Conservation

One of the Dinizia excelsa or angelim vermelho trees, which can grow over 80 meters. The tallest, as measured by satellite, towered 88.5 meters above the forest floor.

Researchers Discover the Tallest Known Tree in the Amazon

Satellite images and a trek into the rainforest reveal a group of trees over 80 meters, or about 260 feet, and one as tall as 88.5 meters

World's Largest Privately-Owned Giant Sequoia Grove Is for Sale

And a conservation group needs the public’s help acquiring the property

Birds are considered an indicator species, representing the health of entire ecosystems.

North America Has Lost Nearly 3 Billion Birds Since 1970

The staggering population loss of 29 percent of North American birds could signal an ecological crisis

More than 50,000 empty plastic bottles were used to construct Panama's Plastic Bottle Village.

From Bottles to Newspapers, These Five Homes Were Built Using Everyday Objects

Open for visitors, these houses model upcycling at its finest

Once Thought to Be Extinct, This Lucky Clover Has Recovered Enough to Come Off the Endangered List

Running Buffalo Clover, which once spread on trampled ground left by bison, has made a comeback in the Midwest and Appalachians

Birds given doses of a common pesticide lost significant body mass, fat stores

Common Pesticides Delay Songbird Migration, Trigger Significant Weight Loss

Within six hours of ingesting a high dose of pesticide, sparrows lost six percent of their body weight and 17 percent of their fat stores

The ancient Silk Road trading post of Hasankeyf, which sits on the banks of Tigris River in southeast Turkey, will soon be flooded by the Ilisu Dam. Picture here, Construction crews destroy limestone cliffs around Hasankeyf that are dotted with neolithic caves in preparation for submerging later this summer

Turkey Is Moving Forward With Plans to Flood a 10,000-Year-Old City

Hasankeyf and nearly 200 other settlements will be inundated as part of a dam project

The National Zoo's female panda Mei Xiang (above in 2019) is exhibiting signs of a possible pregnancy. These same behaviors could also mean she is experiencing a pseudopregnancy.

14 Fun Facts About Giant Pandas

Mother Mei Xiang’s annual ambiguous maternal behaviors always deliver heightened anticipation at the National Zoo

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This Smithsonian Scientist Is on a Mission to Make Leeches Less Scary

Curator Anna Phillips is on a quest to make leeches less repulsive to the public

Najin (left) and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos, on the day before their eggs were harvested.

Eggs Successfully Collected from the Last Two Northern White Rhinos

Advances in fertility science will hopefully allow researchers to implant embryos of the species into surrogate southern white rhinos

Algarve goats are indigenous to Portugal.

Could Goats Help Solve Portugal’s Wildfire Crisis?

About 11,000 goats are involved in a pilot program to help reduce overgrowth that fuels forest fires

A Beloved Baby Dugong Has Died After Ingesting Plastic

The orphaned marine mammal became an internet sensation after images of her nuzzling human caretakers went viral

Here's How That Internet-Famous 'Fish Tube' Works

The cheap, efficient pneumatic tubes may be a good solution for helping salmon and other migratory species move past dams

Trump Administration Overhauls How the Endangered Species Act Is Enforced

Critics say that the new rules limit much-needed protections for at-risk wildlife

Every 30 seconds, the United States loses the equivalent of nine Grand Canyons to human development

The U.S. Loses a Football Field-Sized Patch of Nature Every 30 Seconds

A new report outlines the benefits offered by preserving 30 percent of the country’s remaining natural land and oceans by 2030

Unlike seeds of other plants, orchid seeds (above, a seed packet) do not contain the nutrition they need to sprout. They get it from fungi.

Why the Conservation of Orchids Is No Simple Matter

Smithsonian's Sidedoor podcast visits with researchers working to understand the conditions these threatened plants need to grow

Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed plants a tree as part of the reforestation project.

Ethiopia Plants 350 Million Trees in 12 Hours—a New Record

The government claims that volunteers at 1,000 sites participated in the coordinated reforestation efforts

A mother and her calf, dehorned for safety in their new home.

Sixteen Black Rhinos Successfully Relocated to eSwatini

The critically endangered animals had been living in South Africa, where poaching threats are high

Condor 409, pictured here, is the mother of the 1000th condor born since a breeding program was launched to save the critically endangered species.

The California Condor Nearly Went Extinct. Now, the 1000th Chick of a Recovery Program Has Hatched.

“When we confirmed it…it was just this feeling of overwhelming joy,” one wildlife expert said

Divers participating in the Underwater Music Festival pretend to play musical instruments in the waters off of Big Pine Key, Florida.

This Florida Music Festival Takes Place Completely Underwater

To draw attention to coral reef conservation, divers play 'bass-oons' and 'trombonefish' at the Underwater Music Festival in Key West

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