There's also potential for catastrophic river flooding in the Nueces, Frio, and Medina river basins and significant flooding in the Pecos, Rio Grande, and San Antonio river basins, according to the National Weather Service.
—
Natassia Paloma,
USA Today,
16 July 2026
During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before filling the narrow river basins.
Wetlands, forests, grasslands, rivers, and coastal ecosystems also face pressure from pollution, invasive species, and the overuse of natural resources.
—
Aman Kumar,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 July 2026
Next spring, bobolinks will once again return to North America’s grasslands.
—
Nathan W. Cooper,
The Conversation,
23 July 2026
Rounding out the top three was Kenya’s Maasai Mara, where sunrise transforms the sprawling savannah into a sea of golden light as majestic wildlife—think lions, elephants, giraffes—roam the plains.
—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
22 July 2026
The shaggy bovines of the plains and boreal forests were nearly hunted to extinction in a frenzy of killing that decimated their population.
Temescal Gateway Park is a 141-acre expanse in Pacific Palisades that features a babbling brook, oak and sycamore canyons and trails that zigzag up the mountains, providing views of the Pacific Ocean and its coastline.
—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
23 July 2026
The sprawling Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers even more spectacular scenery, with hundreds of miles of hiking trails winding through rugged peaks, coastal canyons, oak woodlands, and scenic overlooks.
—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
22 July 2026
The cross-country route carries passengers through the forests and lakes of northern Ontario, the prairies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and into the dramatic mountain landscapes of Alberta and British Columbia.
—
Bailey Berg,
Travel + Leisure,
21 July 2026
The swamp's prairies are vast, watery expanses dotted with floating islands and stands of cypress and other trees.
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