The Newt NormalPhoto Essay 01.13.2023Droughts, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events are putting an unprecedented strain on California newts. With help, scientists think these remarkable animals will be able to persevere.
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.
Starling-Studded SkiesPhoto Essay 07.13.2021A modern approach to a 19th-century photography technique celebrates both the art and science behind one of the planet’s most mesmerizing spectacles.
Life, Death, and Renewal in the Campo RupestrePhoto Essay 04.22.2021In a little-known region of Brazil that calls to mind Tolkien’s Middle-earth, unique lifeforms have evolved to endure innumerable environmental challenges. Can they survive the country’s latest era of deregulation?
From Reviled to AdoredPhoto Essay 02.23.2021How one community—and one woman in particular—have found a way to protect the rarest stork in the world simply by learning to appreciate the species and embracing it as one of their own.
A New HopePhoto Essay 01.27.2021Discovered a mere four years ago, the Skywalker gibbon quickly landed on the list of the world’s 25 most endangered primates. While its status remains precarious, the species is inspiring a newfound effort to protect and restore the forests of China’s Gaoligong Mountains.
The Other COVID NursesPhoto Essay 01.01.2021Caring for sick and injured wildlife has always been challenging, but during the pandemic, for many rehabilitators, it has become a grueling, 24/7 labor of love.
Standing GuardPhoto Essay 12.24.2019The population of this critically endangered bird has stabilized thanks to the conservationists who look after them, but what happens if the caretakers leave?
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.
The Secret GardenPhoto Essay 09.11.2019The crystalline rivers of the Serra da Bodoquena offer a window into Brazil’s freshwater biodiversity. But with deforestation on the rise, that window is becoming cloudier.
Bobcat ManorPhoto Essay 08.14.2019Despite increasing hunting pressure, bobcats have proven themselves to be remarkably resilient in the face of human encroachment—and aren’t above raising their young in rural backyards.
Spirit of the SaharaPhoto Essay 05.13.2019For the residents of the world’s most iconic desert, including tiny fennec foxes, it will take grit and perseverance to weather a challenging suite of threats. Fortunately, those are two traits the desert dwellers have in abundance.
Plight of the PlatypusPhoto Essay 04.18.2019The more scientists learn more about this strange, elusive species, the more concerned they become about its future. But these new insights may ultimately help to save it.
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.
The Tuna HerdersPhoto Essay 11.06.2018Climate change has forced these Galápagos sea lions to turn to a new food source. Since they can’t outswim their prey, they use wits and teamwork instead.
All Eyes on the DevilPhoto Essay 07.31.2018Some Tasmanian devils have taken a surprising turn in response to a devastating cancer, offering new hope for the endangered species’ survival.
Flashes of BrilliancePhoto Essay 07.03.2018In a display that rivals even the most dazzling of firework shows, millions of squid gather off the coast of Japan each spring to perform a sparkling spawning ritual.
