Conservation

Julie Packard (detail) by Hope Gangloff

Fishes Were Julie Packard’s Wishes for Her New Smithsonian Portrait

National Portrait Gallery unveils a painting honoring the renowned ocean conservationist and director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium

With the snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half the life in the universe.

If Thanos Actually Wiped Out Half of All Life, How Would Earth Fare in the Aftermath?

The aftereffects of such a mass extinction don’t require a supervillain’s intelligence to understand

Watch Live as a Rare Bald Eagle 'Throuple' Raises Their New Trio of Chicks

Starr, Valor I and Valor II are taking care of three eaglets seven years after their dramatic story began

EgNo 4180 and her 2019 calf photographed by the CCS aerial survey team in Cape Cod Bay on 4/11/19.

Three Endangered Right Whale Calves Spotted in New England Waters

A total of seven calves have been born this year, but the species is not ‘out of the woods,’ researchers say

These Ecologists Borrowed Tricks From Astrophysicists to Count Endangered Orangutans

The thermal-imaging expertise of astronomers helped researchers find the great apes in the hot, humid jungles of Borneo

To help your feathered friends, start by turning off excess outdoor lighting as often as possible.

These Cities Are the Most Dangerous for Migrating Birds

A new study has identified Chicago, Dallas and Houston as the riskiest spots during both the spring and fall migrations

A Diver Captures Bermuda Below the Surface

Weldon Wade curates a refreshing Instagram feed focused on ocean conservation and the sport of free diving

There's a lot more pink in the water during the annual flamingo migration to Mumbai this winter.

Why Did Flamingos Flock to Mumbai in Record Numbers This Winter?

More than three times the usual number of migrating pink birds came, possibly attracted by algae blooms caused by sewage

Finca Vigía photographed in March 1997.

New Conservation Center to Preserve Hemingway’s Legacy in Cuba

The facility is located at Finca Vigía, the property where Hemingway lived for more than two decades and where he wrote some of his most lauded books

An Orangutan Was Shot 74 Times. She Survived.

Dubbed ‘Hope,’ the orangutan was blinded by gunshots to her eyes. She also sustained bone fractures and had been stabbed with a sharp tool.

The Carcasses That Mountain Lions Leave Behind Power Entire Insect Ecosystems

A new study shows 215 species of beetles rely on the big cats' leftovers

A drinking horn made from the horn of an aurochs bull.

Testing the DNA in Museum Artifacts Can Unlock New Natural History, but Is it Worth the Potential Damage?

Museums house a wealth of rare animal specimens, such as arctic clothing, medieval parchment and Viking drinking horns, but DNA testing can be destructive

A young boy talks to U.S. Army military police as the exhibit visited Toledo, Ohio.

Americans Flocked to See This Controversial Exhibit of Berlin’s Art Treasures in the Wake of World War II

Discovered in a salt mine in Nazi Germany, these artworks toured the United States in a questionable move that raised serious ethical concerns

Humans Are Destroying Chimpanzee Culture

A new study has found that chimps living in areas of high human impact are 88 percent less likely to engage in certain learned behaviors

The Lady K tow boat kicks up a wake full of green algae a few hundred feet from the city of Toledo's Water Intake on Lake Erie, for testing on Monday, August 4, 2014.

Toledo, Ohio, Just Granted Lake Erie the Same Legal Rights as People

A controversial referendum passed this week establishes a bill of rights for the Great Lake and grants it legal standing in suing polluters

Grand Canyon National Park

The Decades-Long Political Fight to Save the Grand Canyon

Americans had long known about the wonders of the southwestern landmark, but it wouldn't be until 1919 that it would gain full federal protection

Wallace's giant bee is nearly four times larger than a European honeybee.

World’s Largest Bee Spotted for the First Time in Decades

The Wallace’s giant bee has been seen only a few times since its discovery in 1858; experts weren’t sure it still existed

Banksias, 2014

Dornith Doherty's Mesmerizing Photos Capture the Contradictions of Seed Banking

"Archiving Eden," now at the National Academy of Sciences, shows how guarding against an ecological catastrophe is both optimistic and pessimistic

Insects Are Dying Off at an Alarming Rate

Forty percent of insect populations have seen declines in recent years and will drop even more without immediate action

In 2018, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation published its midpoint assessment of the on-going restoration efforts for the country's largest estuary.

Checking In on the Health and Vigor of the Chesapeake Bay

As clean-up milestones are registered by a recent assessment of the nation’s largest estuary, a Smithsonian geographer drops in on the region

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