At a quick glance, you might miss the ancient cliff dwellings that blend effortlessly into the sheltered alcove of the canyon wall at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. These elaborate stone communities contained as many as 150 rooms, some of which still feature smoke-blackened walls and ceilings from fires that burned during cold winter months. The park protects nearly 5,000 archeological sites, inspiring visitors to imagine what life was like over 700 years ago. Photo courtesy of Chris Wheeler.

There are so many places to enjoy a Southwest sunrise. Located within the Tonto Basin of the Upper Sonoran Desert in Arizona, Tonto National Monument protects two well-preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings and helps tell the story, not just of the Salado people, but of several American Indian tribes. Many of these tribes still feel strong spiritual ties to the cliff dwellings, deeming them to be an ancestral home. Photo by C. Sadler, National Park Service.

Exciting wildlife news! Last year biologists found the first ocelot den in 20 years on Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas. At the den, researchers found a 3-week old male ocelot kitten (pictured here). Ocelots used to range from South Texas up into Arkansas and Louisiana, but today there are an estimated 50 ocelots that remain in the United States, Known as the “little leopard,” ocelots have a long, ringed tail and are recognized by their distinct spots and rounded ears. Learn more about this amazing #WildlifeWin: https://on.doi.gov/2hRc7w4. Photo by USFWS.