in secret that it wasn’t actually Jay who voted for Sifu, didn’t think Jay was totally trustworthy. And Austin Li Coon was still sour at Jay because, during a contest, she opted to accept an ineffective idol rather than a sandwich. 

At the tribal council, though, Gebrewold made a more compelling argument, calling Jay the “most dangerous” player because of her alliance with two of her former teammates. He argued that they would vote as a group in the future. 

“There’s an opportunity for you guys to let go of Jay and lower your guys’ threat level a lot,” he told the two players. He added that although he was a threat that night, he wouldn’t be in the future because his strategy had been exposed. 

To counter his logic, Jay said: “I just want to remind everyone that this is now an individual game and this is a player (Kaleb) that was losing and losing and losing and is still sitting here.” She added, “He will be a threat to your game.”

While they seemingly agreed with her — hence the 11 to zero vote to send him home — we got the twist ending. Gebrewold played his shot-in-the-dark, a sacrifice of a vote to be declared safe or unsafe from votes, and forced the players to revote. In the end, a majority voted Jay out. 

In her exit interview, Jay called herself “collateral damage” and described the event as “upsetting” but also “pretty freaking wild.”

“This was the greatest adventure of my entire life,” Jay said. “I have no regrets here. Just smiles, so I’m just happy I got to come out here and play a great freaking game.”

Watch Survivor on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. on CBS.

The post Survivor 45 Episode 6 Recap: Did Kaleb Delay the Inevitable? appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

In the video, the animal grabs the deer’s neck and drags it to the ground. Although some find the video unsettling, it’s a prime example of nature.

The response to the video, which was posted on the @natureismetal Instagram account, was less about people being upset about the deer – but rather a debate erupted around whether the predator was a wolf or coyote.

What animal do you think it is? Check out the video below:

Wold of Coyote? An Expert Assessment from Voyageurs National Park

Those arguing that it’s a wolf suggest the animal looks too large for a coyote and mention the shape of its head. Others believe it could be a “coywolf,” which is a wolf and coyote hybrid. The video is from Alberta, Canada, where you can find both animals.

Outdoors.com skipped the pseudo-online experts and asked an actual wolf researcher for his opinion. 

Thomas Gable is the lead researcher who runs the Voyageurs Wolf Project. He and his team track wolves around Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota to better understand their habits. Gable knows a lot about wolves.

He says while the video is far enough away to be ambiguous enough for a debate, he’s quite sure it’s a coyote.

“My impression is that it is a coyote and not a wolf. Of course, the animal is a fair bit away from the camera, so it’s hard to tell with 100% certainty, but I would say I am 98% confident that is a coyote,” wrote Gable in an email this morning.

Check out this other viral video to see how large wolves are.

The post Is it a Wolf or a Coyote? Wildlife Expert Weighs in on Divisive Viral Video appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

A 2022 study found a 16% increase in vehicle and deer collisions the week after daylight saving time. One of the leading arguments for a permanent DST is the decreased risk of crashes. 

However, for now, we’ll see another end to daylight saving. So, in the meantime, state agencies like Colorado Parks & Wildlife want to remind drivers to be extra vigilant.

“This is the time of year when we start seeing more animals on the move at our state parks and on our roads,” said CPW Fishers Peak State Park Manager Crystal Dreiling in their official press release. “Drivers across the state can expect to find wildlife on or near the roadways as winter approaches and they can do their part in helping to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions with bear, elk and deer by traveling at slower speeds and staying vigilant.”

Wildlife officials are partnering with the state’s Department of Transportation for their message and offered these tips to drivers:

• Slow Down. Driving more slowly increases reaction time and reduces the chance of a collision.​
• Stay Alert while driving at dusk and dawn. This is when many of Colorado’s wildlife are the most active and are likely to be crossing roadways.
• Scan Ahead and watch for movement along roadsides. When driving at night, watch for shining eyes in headlights. Always look and be prepared for more than one animal.
• Obey traffic signs and watch for wildlife warning signs.

Colorado Parks & Wildlife says the best action the state can take is creating more animal-safe infrastructure. These designs include wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and fences along busy roadways.

The post Daylight Saving Time Ends This Weekend – and That Means an Increased Risk for Collisions With Wildlife appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Runners covered four 19.45-mile laps of a long, beautiful desert track. The Pemberton, Shallmo, and Cinch trails made up the course. Their first loop would also incorporate the Escondido Trail, bringing it up to 22.3 miles to round out the distance. 100-kilometer runners would join them for all of these laps but the last. This is a hot, exposed track, which always brings the potential for heat exhaustion. At night, though, temperatures can drop drastically, and participants can even run the risk of hypothermia.

100-Mile Ultramarathon Winners

This year, Jonathan Rea took first place overall in the 100-mile ultramarathon, setting a new course record of 12:43:10. He was one of three runners that broke 13 hours this year, with Blake Slattengren and Ryan Montgomery joining him. Heather Jackson claimed first among women runners with a time of 14:24:47, nearly snagging a course record herself.

Among the 100km runners, Rajpaul Pannu set an impressive course record, coming in at 7:15:33. Anna Kacius pulled in at second overall with a time of 8:13:07. Fans of the ultrarunning icon Courtney Dauwalter may have spied her on the course as well. She took on the 100km race alongside none other than Tracey Dauwalter—her mom. This family endeavor was a fantastic button toward the end of Courtney’s historic year.

Flamboyant Encouragement

As dusk fell on the course, runners of the “Jackass Night Trail” suited up for their own main event. Donning their most flamboyant rave costumes, their coolest neon glowing accessories, and their running shoes, participants took on a single loop of the Javelina Jundretrack. They were welcomed to spend as much time at each unique aid station as they want, and to party just hard enough to fully enjoy the evening while still being able to make it back to “Javelina Jeadquarters” at the end of the night.

The Javelina 100-miler is a qualifier for the Western States 100–Mile Endurance Run, and a chance for the top two men and top two women to earn respective Golden Tickets. Alongside the excitement of finishing and possibly qualifying for their next prestigious ultramarathon, the Javelina Jundred is a singularly fun event. It’s tough to keep your spirits high in such an insane test of endurance, but it gets much easier when a giant, inflatable squirrel is cheering you on.

The post The Javelina Jundred Starts as a 100-Mile Ultramarathon, Ends as a Rave appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Wildlife officials say they had to tranquilize the animal to remove the net. However, with limited time until the buck woke up, officials had to act quickly. Officers decided to remove the antlers instead.

“In a perfect world, we could walk up and easily remove the netting, but wildlife rescue is rarely that straightforward,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife in a social media post. “The decision to remove the antlers was made with the deer’s well-being as our top priority.”

Officials say the antlers will grow back by next year. In the meantime, the deer gets to live a life free of obstructions that could have hindered it from eating.

Earlier this fall, wildlife experts warned homeowners of items like hammocks and holiday decorations that can often get stuck in deer antlers. The warning is something to remember as we head towards the winter holiday season.

The post Colorado Deer Loses 8 Pounds After an Entire Hammock Is Removed From Its Antlers appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

According to Blue Ridge Parkway officials, they have multiple reports of visitors feeding and attempting to pick up a young bear in the area at Lane Pinnacle Overlook. As a result, “we can’t have nice things.” The route is now closed from mile 367.6 near Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to mile 375.6 at Ox Creek Road. That section is northeast of Asheville, North Carolina, and includes the closure of a visitor center. 

“We are closing this section of the road temporarily for the safety of both the bear and park visitors,” said Superintendent Tracy Swartout in a social media post. “When people intentionally attract bears with trash and food, it can lead to very dangerous situations. In this instance, we want to give the bear a chance to lose interest in the area before the situation escalates and visitors or the bear are harmed.”

Officials say visitors trying to reach the Craggy Gardens recreation area can still take NC80 from the north. However, there is no timeline to reopen the roadway.

Visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited site in the National Park Service system. Fall is especially busy for the parkway as the mountains running through North Carolina and Virginia turn vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. Millions of visitors will make the drive to see the leaves change.

Besides photo opportunities of leaves, fall is also a critical time of year for bears who are working towards hibernation. The animals must eat as much as possible to fatten up for their long nap. However, feeding bears causes habitation, meaning bears lose their natural fear of people. In many of these situations, officials are forced to euthanize bears.

Want to get closer to wildlife? Try a pair of binoculars.

The post ‘Very Dangerous’: Popular Section of the Blue Ridge Parkway Closes After Tourists Repeatedly Feed and Attempt to Pick Up A Bear  appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

The study comes from the Voyageurs Wolf Project, which focuses on wolves in northern Minnesota, including parts of Voyageurs National Park. 

“The premise is really quite simple: human activities change where deer are on the landscape, and wolves go where the deer are,” says Dr. Thomas Gable in the organization’s press release. “Plus, humans have done an excellent job of creating and maintaining a diverse, well-connected web of roads, trails, and other cleared linear features that are ideal corridors for wolves to hunt deer.”

Our Impact on Wolves

Just like humans, wolves would rather not bushwhack through the forest. The animal prefers to use well-maintained human-made trails to track deer and other animals. The paths and roads allow the animals to travel faster and farther.

The study also found that wolves will often target recently logged forests. Cut trees are a food source for fawns, and that is easy hunting for wolves.

Finally, the study found a lot of wolves hunting near cabins and other infrastructure. Researchers believe this has to do with the fact that deer can often find food near people. Additionally, wolves generally avoid humans, meaning it should be safer for deer looking to avoid predators. Notably, though, the study found that wolves will risk a human encounter to find something to eat.

Research officials say that doesn’t mean there’s an increased risk for humans.

“Although the high concentration of deer near human development attracts wolves to areas near people, wolves still definitely avoid encountering people when hunting fawns around human infrastructure,” said Austin Homkes, a researcher for the Voyageurs Wolf Project. “Wolves spend substantial time in close proximity to occupied cabins and residences, and yet almost no one sees them.”

You can find the full study here. 

The Voyageurs Wolf Project has worked for years in the area and often captures amazing videos of wolf packs roaming the area.

The post ‘Just Like Humans, Wolves Prefer to Travel on Roads and Trails’: A New Study Proves Humans Directly Impact Where Wolves Hunt appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.