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Life on a Sustainable Planet

CWNYC24

The Climate Crunch - Why Every Fall Feels Like a Race to Save the Planet

Every autumn, climate conferences ignite efforts in the fight against climate change. How do these gatherings inspire reflection and drive action?

American bison

Six Animals the Smithsonian Has Helped Save From Extinction

For more than a century, the Institution has placed a scientific focus on studying and conserving threatened species

Even tiny organisms can have a large effect.

Meet Some Small Creatures That Have Big Impacts on Our Ecosystems

Protecting the little guys can lead to huge benefits for our planet.

A pair of silhouetted people stargaze

Stars, Seas and Other Scientific Successes

We recap five of our favorite optimistic stories from March, featuring everything from a historic agreement to protect our oceans to a small island working together to save confused puffins

USFWS_20210929_Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit 2_ ALaValle.jpeg

Bunnies, Bears and Other Stories to Beat the January Blues

Five recent scientific success stories to cheer you up on a dreary day ⛅️

Five Spooky Species That Science Brought Back From the Brink

Need some last-minute Halloween costume inspo? These five species narrowly escaped the greatest horror story of our time: extinction.

Scientists from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (including Nick Pyenson, left) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute collect a fossil dolphin from the Caribbean coast of Panama. The fossil is encased in a white plaster jacket, and recovered as the tide rushed in. © Aaron O'Dea / Smithsonian Institution

Digging Into the Past to Find Optimism for the Future

We know that story of what will happen in the coming decades and centuries... what's different about where we're going has to do with the rate of these changes and the biodiversity at hand.

Dr. Grant Connette trains participants on best practices in setting up wildlife cameras to ensure that high-quality data is collected.

Smithsonian scientists help put endangered Myanmar species on the map

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) is developing animal distribution maps as part of the Smithsonian Conservation Commons’ Working Landscapes initiative in Myanmar, helping stakeholders and decision makers make better choices regarding landscape management.

The red siskin or cardenalito is inextricably linked with Venezuela’s identity, yet it is now rare in its natural habitat.

Coffee and Chocolate Could Help Preserve Endangered Birds in Venezuela

The Smithsonian Institution and Piedra de Cachimbo coffee farmers in northern Venezuela are committing to the conservation of 400 hectares of forest for traditional shade-grown organic coffee, seeking Smithsonian Bird Friendly certification of their beans. This will help protect the habitat of the red siskin, an endangered red and black finch.

Snail kites' migratory behavior may be driven primarily by precipitation, as the species feeds mainly on Apple snails, which in turn rely on persistent bodies of water.

The Next Frontier: Unraveling the Mysteries of Tropical Bird Migration

Scientists have started to notice that, like their counterparts breeding in temperate latitudes, tropical birds exhibit migratory behaviors. Now Peter Marra, director of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s (SCBI) Migratory Bird Center, and Brandt Ryder, a research ecologist at SCBI are trying to understand why, by tracking two species of Neotropical birds in Brazil: Bare-throated bellbirds and Snail kites.

Matt Ogburn, Charles Bangley, and SERC intern Michelle Edwards (L to R) surgically implant an acoustic transmitter into a juvenile Bull Shark. Credit: Jay Fleming/SERC

Marine Migrations, Key to Climate Change Predictions and Conservation Efforts

By tracking rays, sharks and river herring, the Fish and Invertebrate Ecology lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is working to figure out how marine migration data could help predict marine species' responses to climate change and aid in the conservation of endangered ones.

Released Limosa Harlequin frog with radio transmitter. Courtesy Blake Klocke

A Second Release Trial Advances The Goal Of Reintroducing Endangered Frogs Into The Wild

Kinkajou tagging in Panama Credit: Untamed Science Roland

In Six Years, Movebank Has Collected One Billion Animal Locations

Dr. Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Credit: Mary Lewandowski, National Park Service.

The Migratory Adventures Of The Enigmatic Long-Tailed Jaeger Will Soon Be Revealed

Kathleen Higgins at Gamboa Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Center. Credit: Sean Mattson

Could Quality Of Care Help Address Captive Amphibian Diseases?

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