From my perspective

Due to hunting and pollution, 30 years ago, Atlantic harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) were almost never seen in Sandy Hook Bay. Now, the water is cleaner water, fish they hunt is more abundant, and there are more protections in place. As a result, every fall, harbor seals head south from Canada and New England to escape the harsh winter. From November through March, hundreds of harbor seals can now be seen in the Sandy Hook Bay where they'll "haul out" - get out of the water to rest, escape predators, digest food, and warm up. Harbor Seals are the most common of three seal species that call

A very rare visitor to New Jersey, May 1958 was the first occurrence of a painted bunting according to William Boyle Jr's The Birds of New Jersey. Since then, they've increased in frequency, with 27 individuals recorded from 1993 to 2009, and more since then. Called "siete colores" (seven colors) in Mexico and "nonpareil" (without equal) in Louisiana, painted buntings are sometimes considered the most beautiful bird in North America. They're rare in New Jersey, especially now when they're usually wintering from South Florida to parts of Central America. Male painted bunting at Harsimus Cemetery This December, a male painted bunting - the more strikingly colored of

Two of New York City's most iconic symbols - the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building - lie 5.1 miles apart - one in Midtown Manhattan and the other in the Upper Newark Bay. So how - and from where - can you capture them in one photo?

While sandhill cranes are the most abundant crane species in the world, it's not incredibly common to see one in New Jersey. However, they have been spotted with increasing frequency, especially during migration, and I had the chance to see them in three different locations within two weeks.

By the 1960s, the use of pesticides like DDT led to the local extinction of peregrine falcons in the Eastern United States, and the species was listed as endangered in 1970. A ban on DDT in 1972 combined with captive breeding and reintroduction efforts led to the remarkable success story as the falcon saw its historic U.S. range restored. Fortunately for those of us local to Greater New Jersey Metropolitan Area, there is a pair of peregrines that live on the cliffs of the Hudson Palisades year-round: "Una" and "Prince."

You might not expect to find an explosion of nature in New Jersey's most densely populated County - wedged between Newark and Manhattan - and immediately next to one of the busiest railway stations in the country and Exit 15X on the New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur, but you would be wrong. Very, very wrong.

A friend and I spent 5 days backpacking in the Wind River Range in August 2024. While last year we explored the Cirque of the Towers area in the southern Winds, this year we sauntered further north throughout Titcomb Basin and Indian Basin.

As we drove past the limit of Death Valley National Park, we pulled over for the obligatory photo opportunity at the Death Valley National Park sign. At the bottom of the sign is a subheading: "Homeland of the Timbisha Shoshone."

We were in dense woods when we saw him: A black bear about 100 feet ahead. I did what you're supposed to do when you encounter a bear - I reached for my camera.

Staying at a hotel room in Monument Valley with an unforgettable view from our balcony created an opportunity for capturing the same view at multiple times of the day, including during the special golden and blue hours.

I often have a vision in mind for how I want to a landscape photo to look. When the light is changing, it's easy to get caught up in trying to capture the moment, but it's also important to look around and behind you, because you never know what you might be missing.

An intact ecosystem with bison, wolves, bears, moose, and more. Hydrothermal features, including nearly half of the world's active geysers. Geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Any one of these traits would be a must-visit destination. Yellowstone has them all and more.

On August 11-15, 2023, my father, a friend, and I spent 5 days backpacking in the Wind River Range, a combination of on- and off-trail travel that included the famous Cirque of the Towers and the less-visited Desolation Valley.

I used to see photos like this and think the photographer got lucky, was in the right place at the right time, and snapped the shutter at just the right moment. Getting a shot like this does take some luck, but luck is only part of it.

Like parenting in general, hiking with kids can be extremely rewarding or frustrating, and it will probably be a bit of both. I partnered with The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey on a piece for NJ Family magazine on hiking with kids.

A full-circle moment that brings me great joy - one of my photos of the Hudson River running between Storm King and Bull Hill taken at dawn from a ledge on the Washburn Trail will be featured on the back cover of the new East Hudson Trails map set.

Tripods are no longer allowed in Upper Antelope Canyon, making the dark slot canyon both a photographer's dream and nightmare (at least mine) that needs to be tackled with handheld photography in a fast-paced, crowded setting.

One photo is of me and my dad on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It's a photo of triumph, but it's a deception. The other photo is of me and my dad with the people without whom we certainly wouldn't have made it.

I wasn't always an avid hiker, but in a few short years, I went from hiking skeptic to becoming a trail maintainer with the volunteer-based NY-NJ Trail Conference.

One September weekend, I had the great privilege of guiding U.S. Senator Cory Booker on a hike in the Jersey Highlands along with NY-NJ Trail Conference Executive Director Joshua Howard.