Conservation

Why We Shouldn't Worry About Growing Plants With Recycled Water

Trace amounts of common pharmaceuticals show up in crops grown with recycled water, but not as much as you'd think

A shop sells nostalgic souvenirs, including a UK coat of arms, at the Portobello Road market in London.

Ten Unusual National Animals That Rival the Unicorn

Scotland doesn’t have the market cornered on exotic national symbols—check out the mouflon, the takin and the xoloitzcuintli

Detroit's Dumps Are Slowly Being Reclaimed By Nature

Some illegal dumping grounds in Detroit are being repopulated by hardy plants

Sugar gliders, marsupials native to Australia.

Adorable Portraits Put Nocturnal Animals in the Spotlight

A new photo book showcases animals we humans rarely see—while a new study says we may have more in common with night-dwellers than thought

An inlaid alabaster unguent jar in the form of an ibex, with one natural horn, was found in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Egypt’s Mammal Extinctions Tracked Through 6,000 Years of Art

Tomb goods and historical texts show how a drying climate and an expanding human population took their toll on the region’s wildlife

Pyramid of Djoser

Restoration Of Egypt’s Oldest Pyramid May Be Harming it

Efforts to save the Pyramid of Djoser could be making things worse

Whale-Watching Can Actually Be Harmful To Whales

Ecotourism can give people a closer look at wildlife, but in the case of whales, it could also harm the wildlife they're looking at

What's Replacing Coal In Europe? Imported Wood

In trying to meet renewable goals, Europe is relying on wood from forests in the Southern United States

Elephant Poachers Also Targeting Vultures

Vultures are being targeted by elephant poachers in Africa

Demand for Renewable Energy Is Real

But the industry still has a few hitches to work out—like solar panels burning birds

Changila, a male elephant who was later killed by poachers near Samburu National Reserve in Kenya.

Surprise! Science Shows That Elephant Poaching Is Unsustainable

For the first time, scientists have made a comprehensive tally of illegal killing rates across Africa

A mountain lion kitten in Malibu Creek State Park.

The Real Cougars of Malibu Have Lives Full of Murder, Bad Sex and Poison

But a simple bridge over the freeway could help save the charismatic big cats

Fish swimming by the Great Barrier Reef

Outlook For Great Barrier Reef Not So Great

The five year state of the reef reports paints a gloomy picture for the natural wonder

A photo of a whale shark, taken by a visitor during a Ceviche Tour swim in Isla Mujeres.

Save the Sharks By Swimming With Them

Ecotourism is helping promote shark conservation around the world—while also boosting local economies.

Why Everyone From Conservationists to Yao Ming to Andrew Cuomo Supports Banning Ivory Sales

Because of corruption and laundering, any system of legal ivory trade threatens the continued existence of elephants

A blue shark near the Azores islands.

Bizarre Blue Shark Nursery Found in the North Atlantic

Rather than emerging in protected coves, baby blue sharks spend their first years in a big patch of open ocean

Seagrass Meadows Are Disappearing at the Same Rate as Rainforests

These underwater habitats are important for several species of sea life

A great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in South Africa shows its jaws.

The State of Sharks, 40 Years After <em>Jaws</em>

We could be at a tipping point for conserving the infamous predators, if we can keep up shark-friendly practices

A critically endangered European eel.

Eels Are Victims of Noise Pollution

Critically endangered European eels get distracted by man-made noise, making them more likely to get eaten by a predator

Civil War Battlefields Are Overrun With Deer

The Parks Department is going to spend $1.8 million to have hunters cull them

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