A $9M-plus renovation will rebuild Belleview Park’s barn, add restrooms and a pavilion, and relocate the petting zoo while preserving the miniature train. Opening weekend runs next Saturday through Memorial Day.

A wildlife monitor says a dead osprey chick was found tangled in fishing line at the La Jolla Tennis Club, prompting stepped-up cleanups and calls to report injured birds.

Police warned Davis residents after a mountain lion was spotted near Kestrel Place on a popular north‑city bike path. Officers and wildlife officials are monitoring the area.

A long-closed slice of downtown Miami along the Miami River is being prepped for reopening with funds earmarked to stabilize the Flagler worker’s cottage. The project includes demolition, site cleanup and a multi-year restoration plan.

A dead gray whale was found Wednesday at North Sunset Beach on Whidbey Island, marking the 19th gray whale recorded in Washington this year. NOAA and researchers are responding.

The Saint Louis Zoo launched a $170 million campaign on May 14 to fund a north‑county safari park, a new family attraction and a stronger endowment. More than $152 million has already been pledged.

Senators Ossoff and Warnock secured $2 million to build a pocket park beneath the John Lewis mural in Sweet Auburn as part of the Butler Street YMCA redevelopment.

Portland is updating its Tree Code (Title 11) to protect and expand the city's urban canopy, focusing on equity and climate resilience. The Urban Forestry Commission will brief the public on May 21 and staff expect a multi-year process.

An 11-foot alligator that wandered into a Fort Bend neighborhood was captured Wednesday and will be relocated to a natural area, officials say.

Utility crews recently trimmed large oaks along the Park Plaza at Centennial Park, drawing alarm from the conservancy and raising coordination questions with Metro Parks. The cuts have complicated a long‑planned revitalization on the park’s north edge.

A jaw‑dropping video from Gatorland shows a large alligator seize and eat a smaller gator near the park’s breeding marsh. Experts say such cannibalism is a known part of gator ecology.

Public Health closed three King County swim beaches after tests found high bacteria; a Renton sample hit about 14,000 CFU — far above safety guidelines.

After years of local organizing, Long Beach has lined up Phase I upgrades at Martin Luther King Jr. Park — courts, a walking path and playground work — with designs previewed next Monday.