RVing Journeys

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

The noggin of a hammerhead shark does more than just enhance its good looks. This shark’s uniquely shaped head improves its sense of smell as well as electroreception! Widely spaced nostrils, and greatly enlarged scent organs on its snout, enable it to detect the direction a scent is coming from. And wide-set eyes provide excellent 3D vision. Fun fact: Of the some 400 shark species known to science, only 10 are hammerheads.

Photo: Simon Pierce, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

05/23/2026

Nothing like starting your day with some morning exercises.

05/22/2026

05/22/2026

05/13/2026

During we honor those who help keep us safe in parks. National Park Service law enforcement rangers, special agents, and United States Park Police stationed around the country work every day to fulfill the national park mission by protecting natural and cultural resources and keeping people safe when they visit, including providing emergency response, structural and wildland firefighting, emergency medical services, and search and rescue.

This week, we also honor the memory of those officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1563/police-week.htm

05/13/2026

We’re celebrating one of the founding birds in California condor conservation, T**a T**a, who turned 60 years old this month. 🎂

T**a T**a was originally recovered from the wild as a young fledging in Ventura County in 1967, the same year California condors were listed as endangered, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and The Aububon Society. Weighing just 17 pounds and struggling to survive, he was transported to the L.A. Zoo for critical care. Although he regained strength, field observations revealed no adult condors nearby to guide him, which is essential for young condor survival. So a decision was made to return him to the L.A. Zoo where he lived under their care.

By 1982, only 22 condors survived in the wild, and to prevent the species’ extinction, the California Condor Recovery Program began capturing the remaining wild birds. Five years later, all remaining wild condors had joined T**a T**a in captivity in Los Angeles or down in San Diego. Together these condors, under the expertise of our zoological partners, launched the captive breeding program.

Today, T**a T**a’s lineage stands as a powerful testament to the success of the program. His genetic legacy includes roughly 300 birds, with about 100 currently contributing to the recovery effort as mentors or breeding condors, and 94 soaring free in the wild today.

The California Condor Recovery Program is an international program led by the USFWS in collaboration among many agencies and organizations. We thank our many partners dedicated to bringing this remarkable species back from the brink of extinction, including the L.A. Zoo where T**a T**a is still part of the breeding program.

Photos courtesy of L.A. Zoo