Land
Scientists Race to Salvage Fossils Before Panama Canal Expansion
There was a time when North and South America did not share a land border. Instead, a large river separated the two land masses. The animals and plants on the continents kept to themselves mostly, with the exception of the birds that refused to call any one place home.Then, 15 million years ago, th...
June 24, 2009 |
By Joseph Caputo
Penguin Dispatch 2: The Scientists of Punta Tombo
For over 25 years, researcher Dee Boersma has been coming with students in tow to Punta Tombo to study the penguins
June 04, 2009 |
By Eric Wagner
Smile! Elusive Jaguar Caught on Camera in Panama
Dry season on Barro Colorodo Island brings sun and low humidity to the plants, animals and researchers that dwell on this scientific nature reserve in the middle of the Panama Canal.Just the right conditions for scientists Jackie and Greg Willis to take their their annual 62-mile walk to count the ...
April 30, 2009 |
By Joseph Caputo
Bank Executives See the Forest and the Trees
In a Maryland forest, bankers trade in their suits and ties to study the environment with Smithsonian scientists
April 2009 |
By Kenneth R. Fletcher
The Dinosaur Fossil Wars
Across the American West, legal battles over dinosaur fossils are on the rise as amateur prospectors make major finds
April 2009 |
By Donovan Webster
What's So Hot About Chili Peppers?
An American ecologist travels through the Bolivian forest to answer burning questions about the spice
April 2009 |
By Brendan Borrell
Climbing the Tallest Trees
A select group of adventurers climb the world’s tallest trees to learn more about the wildlife that lives on the highest branches
March 31, 2009 |
By Peter Beland
Naming a New Species
Smithsonian naturalist Brian Schmidt gave a new species of African bird an interesting scientific name
March 2009 |
By Joseph Caputo
Endangered Site: Fenestrelle Fortress, Italy
The "Great Wall of the Alps" covers 320 acres and is one of the largest fortified structures in Europe
March 2009 |
By T. A. Frail
Endangered Site: Chinguetti, Mauritania
The rapidly expanding Sahara Desert threatens a medieval trading center that also carries importance for Sunni Muslims
March 2009 |
By Jeanne Maglaty
Endangered Site: Herschel Island, Canada
An abandoned island off the coast of the Yukon Territory holds a unique place in the history of the Pacific whaling industry
March 2009 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Wolves and the Balance of Nature in the Rockies
After years as an endangered species, the wolves are thriving again in the West, but they're also reigniting a fierce controversy
February 2009 |
By Frank Clifford
A Naturalist's Pilgrimage to the Galapagos
Smithsonian's Laura Helmuth vacationed in the Galapagos Islands and returned with even more respect for Charles Darwin
January 30, 2009 |
By Laura Helmuth
Around the Web: Name That Fish
Blennies aren't the prettiest of nature's creatures. About as long as a roll of quarters, with big eyes and a gaping mouth, the fish are loved by scientists for their ecology more than their beauty. With over 800 species across the oceans, they are one of the world's most diverse fish families. By ...
January 27, 2009 |
By Joseph Caputo
Wild Goose Chase
How one man's obsession saved an "extinct" species
January 02, 2009 |
By Rob R. Dunn
Mining the Mountains
Explosives and giant machines are destroying Appalachian peaks to obtain coal. In a tiny West Virginia town, residents and the industry fight over a mountain's fate
January 2009 |
By John McQuaid
The Spotted Owl's New Nemesis
An battle between environmentalists and loggers left much of the owl's habitat protected. Now the spotted owl faces a new threat
January 2009 |
By Craig Welch
Smithsonian Scientists Unearth Problems with Biofuel Crops
For a while after scientists (and Al Gore!) first started talking about global warming, it seemed like biofuels might be the magic solution to our energy needs.Made from corn, sugarcane, palm oil, soybeans and various other organic matter, biofuels burn "clean," which means that they don't contribu...
December 11, 2008 |
By Anika Gupta
What's Killing the Aspen?
The signature tree of the Rockies is in trouble
December 2008 |
By Michelle Nijhuis
