Nature | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/nature/RSS feed for NatureenFri, 17 Jul 2026 13:36:40 +0000These 16 Splendid Aerial Views Capture Wildlife From Above, Revealing the Beauty and Mystery of Naturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/The second International Aerial Photographer of the Year contest selected its winners and 101 top images. Here’s a selection of the photos that spotlight animals from a new perspectiveFri, 17 Jul 2026 13:36:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/These 11 Wildlife Images From the Ocean Conservancy’s Photography Contest Showcase the Wonder of Earth’s Watershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-11-wildlife-images-from-the-ocean-conservancys-photography-contest-showcase-the-wonder-of-earths-waters-180989069/Seals, penguins and fish are featured in the nonprofit’s annual competition to inspire care for the world’s oceansMon, 06 Jul 2026 22:15:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-11-wildlife-images-from-the-ocean-conservancys-photography-contest-showcase-the-wonder-of-earths-waters-180989069/Years in the Making, National Geographic's Museum of Exploration Is Here to Take You on an Adventurehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/years-in-the-making-national-geographics-museum-of-exploration-is-here-to-take-you-on-an-adventure-180989034/The renovated space highlights the hallmarks of the iconic 138-year-old brand, from wildlife photography to the study of anthropologyFri, 26 Jun 2026 20:03:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/years-in-the-making-national-geographics-museum-of-exploration-is-here-to-take-you-on-an-adventure-180989034/Speed Limits for Ships Protect Endangered Right Whales From Vessel Strikes. Could the Animals Survive Without Them?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/speed-limits-for-ships-protect-endangered-right-whales-from-vessel-strikes-could-the-animals-survive-without-them-180989013/Since 2008, rules requiring ships to slow down to avoid collisions with North Atlantic right whales have reduced fatalities of the critically endangered animals. Now, NOAA is calling the regulations into question, raising concerns for the mammals’ futureFri, 26 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/speed-limits-for-ships-protect-endangered-right-whales-from-vessel-strikes-could-the-animals-survive-without-them-180989013/A Vietnam Veteran Collected Fossils for 66 Years. One, Mislabeled 'Baby Lamprey,' Made Paleontologists Reconsider How Vertebrates Moved From Water to Landhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-vietnam-veteran-collected-fossils-for-66-years-one-mislabeled-baby-lamprey-made-paleontologists-reconsider-how-vertebrates-moved-from-water-to-land-180988981/The fossil turned out to be a hatchling of a crocodile-like creature, and it suggests, according to a new study, that early animals did not use metamorphosis to evolve to dwell on landThu, 18 Jun 2026 18:15:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-vietnam-veteran-collected-fossils-for-66-years-one-mislabeled-baby-lamprey-made-paleontologists-reconsider-how-vertebrates-moved-from-water-to-land-180988981/What Natural History Objects Represent Your State? You Can Find Out in This New Exhibition of More Than 600 Specimens and Artifactshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-natural-history-objects-represent-your-state-you-can-find-out-in-this-new-exhibition-of-more-than-600-specimens-and-artifacts-180988980/The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History celebrates America’s 250th anniversary by spotlighting fascinating items from across the nationThu, 18 Jun 2026 14:15:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-natural-history-objects-represent-your-state-you-can-find-out-in-this-new-exhibition-of-more-than-600-specimens-and-artifacts-180988980/Nearly All Plants Depend on Tiny Underground Fungi. The Microbes' Vast Global Networks Were Just Mapped for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-all-plants-depend-on-tiny-underground-fungi-the-microbes-vast-global-networks-were-just-mapped-for-the-first-time-180988955/If lined up end to end, the thin, tubular threads that make up the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks in Earth’s topsoil could stretch between our planet and the sun almost one billion timesThu, 18 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nearly-all-plants-depend-on-tiny-underground-fungi-the-microbes-vast-global-networks-were-just-mapped-for-the-first-time-180988955/Venus Flytraps Snap Their Traps Shut in Less Than a Second. Scientists Say They've Discovered How the Predatory Plants Are So Fasthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venus-flytraps-snap-their-traps-shut-in-less-than-a-second-scientists-say-theyve-discovered-how-the-predatory-plants-are-so-fast-180988949/The walls of cells in the leaves' outer layer suddenly soften, allowing the structures to hinge into a closed position, according to a new studyMon, 15 Jun 2026 20:06:21 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/venus-flytraps-snap-their-traps-shut-in-less-than-a-second-scientists-say-theyve-discovered-how-the-predatory-plants-are-so-fast-180988949/Trail Camera Photos Capture Rare Antelopes in a Kenya Forest Where Conservationists Once Feared They Had Vanishedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/Fewer than 100 mountain bongos are thought to live in the wild, and the new discovery reveals a crucial habitat for the critically endangered creaturesMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:38:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/'Stupid Hot': Heat Waves Muddle the Minds of Animals and Humans as Confusion and Aggression Seem to Rise With the Temperaturehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/Wide-ranging research suggests that as temperatures increase, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn. The findings hint at consequences that may ripple through ecosystemsFri, 05 Jun 2026 17:52:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/Four Rare Guam Kingfisher Chicks Hatch at Virginia Facility, Making an 'Incredibly Valuable' Addition to the Small Population of Extinct-in-the-Wild Birdshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-rare-guam-kingfisher-chicks-hatch-at-virginia-facility-making-an-incredibly-valuable-addition-to-the-small-population-of-extinct-in-the-wild-birds-180988863/The species, also known as the sihek, was wiped out from its native Guam and kept alive in captivity. Conservationists released some birds on Palmyra Atoll in 2024, and they have been thriving so farFri, 29 May 2026 21:00:41 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/four-rare-guam-kingfisher-chicks-hatch-at-virginia-facility-making-an-incredibly-valuable-addition-to-the-small-population-of-extinct-in-the-wild-birds-180988863/Shakespeare Referenced Dozens of Bird Species in His Work. This Artist Has Made It Her Mission to Paint Them Allhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/shakespeare-referenced-dozens-of-bird-species-in-his-work-this-artist-has-made-it-her-mission-to-paint-them-all-180988862/Missy Dunaway’s colorful illustrations combine natural history, folklore and literature to depict the Bard’s birdsFri, 29 May 2026 18:36:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/shakespeare-referenced-dozens-of-bird-species-in-his-work-this-artist-has-made-it-her-mission-to-paint-them-all-180988862/Young Blue Crabs Have Been Mysteriously Dwindling in the Chesapeake Bay for Years. This Winter, They Saw a Boost in Numbers. What’s Driving These Trends?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/young-blue-crabs-have-been-mysteriously-dwindling-in-the-chesapeake-bay-for-years-this-winter-they-saw-a-boost-in-numbers-whats-driving-these-trends-180988839/A recent report detailed a 50 percent drop in juvenile Chesapeake blue crabs since 2010. Then, a survey found a surprising surge in the young crustaceans this yearThu, 28 May 2026 15:10:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/young-blue-crabs-have-been-mysteriously-dwindling-in-the-chesapeake-bay-for-years-this-winter-they-saw-a-boost-in-numbers-whats-driving-these-trends-180988839/How Do You Honor a Fallen Tree? In England, a Sound Sculpture Will Broadcast the 'Voice' of a Beloved Sycamore Felled Near Hadrian’s Wallhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-honor-a-fallen-tree-in-england-a-sound-sculpture-will-broadcast-the-voice-of-a-beloved-sycamore-felled-near-hadrians-wall-180988832/"The People’s Tree" will also incorporate the tree's wood and archive recordings from the public in a series of community artworksWed, 27 May 2026 20:51:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-do-you-honor-a-fallen-tree-in-england-a-sound-sculpture-will-broadcast-the-voice-of-a-beloved-sycamore-felled-near-hadrians-wall-180988832/Gentoo Penguins Are Actually Four Different Species, Scientists Say, Revealing They're Not Quite 'Winners' of Climate Change After Allhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gentoo-penguins-may-actually-be-four-different-species-scientists-say-revealing-theyre-not-quite-winners-of-climate-change-after-all-180988769/A new study indicates that the adaptable birds evolved into distinct lineages as isolated populations shifted to match their environmental conditions over time. The work has implications for how conservationists assess threats to gentoosWed, 20 May 2026 19:09:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/gentoo-penguins-may-actually-be-four-different-species-scientists-say-revealing-theyre-not-quite-winners-of-climate-change-after-all-180988769/