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Researchers from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the California Academy of Sciences, and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories recently identified a creature caught on film thousands of feet deep in waters off the coast of California as Hydrolagus cf. trolli , also called a ghost shark. Scientists have identified 28 species of Hydrolagus but this is the first evidence that they live in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Learn more in this Men's Journal piece .

A scientific review looked at papers covering the impact of outdoor recreation on wildlife and found that 93 percent showed an impact, 59 percent of them negative. Spending time outdoors still provides immense benefits for people and for nature, but perhaps we need to be more careful. Read about the study on the Men's Journal website . Grapevine Hills Trail in Big Bend National Park.

A new generation of farmers focuses on local, sustainable, innovative practices. Good for their families, the land, and those who eat what they produce.  Read the story here.

A week at Madroño Ranch turned into a real gift for this busy writer, and one tiny part of the legacy of Heather Kohout. Read my tribute here .

Bever's Restaurant in Chappell Hill serves fresh, homemade dishes like chicken and dumplings, enchiladas, and chicken-fried steak. You'll also find dozens of kinds of pies. Read about it here .

The oldest bakery in Texas, Naegelin's in New Braunfels, has everything you could possibly want of a baked nature. Opened in 1868 by the Naegelin family, now owned by the Granzin family. Read about it in the December issue of Texas Highways.

The first female chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sylvia Earle continues to dive as a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and has spent more than 7,000 hours underwater. Read her advice here .

Reef Environmental Education Foundation and Florida International University teamed up to offer four divers a night in Aquarius Reef Base, a science lab 60 feet beneath the surface in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Fewer than 400 people -- including Sylvia Earle, Fabian Cousteau and Ian Somerhalder - have ever slept in the base. Read how to snag a bunk here .