The Galaxy in the WoodsArticle 07.05.2023As more people flock to see fireflies, scientists are trying to harness their enthusiasm without harming the bioluminescent wonder they’ve come to see.
Washington’s Runaway Snow GeeseArticle 01.24.2023Mae West said too much of a good thing is wonderful. But she’d never seen the beautiful, marauding snow geese that swoop in each fall to take over Washington State’s Skagit Valley.
Learning from the AncientsOpinionReview 11.22.2022In his latest book, Elderflora, Jared Farmer chronicles a history of exploration and study, destruction and preservation that will keep humans and age-old trees intertwined for the long haul.
Clear Water RevivalPhoto Essay 05.02.2022In a biodiversity wonderland hardly known outside South Africa, a decades-long effort to restore native fish and their streams is starting to pay off—but new trouble could undermine this fragile comeback.
Nomads of the NorthPhoto Essay 11.24.2021A writer and photographer shares an intimate portrait of the annual migration and uncertain future of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd.
Saving Slovenia’s “Human Fish”Article 12.15.2020Scientists in this Central European country are leading the charge to understand and protect a charismatic, cave-dwelling salamander—and the subterranean habitats that supply much of the region’s drinking water.
Refilling the Carbon SinkPhoto Essay 11.12.2019Long seen as wastelands, Scotland’s bogs are now the scene of an intense restoration effort in which millions of exotic trees are being felled to fight climate change.
Free-Flowing, For NowPhoto Essay 04.09.2019Hundreds of new dams are currently planned for Central American rivers, posing a threat to Indigenous peoples and wildlife alike. Preserving the integrity of these corridors between the mountains and the sea will help them both.
The Last WolvesPhoto Essay 02.27.2019Africa’s rarest carnivores face mounting threats from disease-carrying domestic dogs, but scientists hope a new vaccination campaign will give Ethiopian wolves a fighting chance at survival.
The Unsung ReefPhoto Essay 01.25.2019Australia’s corals may get all the headlines, but the country’s kelp-dominated temperate reefs are at least as important and imperiled. Now they’re finally getting the restoration focus they deserve.
Butterflies in the StormArticle 07.18.2018Battling rising seas and creeping asphalt, scientists race to save two endangered species.
Boxing DaySpotlight 01.02.2018Female hares can deftly defend themselves when unwelcome suitors pay a visit, but when climate change comes calling, fighting back proves more difficult.
Sea ChangeArticle 10.31.2017The Arctic Ocean is beginning to look and act more like the Atlantic. It’s a shift that threatens to upend an entire food web built on frigid waters.
Vultures of EdenPhoto Essay 10.19.2017What was once a popular vacation destination for Hollywood’s elite has become a last stronghold for some of Africa’s most beleaguered species.
Boom and BustedArticle 09.26.2017In trying to untangle a mysterious herring collapse from the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, scientists in Prince William Sound are revealing just how resilient—and unpredictable—marine ecosystems can be.
In Search of the LostArticle 09.06.2017On a quest to find a missing primate, a team of scientists discovers that sometimes maps tell only the smallest part of the story.
Resurrecting the RiverkeepersArticle 07.11.2017The dieoff is happening out of sight and out of mind. Reversing it will require scrappy scientists and unlikely allies.
On Thin IceArticle 05.31.2017While President Trump considers pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement on climate, the Arctic is telling us what’s at stake for our planet.
Backcountry Drug WarArticle 03.28.2017In the Golden State, dangerous drug cartels are growing pot on public lands—putting wildlife, water supplies, and outdoor enthusiasts at grave risk.
