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This week, the President hosted the Italian Prime Minister, three different sports teams, and a bipartisan group of members of Congress. He also visited the Everglades in balmy Florida to celebrate Earth Day with Bill Nye. That’s April 17th to April 23rd or, “The Savage Splendor of a Swamp.”

This is the latest post in our “Asked and Answered” series, in which we periodically feature an exchange between the President and an American who wrote him. Check back soon for more — and if you’d like to write the President yourself, you can do so here.

Every day, the White House receives thousands of letters and emails from Americans across the country. I work in the Office of Presidential Correspondence, and our job is to sort and read through all of those messages, and make sure they get to the right people for responses. Sometimes, letters to the President are shared with his Senior Advisors, either by the President or directly from our office.

In the spirit of Earth Day, we’ve been reviewing and sharing letters from Americans speaking out about climate change and the importance of preserving our nation’s beautiful natural places, and we came across Josie’s note from May 2013. While a student at Globe University in Wisconsin, Josie wrote us about the importance of preserving and protecting the Florida Everglades, where she and her family would often vacation when she was a child. That’s something the President agrees with wholeheartedly, which is exactly why he headed to this very region this week to take a tour and deliver remarks.

So Senior Advisor to the President Brian Deese, whose duties include overseeing climate, conservation, and energy policy, decided to send an additional reply to Josie. He let Josie know that we agree with her, and shared some of the actions the President has taken in the areas of conservation and preservation since Josie wrote us.

Here’s the original letter Josie sent — give it a read, and if you’ve got a place of your own that you’re fighting to preserve, share it with us here.

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In September 2009, the President announced that — for the first time in history — White House visitor records would be made available to the public on an ongoing basis. Today, the White House releases visitor records that were generated in …

There is a long list of Hollywood greats who have acted on the nation’s outdoor stage. From far-away galaxies to jurassic jungles to the rustic Wild West, our epic American landscapes have played just about every role imaginable.

In addition to all they give us environmentally and leisurely, our National Parks and forests continue to bring authenticity to some of our favorite films. In honor of National Parks Week, here’s a look at some of the best National Parks and forest cameos in modern cinema.

1. Butch, the Kid, and Zion National Park.

Featured in: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 

A young Paul Newman and Robert Redford star in a classic western about two bank- and train-robbing bandits. Much of the stunning natural scenery featured comes courtesy of Utah’s 229-square-mile Zion National Park. 

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