Northern Arizona

To the surprise of many, the great naturalist John Muir spent a year exploring the Petrified Forest in eastern Arizona. Author Scott Thybony set out to learn more about Muir and his desert wanderings. He tells the story in this month’s Canyon Commentary.

New research suggests historic fires in the Southwest often grew to massive sizes, but were likely far less destructive than the megafires of today.

On investigative travels and assignments, author Scott Thybony is no longer surprised by the unexpected questions — and answers — he gets. Thybony remembers some surprising interactions he’s had along the way in this month’s Canyon Commentary.

In this month's Canyon Commentary, Scott Thybony follows the tracks of a rare tornado outbreak in northern Arizona, and hears from a meteorologist who became part of the weather event he forecast.

Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett says she and other local officials are still seeking information on a possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement substation in the city.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department released 19 endangered black-footed ferrets at three sites in northern Arizona last week as part of the long-running reintroduction program for the imperiled species.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crew was assisting Flagstaff police with an active shooter situation when it crashed Wednesday night, killing the pilot and another trooper.

A US House committee has approved a measure that would delist the endangered Mexican gray wolf. But critics worry it would doom the species.

A landscape’s dramatic features can overwhelm first-time visitors. But sometimes the places that exist on a more human scale can have a greater impact. In his latest Canyon Commentary, author Scott Thybony tells how this happened to novelist Willa Cather in Walnut Canyon.

Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory plans to cut nearly all its research funding and reduce the number of paid science staff to just two positions next year.