Gloria Hillard

One of Hawaii's most threatened seabirds, the Newell's shearwater, makes its home on the island of Kauai. Conservationists there are fighting to keep the iconic bird from disappearing.

The city's most recent homeless count showed that the veteran homeless population had declined 18 percent. But some advocates caution that veteran homelessness is an ever-changing dynamic.

One 51-year-old woman has been living on the streets for two years. "I've been raped, I've been stabbed, it's been hard out here for me," she says.

Once considered a paradise for the colorful songbirds, Kauai has lost more than half of those native species due to invasive species and a warming climate.

In the city of Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles, the demand for senior housing is so great the wait list is now closed. For many of those seniors, their only safe living option is in their cars.

In Southern California, a section of the high speed train linking San Francisco to Los Angeles would have to navigate through mountains, fault zones and what may be even more daunting: cowboy country.

Despite increasing public awareness of transgender issues, transgender people continue to face high rates of joblessness.

Summer camp typically brings to mind s'mores, campfires and the beach. But for some kids in Southern California, camp is where they learn to care for sick and stranded sea lions and elephant seals.

The city has seen some positive changes in recent years, including a reconnection with the city's rural past. The pastime has given youth an outlet in a region that's at the center of gang violence.

When they're not in rehearsal, some of the Colburn Wesley Project singers live on the streets of Los Angeles. The unlikely choir will be performing through this holiday season.